Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 121/856)
The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 121/856) visa is closed to new applications from 1 July 2012. Only eligible dependent applicants can be added to an existing application that was lodged on or before 30 June 2012.
From 1 July 2012 a new Employer Nomination Scheme visa is available.
See: SkillSelect
About this Visa
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) allows Australian employers to sponsor employees who are foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia.
Who is this visa for?
This visa is available to Australian employers who have nominated highly skilled workers for a permanent visa to work in their business and lodged an employer nomination on or before 30 June 2012. The employees can be either:
- highly skilled workers from overseas
- highly skilled temporary residents currently in Australia.
The ENS (subclass 121) visa is for applicants who were outside Australia and lodged an ENS (subclass 121) visa application on or before 30 June 2012.
The ENS (subclass 856) visa is for applicants who are in Australia and lodged an ENS (subclass 856) visa application on or before 30 June 2012.
What does this visa let me do?
This visa allows you and any dependent family members included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia.
Australian permanent residents can:
- live and work in Australia on a permanent basis
- study in Australia at school or university
- receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
- be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
- sponsor people for permanent residence.