How to find employer-sponsored work in Australia?

How do I find a sponsor? Hi, my name's Chris Johnson from Work Visa Lawyers. One of the most frequent questions which I receive is how do I find a sponsor? With the reduction in the number of state nominations and the end of the COVID visa, many people are exploring the ways to find a sponsor to secure another temporary visa in Australia which could potentially lead to permanent residency. Finding a sponsor in Australia requires diligence, Number one, learn about the visa options and what they require for both the applicant and the sponsor. There are four types of visas which you could need an employer sponsor for. These include the 482 Temporary Skills Visa, the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme for Australian Permanent Residency, the 494 Skilled Employer Regional Sponsored Visa, and Labor Agreement and DARMAs. Each of these visas which I've mentioned will have different requirements for the sponsor and the applicant and so it's worth learning about them. It's important to know that you cannot pay an employer to sponsor you and that an employer would be committing a crime if they ask for payment or receive a benefit for sponsorship. Number two, preparing your profile for the employer sponsored positions. You should tailor your CV and cover letter to the Australian standards for the occupation on the relevant list that you're aiming for. For example, if you're looking to be a chef, highlight your relevant skills, experience and training in relation to being a chef. Is your LinkedIn profile up to date to include your experience and qualifications? Have you completed the English language testing required for many work visas? Does your occupation require registration? For example, health professions often require registration. I'm just going through some of the steps to get you ready to apply for an employer sponsored visa. Number three, searching the key online job websites. SEEK is the most common job website in Australia. Many employers are not looking to sponsor employees that need a sponsored visa. So it's important to try and narrow your search by including keywords such as a 482 or sponsorship, employer sponsored or Dharma. These words can help you identify employers that may be interested in employer sponsorship. LinkedIn can be a good place to look for sponsors, but I think it's more focused on upper professions and ICT rather than looking for things like trades. Number four, researching and contacting employers that are already approved sponsors. You can find a list of approved accredited sponsors. Accredited sponsors are sponsors with a strong track record that have been given faster processing times by the Department of Home Affairs. See the link in the blog that we've put in the description. You can also find labour agreement employers by searching the list on the Department of Home Affairs website. See the searchable list in the labour agreement section. Looking at the accredited sponsors or the labour agreement list can give you a starting point to try and identify companies that might match your occupation. For example, looking for restaurants or large hotels if you're a chef. Number five, build your personal and professional network. As you probably know, many jobs are found by word of mouth. So it's important to contact people you know and spread the word that you are looking for a sponsorship and the types of roles that you could possibly fill. You can be proactive. You could attend a relevant conference in relation to your industry, and you can join associations, and you can deliberately build contacts over time to increase your chances of sponsorship. Number six, consider smaller regional areas and smaller cities. You could consider moving to regions where there are more shortages and potentially more opportunity to find a sponsor in your occupation. The regions often have a range of shortages, including health, education, and many trade-related occupations as well. Some people think of the regions as areas that just need agricultural workers, but in reality, there's a lot of people living in the regions that need services. Seven, engaging with the employer. When you find a potential sponsor, it's time to engage. For onshore applicants on temporary visas, you may wanna consider getting the relevant job and building the relationship and demonstrating that you can do the job well before you ask for sponsorship. This could increase the chances of you being successful. For offshore applicants, it can be more difficult because you may need to talk about getting sponsorship earlier in the conversations, and it could be more difficult to persuade the employer that it's a good idea. Number eight, getting professional help. When you find a sponsor, consider seeking help from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer to give you the best chances of success with the visa application. We are one of Australia's largest immigration law firms with a team of professional immigration lawyers and registered migration agents that can assist you with an application. Contact us if you need help with an existing employer-sponsored visa or a future planned application. We are experienced in helping employers and applicants with the full range of employer-sponsored visas, including 186s, 482s, 494s, and Damas. Thanks for watching. If you found this video helpful, give us a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe for the latest guides like this. If you have any questions, please write them in the comment section below. Thanks for watching.