Q10 An employer has offered to sponsor me. What should I do?
You will need to check your eligibility for an employer sponsored visa. The employer intending to sponsor you must also
meet certain requirements.
If you have applied for a GSM visa since 1 September 2007, you may be able to apply for an ENS visa without having to
pay a new application visa charge. You will have to complete another visa application form.
If you applied for a GSM visa before 1 September 2007, you may be able to be assessed for an ENS visa without having
to lodge a new application or pay a new application charge.
Applications for ENS visas will receive priority processing.
From 1 January 2009, the new Ministerial Direction gives priority
processing to applications strictly in the following order:
1. employer sponsorship; then
2. State or Territory Sponsorship; then
3. an occupation on the Critical Skill List (CSL); then
4. Business Skills; then
5. an occupation on the MODL; and then
6. All other applications
The ASPC is currently in the process of identifying and allocating all
State or Territory Sponsored applications. Once these are all completely
allocated, only then will cases with occupations on the CSL commence
allocation and not until after all CSL applications are allocated will we
be able to look at the remaining application priorities. Any further
updates to our new processing priorities will be posted on the DIAC
website, which we encourage you to review on a regular basis - http://www.
immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm
If your occupation comes under the Critical Skills List, your application
will be allocated to a case officer after all State and Territory
Sponsored applications.
Alternatively, if you are able to obtain Employer Nomination 856 ENS -
(please see http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/ens/ ) or
Employer Nomination (Regional) 857 RSMS - (please see http://www.immi.
gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/rsms/ ) or State/Territory Nomination -
(please see http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-
migration/176/nom-state-terr.htm ), AND you are eligible under the
relevant criteria, you may be able to have your application allocated
earlier. Please speak to an officer in the Business Centre of your
nearest Immigration Office regarding your options.
Yours Sincerely
General Skilled Migration - Adelaide
Department of Immigration and Citizenship