Australia offers a range of temporary and permanent work visa options for skilled professionals looking to relocate and work in the country. The key categories available to overseas workers are the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa, Employer Nomination Visa, Temporary Activity Visa, and Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) Visa.

The Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482) enables companies to sponsor skilled workers to fill positions they have been unable to fill with local Australian workers. This visa allows overseas professionals to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years depending on the specific stream.

There are three main streams under this visa:

• Short Term stream– Sponsorship for up to 2 years for occupations on the Short Term Skilled Occupation List
• Medium Term stream– Sponsorship for up to 4 years for occupations on the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List
• Labour Agreement stream– For sponsorships under a labour agreement with the Australian government

Some key features of this visa are:

• It is for skilled overseas workers who have an employer willing to sponsor them
• Duration ranges from 1 to 4 years based on the stream
• Eligibility criteria includes skills, work experience, English language ability, health and character requirements

The Employer Nomination Visa (Subclass 186) offers a pathway to permanent residence in Australia for skilled professionals nominated by an employer. Applicants can either apply directly for this visa from outside Australia, or some temporary visa holders already working in Australia may be eligible to transition to permanent residency through this visa.

There are three main application pathways:

• Direct Entry stream– For applicants sponsored by an employer for permanent residence when applying from outside Australia
• Temporary Residence Transition stream– For eligible temporary visa holders working in Australia to transition to permanent residency
• Labour Agreement stream– For applicants sponsored under a specific labour agreement with the Australian government

Some key features include:

• It leads to permanent residence for eligible skilled migrants
• Applicants must be nominated by an approved employer
• Previous temporary visa holders may be eligible to transition

The Temporary Activity Visa (Subclass 408) enables professionals to undertake short-term highly specialised work in Australia for up to 2 years. This visa requires sponsorship by an approved Australian organisation for activities in areas like sports, academia, research, entertainment or religion.

Lastly, the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) Visa (Subclass 400) is for short-term specialist work for up to 6 months in Australia. Applicants must be sponsored by an approved organisation and have outstanding skills, experience and English language ability.

Each visa category has specific eligibility relating to skills, qualifications, English language skills, previous work experience, health, character and other requirements that need to be met. There are also visa conditions around location, work rights and employer obligations.

In summary, these temporary and permanent work visas provide options for skilled professionals looking to live and work in Australia short-term or long-term, with some pathways to permanent residency.