Work rights and visas
All prospective or appointed staff members must have the relevant right to work in Australia before they start their employment with the University.
All staff are required to provide one form of original identification that verifies their right to work in Australia to the University's Human Resources Service Centre.
The list of acceptable documents is available online (pdf, 87.3KB).
You can find further information about working in Australia on the Department of Home Affairs website.
It is the staff member’s and visitor’s responsibility to ensure that they have valid Australian work rights for the duration of their employment or activities at the University.
Employer-sponsored visa options
The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team provides guidance on determining the appropriate visa to staff recruiting international candidates and inviting international visitors.
Overseas applicants for qualified academic positions and highly specialised professional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related full-time positions may be eligible for an employer-sponsored visa.
The job advertisement will indicate if an employer sponsorship visa will be offered.
The two employer-sponsored visas are:
- Temporary Resident Visa - Skills in Demand (SID) (subclass 482)
- Permanent Resident Visa – Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Hiring managers can refer to the International Candidate Hiring Manager Information Sheet (pdf, 279KB) for further information on how to recruit international candidates.
Documentation required
For the University to commence the visa sponsorship process, the following documents must be submitted within a week from the date of receipt of the letter of offer unless an earlier date is specified to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link:
- Valid Passport Identification Document (ID) i.e., a bio-data page that contains your photo ID and passport details and any accompanying dependant/s
- Resume or curriculum vitae providing information on relevant work experience and qualifications
- Documentary evidence of meeting the English language requirements
- Completed Information for Immigration TSS 482 Form (pdf, 1.62MB) and accompanying documents
- For recently graduated or current PhD students (near completion), a letter from the education institution confirming the one year of full-time teaching and/or research employment is required to satisfy the one year work experience criterion.
The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team will send a secure link with instructions on how to send the required documentation. Please do not send sensitive and highly protected documents and forms in an email.
For more information, please refer to our Privacy statement.
Documentation required
For the University to commence the visa sponsorship process, successful candidate/s or staff members will be required to collate and submit the following visa-related documents to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link.
- Completed Information for Immigration Permanent Resident 186 Application Form
- Valid Passport Identification Document (ID), i.e., a bio-data page that contains photo ID and passport details
- Resume or curriculum vitae providing information on relevant work experience and qualifications
- Evidence of meeting the English language proficiency, i.e., competent English
The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team will send a secure link with instructions on how to send the required documentation. Please do not send sensitive and highly protected documents and forms in an email.
For more information, please refer to our Privacy statement.
SID 482 Visa renewal or pathway to Permanent Resident – ENS 186 visa sponsorship
The process for visa renewal is similar to the initial visa process undertaken by the staff member when relocating to Australia on an employer-sponsored visa or taking up an appointment at the University.
The University, as a visa sponsor, will need to initially submit a new nomination application to the Department of Home Affairs – which will be managed by the University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team – before the staff member submits their personal visa application.
Steps to initiate the University nomination application are outlined in the table below.
1. The staff member must obtain the visa renewal approval (including adding any dependants) through their supervisor from the relevant head of the area, for example, the Head of School and the Dean/Executive Dean or equivalent.
2. The staff member must meet all of the requirements for the 482 visa sponsorship under the migration law and the University’s Visa and Work Rights Policy and Procedures.
3. The hiring area must provide the account codes for the nomination application government charges and the Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) – please refer to the Department of Home Affairs Cost of sponsoring web page for further information.
4. The staff member must provide the following updated 482 visa documentation and forms to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link:
- Immigration form
- Current passport ID page of all visa applicants
- Updated resume
- Evidence of meeting English language requirements unless they are hold a passport from one of the exempted countries
- Approval letter or email from the relevant head of the area
- Account code – project and responsibility codes.
The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team will send a secure link with instructions on how to send the required documentation. Please do not send sensitive and highly protected documents and forms in an email.
For more information, please refer to our Privacy statement.
5. The Immigration and Global Mobility team will conduct the sponsorship assessment, submit the 482 visa nomination application and forward the visa instruction to the staff member being sponsored.
1. The staff member must obtain the support and approval for a permanent resident visa sponsorship (including adding any dependants) through their supervisor from the relevant head of the area, for example the Head of School and the Dean/Executive Dean or equivalent.
2. The staff member must meet all the requirements for the 186 visa sponsorship under the migration law and the University’s Visa and Work Rights Policy and Procedures..
3. The hiring area must provide the account codes for the nomination application government charges and the Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) – please refer to the Department of Home Affairs Visa fees and charges we page for further information.
4. The staff member and/or hiring area must provide the following updated 186 visa documentation and forms to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link:
- Immigration form
- Current passport ID page of all visa applicants
- Updated resume
- Evidence of meeting English language requirements, unless they hold a passport from one of the exempted countries
- Approval letter or email from the relevant head of the area
- Account code – project and responsibility codes.
The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team will send a secure link with instructions on how to send the required documentation. Please do not send sensitive and highly protected documents and forms in an email.
For more information, please refer to our Privacy statement.
5. The Immigration and Global Mobility team will conduct the sponsorship assessment, submit the 186 visa nomination application and forward the visa instruction to the staff member being sponsored.
Other important information
Employers nominating a worker for an employer sponsored work visa will be required to make a payment.
The contribution amount is dependent on the duration of the visa term and an organisation’s annual turnover. In the University’s case, an upfront payment of $1800 per each 482 visa year is required and will be paid by the relevant hiring area as part of the hiring cost. In addition, a one-off levy of $5000 is required when sponsoring a visa holder for permanent residency.
Please refer to the Cost of sponsoring and Visa fees and charges for further information.
Staff members who currently hold a Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482) visa sponsored by the University must inform the Immigration and Global Mobility team immediately of any change in their visa status or type, and circumstances including:
obtaining Australian permanent residency or citizenship
a change in your personal circumstances
a change to your work position such as changes in duties, reduction in hours, leave without pay and reduction in salary
resignation from the University.
You can contact us by email at hr.immigration.relocation@sydney.edu.au.
Read a summary of obligations for visa holders, family members and employers to ensure they comply with federal government regulations.