Nevett Ford Corporate Immigration provides a
range of services designed to support business users of the 457 Visa Programme
and other temporary and permanent employer sponsored visas. These services
include applying for Business Sponsorship, establishing systems and processes
to meet the Sponsorship Obligations, audit, compliance, risk management,
training and advisory services and assistance negotiation and preparing on-hire
labour agreement submissions.
We can also liaise with the Department of
Immigration on behalf of businesses in relation to requests for information,
monitoring activities, ‘Notices of Intention to Take Action’ or other requests.
Business
Sponsorships
Nevett Ford can assist your business to apply for
Business Sponsorship approval with the Department of Immigration.
Becoming a sponsor is the first step to engaging
overseas staff to work in Australia. In order to become registered as a
sponsor, businesses must meet a number of criteria and agree to meet certain
obligations for the duration of their sponsorship and beyond.
Our experienced team can advise on the Sponsorship Obligations your business
must meet as a sponsor and provide expert assistance in establishing the
necessary systems to manage the process.
Employer Sponsored Visas
Nevett Ford specialises in the delivery of all
aspects of Employer Sponsored migration including Temporary Work (Skilled)
Subclass 457 visas, Employer Nomination Scheme 186 Permanent Residency, and
Regional Skilled Migration Scheme 187 Permanent Residency visas.
Compliance
We can provide guidance on how to ensure your
business is complying with the on-going Sponsor Obligations which are imposed
on all 457 Business Sponsors. Our experienced immigration lawyers who are all
registered migration agents have conducted audits and reviews for numerous
national and international businesses to ensure full compliance with
immigration laws and regulations.
Training
We can provide tailored training on all aspects of
Australian Immigration to meet your business needs. We can deliver training
programs for Human Resource staff, line managers and visa holders. Nevett Ford
Immigration is able to deliver face-to-face and online training programs to meet
your business’s needs.
Risk Management
Our immigration lawyers can provide industry
best-practice guidance on how to manage risk in the use of all Employer
Sponsored visa programs. Our legal expertise and experience means that we have
the knowledge to help your business identify and effectively manage all aspects
of risk associated with use of the 457 visa program and other visa matters.
Audit
We provide Audit services for employers to ensure
that all aspects of the ‘Business Sponsorship Obligations’ are being met,
identify and advise on potential breaches and liaise with the Department of
Immigration on behalf of the business where necessary.
Nevett Ford Immigration can complete one-off or
regular audits of the visa holder population to minimise risk and eliminate
potential issues.
Advisory services
including Immigration Program Process Design & Improvement
Our extensive experience with a wide range of
employers means that we can review your business’s Immigration policies and
systems and ensure you comply with industry best practice. We can also provide
employment law advice. Alternatively, for businesses accessing the immigration
program for the first time we can prepare policies and systems to manage risk
and meet the relevant obligations.
On-hire
Labour Agreements
An on-hire labour agreement
(OHLA) is a formal arrangement negotiated between an on-hire business
(sometimes known as a labour hire business) and the Australian Government. It
allows the business to recruit skilled overseas
workers on a temporary basis on Subclass 457 visas for occupations approved under the agreement and then on-hire them to an
end-user employer. Nevett Ford has extensive experience in this specialised
area.
Employers requesting an
OHLA are required to provide a comprehensive submission to the Australian
Government, represented by the Department of Immigration. Nevett Ford can
assist your business in preparing suitable submissions as well as advise you on
the extensive supporting documentation that must be provided.
Businesses
seeking access to an OHLA must only nominate occupations that are currently
listed on the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List
(CSOL). They will also need to provide compelling
and concrete evidence that there is genuine and significant demand for the
nominated occupations and that this demand cannot be met from within the
Australian labour market. The number of skilled overseas workers requested
under the OHLA should represent a minor proportion of the business’ workforce. The input of stakeholders in your industry is
of key importance. Stakeholder consultation is a mandatory part of the labour
agreement negotiation process and the Department of Immigration recommends that
this is initiated as early as possible in the process of seeking access to
overseas skilled workers.
