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.
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:
Hiring managers can refer to the International Candidate Hiring Manager Information Sheet (pdf, 150KB) for further information on how to recruit international candidates.
There are two streams available under this visa program:
Note that university lecturers (suitable for research associates or research fellows) are on the MLTSSL. For more information, refer to the skilled occupation list.
Work experience
You need to demonstrate at least two years full-time relevant work experience. Academic teaching and research undertaken by PhD students may be counted towards your work experience requirement.
English language proficiency
English language testing is required unless you are exempt. Exemptions apply if the visa applicant holds a passport from Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States or if they have completed at least five years of full-time study where all instruction was conducted in English. You can find full details on sufficient English requirements, based on the stream level, on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Character
A police certificate or clearance will be required from each country where you have lived for a cumulative period of 12 months or more over the last 10 years, since turning 16 years old. The University will not provide a character reference letter in lieu of the police certificate. Find more information, including where to apply, on the Department of Home Affairs website.
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:
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.
The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by the University, to live and work in Australia permanently. There are two streams available under this visa program:
There are two options within the TRT stream.
1. If you held a 457 visa on or before 18 April 2017, you must have worked for the University, in the same occupation, for at least two years (excluding any time spent overseas for work and all periods of leave without pay).
2. If you held a 457 visa or TSS visa after 18 April 2017, you must have worked for the University, in the same occupation, for at least three years (excluding any time spent overseas for work and all periods of leave without pay).
The staff member or successful candidate must:
The staff member or successful candidate (and their accompanying adult family members) must meet all the Department of Home Affairs eligibility requirements for the relevant nominated employer-sponsored permanent residency stream. The English language requirements and evidence must be obtained prior to submitting their personal visa application, otherwise the visa may be refused.
English language requirements
English language testing is required unless you are exempt. Exemptions apply if the visa applicant holds a passport from Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. A staff member or successful candidate applying for a visa under the TRT Stream may also provide at least five years of full-time study, where all instruction was conducted in the English language, as alternate evidence of completion.
Character
Police clearance certificates will be required for the visa applicant and their accompanying family members (older than 16 years) for every country they have lived in, for 12 months or more, in the last 10 years.
In order to be sponsored for an employer-sponsored work visa, 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 as part of the visa application process.
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.
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 TSS visa sponsorship.
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 visa costs (docx, 18KB).
4. The staff member must provide the following updated TSS documentation and forms to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link:
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 TSS 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 mentioned above for the ENS visa sponsorship.
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 visa costs (docx, 17KB).
4. The staff member and/or hiring area must provide the following updated ENS documentation and forms to the Immigration and Global Mobility team through a secure link:
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 ENS nomination application and forward the visa instruction to the staff member being sponsored.
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 TSS 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 visa costs (docx 18.3KB) for further information.
Staff members who currently hold a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) or TSS 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:
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.