For employers

Information on attracting and retaining staff

Smart Solutions for your professional skills shortage is a guide designed to provide businesses with a checklist of things to do to attract and retain staff in a competitive marketplace.

Finding skilled workers from other countries

If you're a Queensland employer who cannot find skilled workers in Australia to fill full-time positions, you might consider recruiting staff from other countries who are either already in Australia or overseas.

For lawfully operating employers to employ skilled workers from overseas who have recognised qualifications and skills or experience, there are two options:

• temporary visas (to employ approved skilled workers for temporary vacancies)
• permanent visas (to sponsor skilled workers for permanent positions).

Migration and Skills Recruitment Queensland offers information to both regional and non-regional Queensland employers on employer sponsored visas.

Please visit the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship for information on all aspects of:

• the visa application process
• employer obligations
• Visa Entitlement Verification Online, a service for registered Australian organisations to check a person's Australian immigration status.

Other skilled visa options

As an employer, you may come across visa types not previously mentioned here.

There are many visas available for migrants to come to Australia. The most common pathway for skilled people is through the General Skilled Migration visas. A number of these are listed for your information.

How to find potential migrants

There are both government and private databases available to employers looking for overseas job candidates.

Licensing and registration

There are often licensing and registration requirements for occupations. The Australian Skills Recognition Information section of the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship website can provide your employee with information on the licensing and registration bodies in Queensland.

Registered migration agents

Migration agents operating in Australia are required by law to be registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). Some migration agents operating outside Australia are also registered with MARA, but this is not compulsory.

Australian migration agents are bound by the Migration Agents' Code of Conduct and generally charge for their services.

A list of migration agents is available from the MARA website.