Hammond Taylor were approached by a council to assist with the Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 Permanent Residence visa application for a senior staff member. The staff member in question was highly valued within the council as they had a wealth of experience gained through work for local government overseas. However, the staff member’s partner had previous criminal convictions which risked leading to the refusal of the application, thereby depriving the council of their highly valued employee.

Hammond Taylor was approached by a not-for-profit organisation to conduct a workplace investigation into allegations of a serious act of misconduct related to a breach of the organisations Code of Conduct.

The IT industry is globally competitive. An IT business in North Sydney or Fitzroy is today competing with other businesses in Shanghai, Silicon Valley or Copenhagen. While the Australian IT sector is vibrant and dynamic it remains a small market and access to the best global skills and knowledge is critical.

The Hospitality and Food Production industries face significant workforce challenges. Access to the 457 visa program can form a critical component in maintaining a stable and skilled workforce.

The Health sector in Australia has faced significant staffing problems for many years due to labour shortages, the challenges of workforce management, and geographic disparities. Sourcing skilled staff in the area is a constant challenge for hospitals, clinics and even state governments.

The 457 visa program enables employers in the engineering and resource sector to source critical skills which cannot readily be found in the local labour market. This is particularly the case for project work where proprietary business knowledge may need to be sourced from overseas offices or contractors.

Ensuring that staff understand their workplace obligations is critical. The large number of workplace disputes, and potential liability for employers, show that organisations are best served by a pro-active approach to workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination. As education providers to the next generation, schools are expected to follow best-practice in leading the way through example.

Hammond Taylor assist our client, an east coast construction firm, to source critical staff where skills are in shortage in Australia. Project based work in the construction industry requires staff to be available at short notice and often in areas which are in significant shortage in the Australian market.

Businesses require access to the full suite of visa options in order to effectively manage work demands. Our client, an international architecture firm, was engaged to work on a major CBD project. The project required close collaboration with a number of international contractors as well as the firm’s overseas offices.

When Hammond Taylor were approached by an Australian multinational looking to source the best and brightest insurance staff globally we were very pleased to assist them to secure staff through the Temporary Work Subclass 457 program.

In the agriculture sector, seasonal work demands mean that businesses are required to engage large numbers of temporary staff on short term bases. These peak periods can lead to numerous stresses on business, demonstrating gaps in internal processes and training.

The Australian immigration system does not provide a clear or simple pathway for IT start-ups. Start-ups are required to use the standard Temporary Work Subclass 457 visa program or, in a limited number of cases where the individual is a significant shareholder, they may be able to access the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Subclass 188 visa Entrepreneur stream. When it comes to sourcing non-shareholder staff, the 457 visa is the only option.