For people looking for working options in Australia, the Australian working visa program may be the solution they’re looking for. There are several different types of Australian working visa, each with its own set of conditions and restrictions.

Some of these employment visas can be a pathway for acquiring a permanent residence status in Australia through the Employment Nomination Scheme (ENS) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS).

Employment Nomination Scheme (ENS)

The Employment Nomination Scheme is a permanent visa for skilled workers from outside Australia or temporary residents who already work and live in Australia.
This scheme allows Australian businesses and employers to recruit overseas workers on permanent visas to work in Australia on full time based, highly skilled positions which are unable to be filled from the Australian labor market.

The ENS is a permanent residence visa with three possible streams:

Temporary Residence Transition Stream is for holders of 457 subclass visa who have already worked for 2 years and their employer wants to offer them a permanent working position.
Direct Entry Stream is for people who have never or have only briefly worked in the Australian labor market and will be directly employed for 2+ years with a sponsoring business.
Agreement Stream is for people who are sponsored by an employer through a labor or regional migration agreement..

To be eligible for this visa you must meet the following requirements:

be nominated by an approved Australian employer.
be below the age of 50 at the time of application.
meet the required skills and qualifications as well as be competent in English language.

This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:

live and work permanently in Australia
study in Australia
apply for Australian citizenship
claim healthcare which is subsidized under the Australian Medicare System and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
be eligible for social security payments.
sponsor other people for permanent residence.

You must currently hold a substantive visa or qualifying Bridging Visa to be eligible to apply while onshore.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme can provide a permanent visa for people who are nominated for a job in a regional area of Australia.

This visa is available for employees nominated by employers operating in regional, remote or low population growth areas of Australia, who have nominated skilled workers to fill skilled vacancies in their business. This visa entitles the holder to a three year provisional residence in Australia. Holders of this visa are permitted to apply for a permanent visa after they have lived for two years and worked for at least one year in a Specified Regional Area.

The criteria for the employees is either of the following:

skilled workers from overseas
skilled workers temporarily residing in Australia

and also meets the following criteria:

meets the age and language requirements.
meets the skills requirements and be holding a Trade Qualification or Diploma.
has an employer that is willing to sponsor them for this visa

A Regional Certifying Body assesses the nomination application lodged by the employer against specific criteria and must certify that the position is in high demand in the regional area.

This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:

live and work permanently in Australia
study in Australia
apply for Australian citizenship
claim healthcare which is subsidised under the Australian Medicare System and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
apply for applicable social security payments
sponsor people for permanent residence

457 Temporary Work (Skilled)

The 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa is a temporary employment visa that allows skilled employees to stay in Australia for up to 4 years while working for a sponsor employer.

To be eligible to apply for this visa you must:

be nominated by an approved sponsor employer to fill a skilled position
have the qualifications, experience and employment background that matches the requirements for the position
show proficiency in English Language.
be eligible for any relevant licenses or registration required for the nominated position

Holders of this visa are allowed to:

work in Australia for up to 4 years
bring their families with them
travel in and out of Australia any number of times within that period

The 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa is a sponsored visa, so you must have an employer that has obtained a Sponsorship agreement with the Australian Government.

To become a 457 Sponsor Business you have to meet the training requirements and accept the obligations of the 457 Sponsor Program.

While an employee is a holder of the 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa, they must work only for the sponsoring employee, or the visa will be revoked. The employer can only be changed if other eligible business is willing to sponsor you for the same 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa.

Working Holiday Visa

The Working Holiday Visa is a temporary employment visa that allows young people to experience life in Australia by having an extended holiday supplemented by short-term employment and studying. Applicants that are granted this visa are allowed to stay in Australia for 12 months, and work in the same job for up to 6 months.

To be eligible to apply for this visa you must:

be between the ages of 18-30 at the time of the application
have a passport from a country that is participating in the Working Holiday Program
have sufficient funds to purchase a return airfare ticket as well as support your trip (AUD 5000 are generally regarded sufficient)
complete a required health examination

With the Working Holiday Visa you cannot be accompanied by a dependent child at any time during your stay in Australia.

Holders of a Working Holiday Visa are allowed to:

enter Australia and stay up to 12 months
enter and re-enter any number of times within that period
work at any job for up to 6 months with any one employer (you can work for another 6 months for a different employer)
study for up to 4 months

You can extend your stay by applying for a Second Working Holiday Visa. However, you must have completed at least 3 months of specific work in regional Australia to be eligible to apply.