Recruitment and immigration for employers and job seekers.
GRIA is now part of Hire Australia.
GRIA has merged with Hire Australia. Hire Australia now handles recruitment and employer enquiries, working with Australian Immigration Agency (AIA) on immigration.
For employers
Start with the skills your project needs
When a project needs skills you have not found locally, an international search can form part of the workforce plan. Set out the work, project location and practical requirements before committing to a candidate or start date.
Hire Australia's recruiters now run GRIA's searches and send employers a shortlist. Australian Immigration Agency (AIA) provides immigration advice when a proposed hire needs a visa.
15%one fixed fee: base salary, excluding super, plus GST
$0to pay until two months after your new employee starts
2 monthsreplacement guarantee on every placement
Workforce planning
What to include in your hiring plan
Project requirements
Explain the project stage, work location and duties. Distinguish essential skills from training you can provide, and identify the supervision available.
Site readiness
Discuss safety induction, tools, licences and role-specific checks. A candidate’s overseas experience should be considered against the work they will do on your site.
Dates and budget
Separate the date you need cover from a confirmed employee start. Include any assessments, licensing, migration work and onboarding arrangements in the plan.
Roles to discuss
Describe the work before the job title
These are examples of workforce needs to discuss with the recruitment team. They are not a list of occupations confirmed as eligible for sponsorship.
Include the duties, experience and conditions for the specific vacancy. Ask AIA for a current check of any visa questions.
Examples for your brief
- Carpentry, joinery and other building trades
- Electrical and plumbing work
- Welding, fabrication and mechanical roles
- Civil engineering and project management
Checks before the start
Keep qualifications and immigration questions visible
Skills assessments
Identify whether a trade skills assessment needs checking, including any relevant Trades Recognition Australia process. Ask what evidence the candidate already has; do not assume an assessment outcome.
State and territory licensing
Discuss the location and exact duties with the team. Electrical, plumbing and other licensing questions need checking for the relevant work before you assume a candidate can start.
Visa questions
Ask AIA to check current options for the role, candidate and location. A trade title, regional project or shortage claim does not establish sponsorship eligibility.
What it takes
The official steps for trade roles
Mandatory trade assessment
For many trades, 482 applicants with passports from countries such as India, the Philippines, South Africa and Fiji need a Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) skills assessment. It must be started before the visa application is lodged. See our India and Philippines guides.
Electricians: OTSR, then a licence
An overseas electrician is assessed by a TRA-approved training organisation. If successful, they receive an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) and can apply to the state or territory licensing authority for a provisional licence.
White card before site work
Workers need a construction induction (white card) before they start on a construction site. It comes from the course ‘Prepare to work safely in the construction industry’, and white cards are recognised Australia-wide.
Priority processing
Home Affairs processes skilled visa applications in the construction sector first, including the 482 and 186 visas. See the overview of visa pathways and the current processing times.
Regional and remote hiring
Make the location part of the conversation
Regional and remote projects need clear conversations about rosters, travel, accommodation, supervision and life away from a major centre. Set out what the business will arrange and what the employee needs to plan.
Plan the practical details
- Work location and roster
- Supervision and induction
- Travel and accommodation responsibilities
- A realistic start date, subject to outstanding checks
The recruitment conversation
Work through the search in stages
Set out the vacancy
Share the role, location, pay, conditions and proposed timing with Hire Australia. Confirm the search priorities.
Meet shortlisted candidates
Review experience and qualifications, interview candidates and discuss any remaining role-specific assessments.
Confirm the next steps
After a job match, AIA checks visa eligibility. Discuss any further migration work, outstanding checks and onboarding arrangements.
Fees and replacement
Know the terms before you hire
One fixed recruitment fee
Recruitment fee: 15% of the candidate's base salary, excluding super, plus GST. One fixed fee. Payment: only after a successful placement, and not until two months after the candidate starts.
Two-month replacement guarantee
If your new employee leaves within the first two months, you won't be invoiced for them and we'll find you a replacement. Full terms are in your recruitment agreement.
Migration quoted separately
Migration (visa) fees are quoted case by case by Australian Immigration Agency (AIA), in writing. Government fees are charged separately by the Australian Government.
Questions
Questions for your hiring plan
Open a question for the answer.
Can you confirm a visa pathway from the role title?
No. Ask AIA for a current check of the actual role, candidate and location. Read what to prepare for an eligibility discussion.
When can the employee start?
Discuss candidate availability and any outstanding registration, licensing, assessment or visa questions before agreeing a start. No fixed completion timeframe is promised.
What information should we read next?
See the international recruitment guide, fee information and the cost calculator.
Official sources
The rules on this page come from these official pages. Requirements change, so check the current version before you act.
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): Core Skills stream Department of Home Affairs
- Temporary Skills Shortage Program Nominated Occupations, Countries and SARs Trades Recognition Australia
- Electrician (General and Special Class) Trades Recognition Australia
- Construction: working on a construction site Safe Work Australia
- Skilled visa processing priorities Department of Home Affairs
Talk through your next hire
Tell Hire Australia about the role, location and skills you need.
