What an employer must do, and what a worker should confirm before accepting

In most work permit systems the employer is the applicant and the worker is the subject. That means your ability to work depends on an organisation whose processes you cannot see.

A small number of questions asked before accepting an offer will tell you whether that dependence is safe.

What the employer is responsible for

• Advertising and documenting the recruitment process, as covered in the material on the labour market test
• Submitting the application with complete supporting evidence
• Paying the required fees, and in many systems a levy
• Verifying your right to work before you start
• Retaining records for inspection
• Reporting changes — role, salary, location, termination
• Not starting you before the permit is granted

The last is the one where pressure arises, because a project is waiting and everyone expects approval. Starting early exposes you far more than it exposes the employer, as set out in the material on unauthorised work.

Questions to ask before accepting

1. Have you sponsored a permit before? Recent, successful experience is the strongest signal available
2. Who handles the application — an internal team, an adviser, or the manager who hired me?
3. What is the expected timeline, and what happens if it takes longer?
4. When can I start, and will you confirm in writing that I should not begin before then?
5. Who pays the fees, and is any part recoverable from me?
6. What happens if the application is refused? Is the offer withdrawn, deferred, or reapplied for?
7. What support is there for relocation — housing, dependants, registration?

Question one is worth the most. An employer who has done this recently knows the requirements, has the documents, and will not create the delays that come from learning the process on your file.

Question six protects against the most damaging scenario: resigning a job, moving a family, and then finding the offer evaporates on refusal. Get the answer in writing.

What to check in the offer itself

• The job title and duties match what will be on the permit
• The salary meets any threshold, and is stated in the contract
• The contract length is adequate for the permit sought
• Any repayment clause for relocation or permit costs if you leave early — and what triggers it
• What happens to your employment if the permit is not renewed

The repayment clause deserves a careful read. A clause requiring you to repay costs if you leave within a period can lock you into a job that turns out badly, and in a country where your status depends on that job the effect is stronger than the clause looks on paper.

Costs and who bears them

Practice varies, and it should be settled explicitly:

• Application and permit fees — in many systems the employer must bear these and cannot recover them
• Levies or contributions — usually the employer's
• Your own document costs — police certificates, translations, qualification recognition, usually yours
• Relocation and travel — negotiable
• Dependants' applications — often yours unless agreed otherwise

The fourth and fifth are where offers differ most, and where asking early avoids a difficult conversation later. The cost of moving a family is substantial, and it is a legitimate part of the negotiation.

After you start

• Keep a copy of the permit and know its expiry
• Diarise renewal well in advance, and confirm who initiates it
• Report changes in your own circumstances promptly
• Keep payslips and contracts — evidence of lawful employment supports later applications
• Know the grace period if employment ends, as covered elsewhere in this material

The second is worth confirming rather than assuming. Renewal is often the employer's responsibility and is often forgotten, and it is your status rather than theirs that lapses.

Frequently asked questions