There are many reasons why an employer might choose a foreign worker. Some companies simply have no other options. If you are operating in a narrowly specialized field, the number of qualified workers might be very limited and hard to find in your region, or even in the same country. If the demand for workers of specific education or experience is high, the job market might not offer enough candidates. While some companies have no other choice, there are also those who choose to hire foreign workers for other reasons. Companies who rely on innovation often times try to create a culturally diverse team in order to have a variety of different approaches and ideas. Whatever the reasons might be, if you want to hire foreigner workers, here are the five most important things you need to know.

1. Define your goals and do the research

Before you start looking for foreign employees, you need to have a clearly defined business plan and know what kind of workers you want. The position that they are working on should be outlined and include all the obligations and responsibilities that the potential candidate will have to take on. You also need to define what kind of hard and soft skills you are looking for in a new employee. Finding the right candidate takes a lot of time and dedication so you have to be absolutely sure in your decision before you hire someone. The hiring process needs to be detailed and well executed.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help

You can essentially handle all the nomination and sponsorship process yourself, but doing so does take a lot of time. In a lot of cases, your time will be better spent managing the business, in which case it's a good idea to ask for help. If you know people who have hired foreigners before, you should sit down with them and let them share their experience with you. Alternately, you could hire a credible recruitment agency to guide you through the process.

3. The language barrier

For a team to be efficient, it needs to have good communication. Obviously, when it comes to foreigners, checking their English skills and ability to communicate is a top priority. There are numerous ways to check a candidate's ability to communicate but the best way is still an interview. An open conversation will show you if the potential employee understands you and how well they are able to express their thoughts. You shouldn't be too harsh on this test though as there is always the option of professional PTE coaching if the candidate is especially qualified but could use more training.

4. Is it legal?

Before you hire someone, you need to make sure they are legally allowed to work. A company will face penalties for hiring illegal workers, even if it didn't know the worker was not allowed to work. It's, therefore, your responsibility to do a detailed background check and make sure all the legal processes are in order. So who is allowed to work? All citizens and permanent residents can be legally hired by a company. When it comes to foreigners, they require a working visa. There are a number of different visas. Some visa holders might be allowed to work only for a certain employer or a certain time period.

5. Visa types 

There are three basic types of sponsorship visas. The first is a temporary work visa. This visa permits a worker to come and work for up to four years. To acquire such a worker, your company needs to have no conflicting or negative information on the public record. Your worker can apply for an employer nomination scheme within six months after you nominated them if they already have a temporary work visa. This visa allows employees (and family) to permanently live and work in the country. A regional sponsored migration scheme visa is basically the same thing but only applies to certain areas.

Hiring a foreign worker can be complicated and time-consuming. Every mistake that you make will set you back and eventually end in more frustration and higher expenses. It's therefore of vital importance to do the research and plan all your moves ahead. Use the tips above to help guide you in the right direction.