Standard Business Sponsorship
To sponsor a skilled worker on a temporary skilled visa such as the Skills in Demand (482) visa, your business first needs to be an approved standard business sponsor. We prepare the sponsorship application with you, and then help you keep your sponsorship in good standing, so that it becomes a simple routine in running your business.
Standard Business Sponsorship is the first step for most employers who want to hire skilled workers from overseas. Once approved, a business can nominate positions and sponsor workers on employer-sponsored visas. This page explains what is involved in becoming a sponsor, then what it takes to stay in good standing.
- ForEmployers hiring from overseas
- StepFirst stage of sponsorship
- ThenNominate positions
- Visas482, 186 and 494
Why sponsor
Why become an approved sponsor
Approval is the first stage of employer sponsorship, and it is what lets a business bring in the skills it cannot find locally.
Access to skilled workers
Nominate people from overseas or already onshore, once your approval is in place.
Ready when you need to hire
With approval held, you can move quickly on a nomination when the right candidate appears.
More than one hire
One approval can support nominations for several positions over its period.
Confidence in the rules
Understand your obligations from the start, so sponsoring becomes routine, not a risk.
What is involved in becoming a sponsor
Approval is about showing that your business is real, established and ready to employ a skilled worker. We help you gather and present what is needed.
- A genuine businessA lawfully operating business with real, ongoing activity in Australia.
- Supporting evidenceRegistration, financial and organisational documents, which we help you assemble and present clearly.
- A role to fillA position that matches a skilled occupation, with duties and pay to match.
- Fair recruitmentRecruitment practices that treat local and overseas candidates fairly.
Overview
Standard Business Sponsorship is the approval a business needs before it can nominate overseas or onshore workers for many employer-sponsored visas.
- Approval is about the business: it must be lawfully operating and ready to meet its sponsorship obligations.
- Once approved, the sponsorship supports the later nomination and visa stages.
Who this suits
Businesses sponsoring a skilled worker for the first time
Employers whose sponsorship approval is due for renewal
Businesses that sponsor staff but are unsure they are meeting their obligations
Companies planning to recruit overseas and want to be ready to nominate
Key facts
- A standard business sponsor is an employer approved by the Department of Home Affairs to nominate skilled workers
- Approval is generally granted for a fixed period and must be maintained
- Your business must be lawfully operating, with genuine business activity
- Sponsorship approval comes before nomination, and nomination comes before the worker’s visa application
Employer fees: sponsorship, nomination and levy
- Standard business sponsorship (482 and 494)$420
- Temporary activities sponsorship$420
- Nomination for a Skills in Demand (482) position$330
- Nomination for a Training (407) position$170
These are the Department of Home Affairs charges paid by the employer. They can change, so confirm the current amounts with the Department before you lodge. The Skilling Australians Fund levy cannot be passed on to the worker. The visa application charge for the worker is separate, and our professional fees are separate.
Typical steps
- 01Review your business and the roles you want to sponsor
- 02Prepare and lodge the sponsorship application
- 03Once approved, lodge the nomination for each position
- 04The worker lodges their visa application
- 05Meet your sponsorship obligations for as long as the worker is on the visa
Documents you will need
- Business registration, ownership and structure documents
- Financial statements and evidence of lawful, ongoing operation
- Evidence of the training or workforce commitments that apply
- Details of the roles you intend to fill
How we help
- Check your business is ready to be approved, and what evidence is needed
- Prepare and lodge the sponsorship application
- Explain each obligation in plain language and what it means for your HR and payroll
- Build simple record-keeping and notification routines
- Review existing arrangements so you can see where you stand
- Support you if Home Affairs contacts you about compliance
Common pitfalls
- Missing a notification that was due to Home Affairs
- Paying below the required salary, or on less favourable terms than an Australian worker in the same role
- Recovering sponsorship, nomination or recruitment costs from the worker
- Allowing the worker to do duties outside the nominated position
- Poor records, so you cannot show compliance when asked
Not sure whether this applies to your business? Ask us
Keeping your sponsorship in good standing
Once you are approved, a few routine responsibilities keep your sponsorship in good standing. Most are simple habits, and we help you set them up so they take very little time. The exact requirements depend on the visa and your circumstances, so we confirm what applies to your business.
- Fair employment termsPay the worker at least the required salary, on terms no less favourable than an Australian worker in the same role.
- The nominated roleKeep the worker in the occupation and position you nominated.
- Good recordsKeep contracts and payroll evidence in order, ready to share when Home Affairs asks.
- Keeping Home Affairs informedLet Home Affairs know about specified changes, such as the worker leaving or a change to the business, within the required time.
- Sponsorship costsMeet sponsorship, nomination and recruitment costs yourself, and cover the worker’s travel home where it is required.
- Working with Home AffairsBe ready to provide information and access if Home Affairs carries out a compliance check.
Frequently asked questions
What is a standard business sponsor?
It is an Australian business approved by the Department of Home Affairs to sponsor skilled workers on temporary skilled visas, such as the Skills in Demand (482) visa.
Do we need to be approved before we nominate a worker?
Yes. Sponsorship approval comes first, then the nomination for the specific position, then the worker’s visa application. We can prepare these together so each part supports the others.
What happens if we do not meet our obligations?
Home Affairs can take action, which may include sanctions, penalties or cancelling your approval. The best protection is simple routines for records and notifications, which we help you build.
We already sponsor staff. Can you review our compliance?
Yes. We review your current arrangements, upcoming expiries and obligations, so you can see where things stand before a compliance check.
Talk to us about your sponsorship
Tell us about your business and the role you need to fill. We will review your circumstances and explain the suitable pathway and next steps.