For Employers
We advise and assist Australian businesses across the full scope of the Standard Business Sponsorship framework — from initial approval through to nomination, visa lodgement and ongoing compliance. Our practice combines migration expertise with deep experience in employer-sponsored international recruitment across the trades, healthcare and technical sectors.
Why It Matters
Becoming an approved sponsor creates a set of ongoing legal obligations under the Migration Act 1958. Non-compliance can result in sanctions, cancellation of sponsorship approval, and bar periods affecting your ability to sponsor in future. We ensure your business meets its obligations at every stage — from the moment you apply for sponsorship through to the final day of your sponsored worker’s employment.
Sponsorship Approval
Preparation and lodgement of Standard Business Sponsorship applications, ongoing sponsor obligation advisory, and compliance management for approved sponsors.
Subclass 482
Nomination and visa preparation for employer-sponsored workers entering Australia on a temporary basis across eligible occupations.
Subclass 186
Permanent employer nomination through the Direct Entry and Temporary Residence Transition streams.
Subclass 494
Nomination and visa for employers operating in regional Australia requiring sponsored workers.
Subclass 407
Sponsor overseas nationals for structured workplace-based training programs.
Subclass 400
Short-term engagements for highly specialised workers where no other visa pathway applies.
Sponsor Obligations
Approved sponsors under the Migration Act carry a suite of obligations that remain in force for the duration of the sponsorship approval.
Paying sponsored workers at no less than the market salary rate for the occupation and location
Keeping prescribed records relating to sponsored workers and making them available for inspection
Cooperating with inspectors conducting monitoring activities
Notifying the Department of Home Affairs of certain changes in circumstances within prescribed timeframes
Not recovering, transferring or charging certain costs to sponsored workers
Meeting any undertakings made in the sponsorship application
Failure to meet these obligations can result in formal warnings, infringement notices, civil penalties and cancellation of sponsorship status. We provide ongoing advisory support to ensure your business remains compliant.
Industries We Serve
Our practice has developed particular depth in industries where employer sponsorship is the primary solution to workforce shortages.
Expanding Focus
An expanding focus area. We assist healthcare businesses in sponsoring registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals and support workers navigating the employer-sponsored and direct entry permanent pathways.
Developing Practice
A developing practice area. We are building capability around draftspersons, engineering technicians, specialist technical roles and environmental occupations — sectors increasingly reliant on sponsored overseas talent to address domestic skill shortages.
A sponsorship visa — also called an employer-sponsored visa — allows an Australian business to bring a skilled overseas worker into the country to fill a role it cannot fill with a local candidate. The employer must be an approved sponsor with the Department of Home Affairs, and the visa is directly linked to that employer’s nomination of you for an eligible occupation.
The most common employer-sponsored visa pathways in Australia are:
Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand visa
Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme (permanent)
Subclass 494 — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa
To qualify for a sponsored visa in Australia, you’ll generally need:
Once these boxes are ticked, your employer lodges a nomination, and you lodge your visa application referencing that nomination.
Any Australian business — or an overseas business with an established Australian presence — can sponsor a 482 visa applicant, provided it becomes an approved Standard Business Sponsor. To qualify as a sponsor, the business must:
Yes. Most Core Skills 482 visa holders can work toward permanent residency, typically through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme. Whether you qualify depends on your occupation, salary, and time spent with your sponsoring employer.
Yes, in most cases. Under the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, you build PR eligibility while working for your sponsoring employer in Australia. Generally, you need at least 2 years of full-time employment in your nominated occupation with that employer before applying.
There’s also a 186 Direct Entry stream, which allows some applicants to skip the 2-year wait if they meet independent eligibility criteria — such as sufficient relevant work experience outside Australia.
Generally, not without approval. As a temporary visa holder, you typically need clearance from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) before purchasing residential property in Australia. Conditions usually apply, such as:
This FIRB requirement applies to temporary residents broadly — it isn’t unique to 482 visa holders.
We work with Australian businesses of all sizes — from small independent operators sponsoring their first overseas worker to established businesses with ongoing international workforce programs. Enquiries by email or WhatsApp.