For Employers · Published 2026-08-18
How to Sponsor an Overseas Worker in Australia (482 Skills in Demand)
If your business has found the right person but they are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor them on the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa — the main employer-sponsored work visa, which replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482. Sponsorship happens in three stages: your business must become an approved sponsor, you nominate the specific role, and the worker applies for the visa. Below is what each stage involves, what it costs, and what you take on as a sponsor.
This is general information for employers, sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, with figures shown with the date verified. For advice on your specific situation, speak with a registered migration agent (LifeinAus, MARN 1795282).
What it costs an employer to sponsor (at a glance)
| Cost | Who pays | Amount (as at Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Business Sponsorship application | Employer | ~$420 (one fee, usually covers ~5 years) |
| Nomination application | Employer | ~$330 per nomination |
| SAF levy — turnover under $10M | Employer | $1,200 × each year of the visa |
| SAF levy — turnover $10M+ | Employer | $1,800 × each year of the visa |
| Visa application charge | Usually the worker | Set by Home Affairs, by stream |
The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is the big one and is often misunderstood: it is charged per year of the visa and paid in full upfront at the nomination stage. A small business nominating a worker for a 4-year Core Skills 482 pays 4 × $1,200 = $4,800 in SAF levy alone. By law the levy — and the sponsorship/nomination costs — cannot be passed on to or recovered from the worker.
Stage 1 — Become a Standard Business Sponsor
Your business applies to Home Affairs to become a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). You need to show the business is lawfully operating and that you have no adverse information (for example, work-law or sponsorship breaches). Once approved, the SBS status is usually valid for around 5 years and lets you nominate as many workers as you need during that time — which is why sponsoring becomes far cheaper and faster the second and third time. Approval typically takes 1–3 months.
Stage 2 — Nominate the position
You nominate the specific role and choose the stream:
- Core Skills — the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and the salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), which rose to about $79,423 from 1 July 2026 (indexed annually).
- Specialist Skills — no occupation list, but the salary must meet the higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) of about $146,576 (from 1 July 2026) — which changes every financial year. Faster processing and a longer 5-year visa.
- Labour Agreement — for negotiated or sector/region-specific arrangements.
Whichever stream, you must pay at least the market salary rate (AMSR) for the role — if the local market rate is higher than the threshold, the market rate applies. For most Core Skills nominations you must also complete Labour Market Testing: advertising the role in Australia (generally for at least 4 weeks) before nominating, to show you could not readily fill it locally.
Stage 3 — The worker applies for the visa
The worker lodges the visa application with evidence of their skills, at least 1 year of relevant experience in the last 5 years, the relevant qualification level for the occupation, English, health and character. The nomination and visa are often lodged together. Family members can be included and have full work and study rights.
What sponsoring commits you to (sponsor obligations)
Becoming a sponsor is an ongoing legal commitment, monitored by Home Affairs. As a sponsor you must:
- pay at least the nominated salary and the market rate, and not reduce it;
- only employ the worker in the nominated occupation;
- keep prescribed records and cooperate with monitoring/inspections;
- notify Home Affairs of certain events (e.g. the worker leaving, or business changes) within set timeframes;
- not recover sponsorship, nomination or SAF-levy costs from the worker.
These obligations generally continue while the worker holds the visa and for a period afterwards. Breaches can lead to sanctions, bars and financial penalties — which is why getting the nomination and record-keeping right from the start matters.
The payoff: a pathway to permanent residence
Sponsorship is not just a stop-gap. After the worker has been employed by your business on the 482 for at least 2 years (reduced from 3 years in late 2025), they can usually apply for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream — with your business nominating them again. For many employers this is the real value: sponsorship becomes the way you retain a proven employee for the long term.
Sources & last checked
Figures verified Aug 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs (Skills in Demand subclass 482), the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (Skilling Australians Fund levy), and current registered-migration-agent guidance. Thresholds and fees are indexed and change — for the current 482 detail see our Subclass 482 visa guide and the 186 Employer Nomination guide, and confirm current figures on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to sponsor someone on a 482 visa?
Plan for roughly 2 to 5 months end to end. Standard Business Sponsorship approval typically takes 1–3 months, and the nomination and visa application can often be lodged together and decided within weeks to a few months depending on the stream and how complete the application is. Specialist Skills nominations are processed on a faster service standard than Core Skills.
How much does it cost a business to sponsor a worker?
The main employer costs are the Standard Business Sponsorship application (about $420), the nomination fee (about $330), and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — $1,200 per year of the visa for a business with turnover under $10 million, or $1,800 per year for a larger business. The SAF levy is paid upfront for the full visa period and by law cannot be passed on to the worker. The visa application charge is usually paid by the worker.
Can the employee pay the sponsorship costs?
No. The SAF levy and the costs that relate to sponsoring and nominating (including the sponsorship and nomination fees and associated migration agent costs) must be borne by the employer and cannot be recovered from the worker. The worker generally pays their own visa application charge, health checks and English test.
Do I have to advertise the job first?
For most Core Skills nominations, yes — Labour Market Testing requires you to have advertised the role in Australia (generally for at least 4 weeks) before nominating an overseas worker, to show you could not readily fill it locally. Some exemptions apply. The Specialist Skills stream has different requirements.
Does sponsoring someone lead to permanent residence?
Yes. After the worker has been employed by your business on the 482 for at least 2 years (reduced from 3 in late 2025), they can usually apply for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream, with your business nominating them again.
What are my obligations once I'm an approved sponsor?
Approved sponsors must pay at least the nominated salary and the market rate, keep prescribed records, cooperate with monitoring, notify Home Affairs of certain events (such as the worker ceasing employment), only employ the worker in the nominated occupation, and not recover sponsorship costs from the worker. Obligations generally continue while the worker holds the visa and for a period afterwards.