What Is an Employer Sponsored Visa?
Employer sponsored visas allow Australian businesses to recruit skilled overseas workers for positions they cannot fill locally. The sponsoring employer takes on legal responsibilities including paying market salary rates, maintaining training obligations, and notifying the Department of Home Affairs of any changes to employment arrangements.
Both the employer and the worker have separate obligations. Even the smallest error in an application — or a breach of visa conditions after grant — can have serious consequences. Engaging a MARA-registered agent from the outset protects both parties.
For Employers: Your Obligations
Before you can nominate a worker, your business must hold Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) approval from the Department of Home Affairs. As a sponsor you must:
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Pay the worker at least the market salary rate for the position
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Meet training levy obligations (Skilling Australians Fund)
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Conduct genuine labour market testing to demonstrate the role cannot be filled locally
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Notify the Department of any changes to the worker's employment within 28 days
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Maintain records of employment and compliance for the duration of sponsorship
For Workers: What You Need to Know
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Your visa is tied to your sponsoring employer and nominated occupation — changing either requires a new nomination or a new visa
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You can include your family as secondary applicants — they receive work and study rights
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Plan your 482-to-186 pathway from day one — the decisions you make now affect your PR eligibility
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Age matters for the 186 — you must generally be under 45 when the nomination is lodged
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Visa Subclasses
Skills in Demand — 482
Australia's primary temporary work visa. Up to 4 years. Three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement. Family can accompany.
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Employer Nomination — 186
Permanent residency through employer nomination. TRT stream (from 482 after 2–3 years) or Direct Entry stream. Age limit generally under 45.
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Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — 494
5-year provisional visa for regional positions. Pathway to permanent 191 after 3 years. Employer must be in a designated regional area.
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Training Visa — 407
For structured workplace-based occupational training or professional development programs. Temporary. Up to 2 years.
