Sponsor obligations in Australia: what employers must do

In Australia, a visa sponsor is an employer or organisation that has been approved to nominate a person for a specified skilled visa. Sponsorship is a regulated role, not a private arrangement: the sponsor must be approved, must nominate the person for a specific occupation and visa subclass, and must accept ongoing obligations that the Department of Home Affairs can enforce. As an applicant, you should understand what your sponsor is required to do, because some of those obligations affect your visa conditions and your ability to stay in Australia. This article explains the sponsor’s role, the key obligations, and what you should verify before you rely on a sponsor.

What sponsorship means in the Australian system

Sponsorship is not a single act. It is a three-stage process involving the employer, the applicant, and the Department. First, the employer must be approved as a sponsor. Second, the employer must nominate you for a specific occupation and visa subclass. Third, you must apply for the visa and be granted it.

The sponsor’s obligations do not end when your visa is granted. Sponsors must continue to meet their obligations for the period of the sponsorship, and they must report certain events to the Department. If a sponsor fails to meet their obligations, the Department can take action against the sponsor, which may affect your visa.

The core obligations of a sponsor

The Department’s guidance on sponsorship obligations is set out in the skilled visa processing priorities page and the fees and charges pages. The key obligations are:

• The sponsor must be an approved sponsor for the visa subclass you are applying for.
• The sponsor must nominate you for an occupation that is listed in the relevant skilled occupation list.
• The sponsor must pay the nomination fee and any related charges.
• The sponsor must provide evidence that the position is genuine and that the employment terms meet Australian standards.
• The sponsor must report to the Department if the sponsored person ceases employment, changes role, or if the sponsor becomes unable to meet their obligations.
• The sponsor must keep records of the sponsored person’s employment and provide them to the Department on request.

These obligations are not optional. A sponsor who does not meet them may be subject to sanctions, including cancellation of their sponsorship approval.

The subsequent temporary application charge and sponsorship

The subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) is a separate charge that applies to certain temporary visa applications. It is payable by each person in the application and is based on their individual visa history. The charge is payable in addition to any other visa charges that apply at the time of lodgement.

The STAC is not paid for bridging, criminal justice, enforcement, or permanent visa applications. It is also not charged where the base application charge is nil, where the visa pricing table does not show a STAC, where the STAC is shown as nil or N/A, where the applicant is outside Australia, where the applicant is making their first substantive temporary visa application in Australia, or where the STAC formula evaluates the charge to nil.

The STAC applies to certain temporary visa subclasses, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. If you are applying for a 482 visa while in Australia and you have previously held a temporary visa that was applied for in Australia, you may be liable for the STAC. The amount is set out in the visa pricing table, and it is calculated for each applicant individually.

As an applicant, you should check the visa pricing table for your specific visa subclass to see whether a STAC applies. Your sponsor is not responsible for paying the STAC; it is a visa application charge that you must pay as part of your application.

Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and sponsorship

The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is a temporary skilled visa that requires sponsorship. The sponsor must be an approved sponsor and must nominate you for an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list.

The 482 visa is included in Ministerial Direction 119, which sets out processing priorities for certain skilled visas. Ministerial Direction 119 came into effect on 25 July 2026 and replaced all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 105. It applies to all on-hand applications, including the 482 program, which was not previously included under Ministerial Direction 105.

Prioritisation under Ministerial Direction 119 is based on both occupation and the location of the applicant at the time of application. Occupations supporting Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests are given the highest priority, followed by construction, healthcare, and teaching. Applicants who are already in Australia have higher priority than those outside Australia.

The processing priority order is:

Priority	Category	Location of applicant
1	Law enforcement or defence	In Australia
2	Law enforcement or defence	Outside Australia
3	Construction, healthcare, teaching	In Australia
4	All other occupations	In Australia
5	All other occupations	Outside Australia

Ministerial Direction 119 covers the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187), Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482), Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489), Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494), Skilled Regional (subclass 887), and Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visas.

What applicants should verify before relying on a sponsor

Before you accept a sponsorship offer, you should verify that the sponsor is approved and that the nomination is genuine. The Department’s guidance on lodging a complete application is set out in the skilled visa processing priorities page, which refers to the “Check twice, submit once” guidance.

You should also check the visa pricing table to confirm the charges that apply to your application. The subsequent temporary application charge is a separate charge that may apply to your application, and it is not the sponsor’s responsibility.

If you are applying for a 482 visa, you should confirm that your occupation is on the relevant skilled occupation list and that the sponsor is approved for that occupation. The Department’s skilled visa processing priorities page lists the visa subclasses covered by Ministerial Direction 119, but it does not list the occupations that are eligible for sponsorship.

What to do next

If you are considering a sponsored visa, you should:

• Confirm that the sponsor is an approved sponsor for the visa subclass you are applying for.
• Check the visa pricing table for your specific visa subclass to see the charges that apply, including any subsequent temporary application charge.
• Review the Department’s guidance on lodging a complete application.
• Check the skilled visa processing priorities to understand how your application will be prioritised.

You should also verify the specific requirements for your visa subclass on the Department’s official pages. The Department’s skilled visa processing priorities page and the fees and charges pages are the authoritative sources for the information in this article. If you have questions about your specific circumstances, you should consult the Department’s official guidance or seek advice from a registered migration agent.