What deficiency requests mean for a 407 nomination or visa refusal risk in 2026

A deficiency request on a Subclass 407 file is not a refusal. It is the Department of Home Affairs telling the sponsor or the applicant, in writing, exactly which part of the case it cannot yet accept — and, at the nomination stage, giving the sponsor 28 days to close the gap. That deadline matters more than it looks: under the Training visa (Subclass 407) official page (as at August 2026), the nomination must be approved before the visa application can be made, so a request that goes unanswered can end the pathway before the applicant's own evidence is ever assessed. This is general information about how the published process works rather than advice on any individual application; the criteria and response times that bind you are the ones set out in the Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department's current published material, and anyone weighing a real request against their own facts should read the official wording or take it to a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.

What is a deficiency request on a 407 nomination or visa?

A 407 file has two decision points, and each can generate its own request for information.

At the nomination stage, the sponsor puts forward the trainee, the training and how it will be delivered. The Department's Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) directs that where further information is needed to decide a nomination, officers must ask for it in writing and list what is required; the sponsor then has 28 days to respond, and an extension can be granted where reasonable reasons are given. A nomination is not supposed to be refused without that opportunity being offered first.

At the visa stage, the request runs under section 56 of the Migration Act 1958, which allows the decision maker to invite the applicant to give additional information. Here the manual does not fix a single number of days — the period is stated in the letter and is meant to be reasonable. A related but distinct document is the natural justice letter: where the officer is weighing adverse material against the applicant (for example adverse information about the sponsor, a concern that documents may be bogus, or conduct caught by the payment-for-visas provisions in sections 245AR and 245AS), the applicant must be given a chance to comment before the decision is made.

How long do you actually have to respond?

The short answer is 28 days for a nomination request, and whatever period is written in the letter for a visa-stage request.

The 28-day figure comes from the Department's internal guidance rather than the regulation itself, so it should be read against the latest official publication — where the manual and the current official page disagree, the published position governs. What the official page does say directly is that processing takes longer when an application is filled in incorrectly, when documents are missing or more information is needed, or when information has to be verified. Requests and their status are visible in ImmiAccount, and documents can be attached there.

Because the two stages sit on different legal footings, treat the numbers as separate: 28 days is the nomination-side standard; the visa-side clock is the one printed on your letter.

What does the request usually want, and why that specific thing?

The items listed in a request are a mirror of the criteria the officer is not yet satisfied about. On the nomination side, the recurring ones in the guidance are whether the program is a genuine training opportunity rather than ordinary work, whether the training is structured and tailored to the individual, and whether the workplace-based element meets the manual's benchmark of at least 70% of the program delivered in the workplace at a minimum of 30 hours per week. Requests also go to which of the three nomination types the program fits — training required for registration, training to improve skills in an eligible occupation, or capacity building overseas — and to the supporting evidence each type carries, such as the 12 months of full-time equivalent relevant experience within the 24 months before nomination that the skills-improvement type calls for.

Functional English is another frequent target. The manual accepts a specified test result (IELTS overall 4.5 is the usual reference point), a passport from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States or the Republic of Ireland, at least two years of full-time study in English, or an assessment made at interview.

On the visa side, the official document list sets out what can be asked for: identity documents, the sponsor approval letter, the nomination approval letter, a written statement from the sponsor confirming it will meet its sponsorship obligations, evidence of financial capacity, evidence of adequate health insurance, functional English evidence, qualifications and CV plus any registration or licence needed for the training, and — for professional development programs — a sponsor statement about the training and the applicant's managerial or professional experience, together with a signed letter from the current manager. Character documents sit in the same list: an Australian Federal Police national police certificate where the applicant has spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus Forms 80 and 1221.

Does getting a request mean refusal is likely?

Not by itself. A request means the decision has not been made and the officer is obliged to offer the chance to fix what is missing — the manual is explicit that a nomination should not be refused without that chance. What the request does is tell you precisely which criterion is in doubt, which is far more useful than a general worry about the whole application.

The risk shifts with the nature of the gap. Documentary gaps — a missing police certificate, a lapsed insurance policy, an absent sponsor statement — are usually curable within the window. Substantive gaps are harder: a program that looks like ordinary employment, insufficient relevant experience for the skills-improvement type, or an English result that cannot be reached in time. The guidance also warns that generic training plans, and repeated nominations from the same sponsor on similar terms, can point to labour placement rather than training.

What happens if nobody answers?

Refusal risk stops being theoretical at that point. For a nomination, the manual states that failure to respond within the period can lead to refusal. Because clause 407.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires, in substance, that the sponsor has nominated the program and that the nomination has been approved under section 140GB, a refused nomination leaves the applicant without the approval the visa depends on.

Two consequences from the official page are worth holding onto. First, if the Department refuses a visa it says so in writing, states why, and states whether there is a right to review the decision. Second, the application charge is not refunded if the application is refused. Separately, the official page warns that an applicant who cannot prove identity will have the application refused and may not be granted another visa for 10 years, with the same possibility applying to family members listed on the application.

What does a well-handled response look like?

Answer the list, item by item. Where a document exists, provide it in the form asked for; where it cannot be produced, saying so in writing with reasons is very different from silence, because silence is what converts a curable gap into a refusal.

If more time is genuinely needed, the extension has to be asked for with reasons attached rather than assumed — the manual allows an extension where the sponsor gives reasonable reasons, and the same logic applies to a section 56 period. Extensions are easier to justify before the deadline passes than after.

Keep records. The manual requires officers to record the reasons for their decisions, so retaining copies of the request, the response, the training plan, the support letters and the correspondence with the sponsor preserves what was actually put in front of the decision maker. If a response rests on the sponsor changing its own plans — a revised training schedule, a different workplace arrangement — the applicant should not be the one discovering it after the nomination is decided.

One structural point: if the sponsorship application behind the nomination is itself refused or withdrawn, the guidance directs that the nomination be finalised rather than decided on its merits. A pending deficiency request does not survive that.

Does a refused nomination block a new visa application?

It removes the approval the current visa application needs. The official page also notes that a fresh 407 application requires continuing sponsorship, and that an applicant may have to explain why the training could not be completed within the initial training period. Whether to start again with the same sponsor, find a new one, or pursue a review depends on what the refusal letter says — including whether it records a right of review — and on the reasons given, not on any general assumption about how such cases usually end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a deficiency request the same as a refusal?

No. A deficiency request means the decision has not been made and the Department is asking, in writing, for specific information before it decides. A refusal is a written decision that states the reasons and whether a review right exists.

How long does a sponsor have to answer a nomination request for information?

The manual gives the sponsor 28 days to respond, with an extension available where reasonable reasons are provided. Because that figure comes from internal guidance rather than the regulation, it should be checked against the Department's latest published material.

Can the response deadline be extended?

Yes, where reasons are given for needing more time. The request should be made before the existing period runs out, since an unanswered request can be decided without the missing material.

What happens if the sponsor ignores the request?

The nomination can be refused. Without an approved nomination, the visa application cannot satisfy the nomination requirement in clause 407.214, so the pathway stalls at the sponsorship end rather than the applicant's end.

Does a section 56 request mean my visa will be refused?

No. It means the decision maker needs more information before deciding, and the letter sets the period for responding. The manual does not fix a universal number of days for the visa stage, unlike the 28-day standard on the nomination side.

What is a natural justice letter in this context?

It is the letter sent when the officer is considering adverse material — adverse information about the sponsor, a concern about document integrity, or conduct caught by the payment-for-visas provisions — and must give the applicant an opportunity to comment before the decision is made.

Will the application charge be refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The official page states that the application charge is not refunded when an application is refused.

Where does the request appear?

The official page notes that requests for more information can be seen in ImmiAccount, where outstanding documents can also be attached.