Step One

Standard Business Sponsorship:
Become an Approved Sponsor.

Before your business can sponsor anyone, it needs to be approved. This is step one - and getting it right sets up everything that follows. We'll tell you straight whether your business qualifies and get the approval done cleanly.

Assessment for employersThe first step to sponsoringWe handle the application

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What Standard Business Sponsorship Is

The approval that lets your business sponsor overseas workers.

Think of it as the licence you need before you can nominate anyone for a visa like the 482. Once you're approved, the status generally lasts for several years - and you can use it to sponsor more than one worker over that time.

It's the foundation of the whole process. A refused or messy sponsorship application delays every hire that depends on it. This is the step where good preparation quietly pays off the most.

What the Department Looks At

Broadly, these things matter to the Department.

That your business is lawfully and genuinely operating
Your financial position and ability to meet your obligations as a sponsor
That you have no adverse history of concern
A genuine need to bring in skilled workers from overseas

Get the foundation right and everything is easier. A clean sponsorship approval makes your nominations and your workers' visas run more smoothly. A weak or rushed one creates problems that follow you through every application. We assess before you apply - not after a refusal.

Timeline and What to Expect

Roughly how long the approval takes.

Processing times move with the Department's workload and how complete your application is when it lands. As a guide only, a well-prepared standard business sponsorship application generally takes in the order of 4 to 12 weeks to be decided - though your own case can sit shorter or longer depending on the Department's queue and what they ask for. The biggest lever you control is lodging a clean, fully evidenced application the first time.

Stage

What happens, as a guide

Before you lodge

We assess whether your business qualifies and pull the financial and operating evidence together. Getting this right is where most delays are avoided.

Approval decision

Generally around 4 to 12 weeks from lodgement, depending on the Department's queue and whether they request anything further. A complete application tends to move faster.

Once approved

Your sponsorship generally lasts several years and can cover more than one worker, so you can move straight to nominating without reapplying each time.

A newer business is harder, not impossible. If your business is under two years old it usually has less of a track record for the Department to weigh, so how the application is built matters even more. We look honestly at where you're at and, if there are gaps, tell you how to strengthen the case before you lodge. As for cost, fees depend on your circumstances - we set ours out in writing. See how we quote →

Once You're Approved

What comes next.

Next step

482 Skills in Demand

With sponsorship approved, you can nominate a worker for the 482. Here's how that works.

Your obligations

Sponsor Obligations

Approval comes with ongoing duties. Know exactly what you've signed up for from day one.

Sponsor often?

Accredited Status

Planning to sponsor regularly? Accreditation brings priority processing. See if you qualify.

Common Questions

Sponsorship approval questions.

How long does sponsorship approval last?

Once approved, your sponsorship status generally lasts for several years - and you can sponsor multiple workers during that time rather than reapplying for each one. We'll confirm the current period when we set yours up, and help you keep it in good standing so it's there when you need it.

Can a brand new business become a sponsor?

It can be harder, but it's often possible. A newer business may have less of a track record to point to, so the way the application is presented matters even more. We'll look honestly at where your business is at and, if there are gaps, tell you how to strengthen the application before you lodge.

What if my sponsorship application is refused?

A refusal isn't necessarily the end. Many sponsorship decisions can be reviewed - and often the issue is something fixable in how the case was put. The surest approach is to get it right the first time, but if you've already been refused, we can look at your review options. See how employer appeals work →

Do I need approval before I find a worker?

It's often smart to get the sponsorship approval moving early, so you're ready to nominate as soon as you have your candidate. That said, the timing can be coordinated. Tell us your situation and we'll sequence the steps so you're not left waiting on approval when you've found the right person.

How long does the approval take from application to decision?

As a general guide, a well-prepared standard business sponsorship application typically takes in the order of 4 to 12 weeks to be decided. That isn't a fixed figure - it moves with the Department's workload and how complete your application is when it's lodged. A clean, fully evidenced application tends to be assessed faster, and getting it right before you lodge is the single biggest thing you can do to keep things moving.

Does sponsorship lock us into one visa subclass, or can we use it more broadly?

Being an approved standard business sponsor isn't tied to a single named worker - it's the status that lets you nominate eligible roles, including for the 482 employer sponsorship and other sponsored pathways your roles qualify for. Whether a particular role and worker fit a given stream is assessed case by case, so tell us the positions you're trying to fill and we'll map which pathways are open to you.

What do you check before we apply?

Before you lodge, we look honestly at the things the Department weighs: that your business is lawfully and genuinely operating, your financial position and ability to meet your obligations as a sponsor, any adverse history, and how you treat your workforce. If there are gaps, we tell you plainly and advise how to address them first, rather than lodging and hoping. It's far cheaper to fix a weakness before you apply than to recover from a refusal.

Can we sponsor more than one worker, or only one at a time?

Approved sponsorship status generally lets you nominate more than one worker over its life, rather than reapplying for each hire. How many you can support at a given time depends on your business and the genuine need for each role, so it isn't unlimited. If you expect to sponsor regularly, it may also be worth looking at accredited sponsor status, which can bring priority processing for businesses that qualify.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

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