Sponsor a Worker in Australia — Full Service
WIDEN handles the three-step process: Standard Business Sponsorship approval, nomination of the specific worker under the 482 or 186 program, and the visa application. Each step is covered by a written service agreement with a fixed fee, confirmed before any work commences.
MARN 1576536 · Verifiable at mara.gov.au
Want a cost ballpark first? Run our free sponsorship cost calculator — covers SAF levy, government charges, and indicative professional fees.
The three deliverables
1. Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) approval
The first step. If your business is not already an approved sponsor, the SBS application must be lodged before any worker can be nominated. The Department assesses your business's genuine need to sponsor, financial capacity, and compliance posture.
You provide: business registration documents (ABN, ACN, ASIC extracts), 12 months financial statements (or shorter for newer businesses), organisational chart, business plan if relevant, evidence of trading.
WIDEN delivers: the SBS application form, a structured covering submission addressing the lawful obligations, a checklist of supporting documents, and lodgement on your business's behalf. We respond to any Departmental requests during processing.
Indicative turnaround: 5–10 working days from receipt of full document pack to lodgement. Departmental processing then takes 1–4 months.
Fee: Fixed-fee quoted in writing after initial consultation, based on business complexity. SBS approval is valid for 5 years and covers all subsequent nominations during that period.
2. Nomination of the specific worker (482 or 186)
Once the business is an approved sponsor, each specific role you want to fill needs its own nomination application. The nomination identifies the position, the occupation (with ANZSCO code), the worker, and the salary, and confirms that the position is genuine and the terms meet the Department's requirements.
You provide: the worker's details, position description, salary offered, any LMT advertising evidence, organisational chart showing the position.
WIDEN delivers: the Genuine Position Statement, salary analysis against the Annual Market Salary Rate, the nomination application, the LMT campaign brief and evidence pack if required, and any required attestations.
Indicative turnaround: 10–15 working days from receipt of full document pack to lodgement (plus LMT timing if applicable — typically 28 days minimum for advertisements). Departmental processing 1–3 months for 482.
Fee: Fixed-fee per nomination, quoted in writing. 186 nomination fees are higher than 482 due to additional evidentiary requirements.
3. Visa application — the worker
The visa application is in the worker's name (not the business's) but typically managed alongside the nomination so the timeline is co-ordinated. WIDEN can act for the worker or work with the worker's existing migration agent if they have one.
The worker provides: identity documents (passport bio page), English test results (where required), health examinations, character documents (police checks for each country of residence), skills assessment where required by the occupation.
WIDEN delivers: form 1066/1101 / 47SP equivalent, supporting evidence checklist, character and health attestations, lodgement, and management of Department requests.
Indicative turnaround: 5–10 working days from receipt of full document pack to lodgement. Departmental processing 2–6 months for 482 (stream-dependent); 6–18 months for 186.
Fee: Fixed-fee per visa application, quoted in writing. Note: the visa application charge (government fee) is paid by the worker and is in addition to the professional fee.
Free resource: 482 Sponsorship Step-by-Step Guide — practical walk-through of SBS, nomination, and visa application, plus a 5-email educational series on AMSR, SAF levy, "genuine position", and 482-to-186 transition. For employers.
When sponsorship makes sense
- Your business has a genuine ongoing need for a specific skilled role and the local labour market has not produced suitable candidates
- The role is on the Core Skills Occupation List, the Specialist Skills List (482), or the relevant 186 occupation list
- The salary you can offer meets or exceeds the TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold) and the Annual Market Salary Rate for the occupation in your region
- Your business is financially viable and can demonstrate the capacity to employ and pay the worker on the agreed terms for the full sponsorship period
- You can satisfy and meet the ongoing sponsorship obligations under the Migration Regulations for the duration of the sponsorship
When sponsorship might not be the right answer
Sponsorship is a five-year+ commitment carrying real obligations. It is not the right pathway if:
- You only need the worker for a few months (consider the 407 Training Visa or contractor arrangements)
- The role isn't on a current occupation list and a state-nominated independent visa is more realistic
- The worker can be sponsored more easily on a Working Holiday Maker stream or by a labour agreement
- The salary needed to meet TSMIT is higher than the business can realistically sustain for the position
A 30-minute consultation will tell you honestly whether sponsorship makes sense for your specific situation before you commit any further investment.
Get a written quote for your business
Fill in the short form below for a written fee quote and indicative timeline tailored to your business. Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) responds personally within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
What does WIDEN's sponsorship service include?
We handle the three steps a business needs to sponsor an overseas worker: (1) Standard Business Sponsorship approval if the business is not already an approved sponsor; (2) nomination application for the specific role under the 482 or 186 program (including Genuine Position Statement and salary analysis); (3) the visa application itself. Each step is covered by a written service agreement under section 42 of the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2022, with fees confirmed in writing before any work commences.
Do I need to be an approved sponsor before nominating a worker?
Yes. The Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) is the first step — your business must be an approved sponsor under the Migration Regulations before a nomination application for a specific worker can be lodged. The SBS application reviews the business's genuine need, financial capacity, and compliance posture. WIDEN can prepare the SBS application alongside the nomination so the process is parallel where possible.
How long does the whole process take?
Indicative timing (verify current Department of Home Affairs processing times before relying on this): SBS approval 1–4 months, 482 nomination 1–3 months, 482 visa application 2–6 months depending on stream. 186 nomination + visa can take 6–18 months. State-level Labour Agreements and Designated Area Migration Agreements can shift timing. WIDEN's role is to make sure the file is lodgement-ready and to manage Departmental requests promptly.
What can my business not pass on to the worker?
Under Migration Regulation 2.87, the sponsoring business cannot recover the SAF levy, the SBS application fee, the nomination application fee, or migration agent fees relating to sponsorship and nomination from the worker. These are sponsorship obligations and breach can result in sponsorship cancellation, monetary penalties, and bars on future sponsorship. The visa application charge and any migration agent fees relating only to the visa application step are the worker's responsibility.
Do you handle Labour Market Testing (LMT)?
Yes, where required. Many 482 nominations now require evidence of Labour Market Testing — typically two advertisements meeting prescribed standards in two channels for at least 28 days. WIDEN prepares the LMT campaign brief, drafts compliant ad copy, advises on lodgement channels, and assembles the evidence pack for nomination. LMT exemptions (e.g. major investment, intra-corporate transferee) apply in narrow circumstances and are assessed individually.
What if our business is refused SBS or has a nomination refused?
Refusals are reviewable at the AAT in most cases. WIDEN reviews the reasons for refusal, identifies the strongest available submissions, and prepares the AAT application. Time limits are strict, so the priority is identifying the deadline in the decision letter immediately. WIDEN also handles AAT review of nomination and visa refusals at the same merits-review stage.
Can WIDEN guarantee my SBS application or nomination will be approved?
No. Section 15 of the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2022 prohibits any registered migration agent from guaranteeing outcomes. What WIDEN does is review your business circumstances against current Departmental policy, identify weaknesses before lodgement, prepare a properly structured application with supporting evidence, and represent your business through any Departmental requests or merits review. Outcomes depend on the Department's assessment of the individual application.
What does this cost?
Government charges and SAF levy depend on visa subclass, business size, and nomination period. WIDEN's professional fees are quoted in writing after an initial paid consultation under section 43 of the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2022, based on the specific scope (number of nominations, complexity, LMT requirements, refusal history). Fees are typically structured as fixed-fee per step (SBS, nomination, visa application) and confirmed in a written service agreement under section 42 before any work commences. Use our cost calculator for indicative figures: see /sponsor-a-worker-cost-australia/.
Industry-specific guides
- Aged care — personal care worker, nursing support, RN aged care, ACILA pathway
- Healthcare — nurses, doctors, allied health, AHPRA and skills assessment
- Hospitality — chef, cook, restaurant manager, Fair Work compliance
Related
- Cost calculator — SAF levy, government charges, indicative professional fees
- How to find the right worker to sponsor — sourcing channels including SponsorTalent
- How to become an approved sponsor
- 482 Skills in Demand visa — full overview
- 186 Visa — permanent residency pathway
- For Migration Agents — B2B services for fellow agents
General information only. This page describes the type of work WIDEN performs and the typical structure of sponsorship engagements. It does not constitute migration advice. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) only after a paid initial consultation under section 43 of the Migration Agents Code of Conduct 2022, with a written service agreement issued before further work commences (section 42). The OMARA Consumer Guide is provided to all clients before the consultation begins.
Fees are fair and reasonable, set in writing after initial review, and confirmed in the service agreement (section 46(1)). Government charges are separate and paid directly to the Department of Home Affairs.
Outcomes cannot be guaranteed by any registered migration agent (section 15). Specific outcomes depend on the Department's assessment of each application against current Departmental policy.
Sponsorship cost recovery prohibition. Under Migration Regulation 2.87, sponsors cannot recover the SAF levy, SBS application fee, nomination application fee, or migration agent fees relating to sponsorship and nomination from the worker. WIDEN's engagement structure complies with this requirement and the sponsor and the worker are billed separately for the steps to which they are respectively responsible.
Professional indemnity insurance held as required under the Migration Agents Regulations 1998. Complaints via our Complaints Policy or directly to OMARA.