How to Sponsor an Employee on a 482 Visa Without a Migration Agent
An Australian employer can sponsor an employee on the 482 Skills in Demand visa without using a migration agent. The three-stage process — Standard Business Sponsorship, nomination, visa application — is lodged through the Department of Home Affairs' online portal (ImmiAccount) and does not require legal representation. The challenge is not the portal. It is compliance: Labour Market Testing, Annual Market Salary Rate calculation, and occupation caveats are the specific areas where unguided employers make the errors that trigger refusals and lose non-refundable fees.
This page maps the exact sequence for employer-side sponsorship, explains the non-obvious compliance requirements at each stage, and identifies the points where errors are most expensive.
The Three-Stage Employer Sponsorship Sequence
Stage order matters. You cannot lodge the worker's visa application before the nomination is approved. You cannot lodge the nomination before the SBS is approved. Understanding this prevents a common mistake: assuming a job offer triggers an immediate application.
Stage 1: Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
What it is: The employer applies to become an approved Standard Business Sponsor — a legal status that permits the business to nominate overseas workers under the 482 framework.
Cost: $420 (non-refundable)
Validity: 5 years from approval
Key requirements:
- The business must be actively operating lawfully in Australia
- Evidence of compliance with employment laws and immigration obligations
- New businesses (under 12 months trading) face additional scrutiny and may need to provide extra evidence of viability
Processing time: 2–4 weeks for standard applications; longer for new or complex business structures
Action items:
- Apply through ImmiAccount: create an employer account, lodge Form 1229 (Application for Standard Business Sponsor)
- Prepare supporting documents: ABN registration, ASIC extract or business registration, evidence of business operations (contracts, premises lease, financial statements)
- If you have previously had sponsorship obligations cancelled or breached, disclose this — non-disclosure triggers Section 501 character issues
Practical note: Start the SBS application as early as possible. It runs in parallel with Labour Market Testing (Stage 2), and approving both before lodging the nomination avoids delays.
Stage 2: Labour Market Testing
What it is: The employer must demonstrate that no suitable Australian worker is available for the role before sponsoring an overseas worker. This is assessed as part of the nomination, not a separate application — but the advertising period must be completed before the nomination is lodged.
This is the most common cause of 482 nomination refusals for first-time employers.
Requirements:
- Advertise the role for 28 consecutive days — not "around a month," not 28 total days with weekend gaps, not two weeks on one platform and two weeks on another
- Advertise on at least two national recruitment platforms: SEEK and Indeed are the standard choices; LinkedIn is accepted; Gumtree, Facebook, and local newspapers are not
- Ads must include: job title, description of duties, required skills, your company's name (anonymous ads fail), and a salary range for roles paying under $96,400 per year
- The advertising period must fall within the four months before lodging the nomination — ads placed earlier than four months before lodgement do not count
LMT exemptions (where LMT is not required):
- Citizens of CPTPP countries: Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam
- Citizens of AANZFTA/ASEAN nations: Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
- UK citizens (under AUKFTA)
- Chinese nationals (under ChAFTA)
- South Korean nationals (under KAFTA)
- Senior intra-corporate transferees from WTO member countries with at least 2 years' employment at the same company
Check the worker's nationality before starting the 28-day advertising window. If they qualify for an LMT exemption, you save four weeks and eliminate the most common refusal risk.
Documentation to retain:
- Screenshots of each advertisement on each platform, showing the URL, live dates, and full ad text
- Screenshots taken on Day 1 and Day 28 to prove the consecutive period
- Records of applications received and outcomes (interviewed, unsuitable, not selected)
Stage 3: Nomination
What it is: The employer formally nominates the overseas worker for a specific occupation at a specific salary. This is the stage where all compliance evidence is assessed.
Cost: $330 nomination fee + Skilling Australians Fund levy (non-refundable)
SAF levy amounts:
- Small business (annual turnover under $10M): $1,200 per year of visa duration
- 2-year visa: $2,400
- 4-year visa: $4,800
- Large business (annual turnover over $10M): $1,800 per year of visa duration
- 2-year visa: $3,600
- 4-year visa: $7,200
The SAF levy is paid at lodgement and is non-refundable if the nomination is refused. This is the fee exposure that makes compliance preparation essential.
Key nomination requirements:
Occupation: The nominated occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Confirm your occupation's ANZSCO code and check for caveats — additional restrictions that apply to specific occupations. Over 50 CSOL occupations have caveats including:
- Turnover requirements (some managerial roles require $1M+ annual business revenue)
- Minimum employee counts (some roles require at least 5 employees in the nominated unit)
- Regional restrictions (some occupations are only available in specific postcodes)
- Mandatory skills assessments (required for certain occupations regardless of the worker's nationality)
Salary: The nominated salary must be the higher of:
- Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): $76,515 in 2025–26, rising to $79,499 in July 2026
- Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR): what an Australian worker doing the same role in the same location would earn
The AMSR calculation is where many first-time employers make a costly error. If your market rate is $90,000 and you offer $76,515, the nomination is refused for underpaying relative to market. If the market rate is $55,000 and you offer $76,515, the nomination can be refused for salary "inflated to meet the visa rule."
To prove the AMSR, you need at least two independent sources documenting the market rate for the specific occupation in your location. Acceptable sources include:
- Hays Salary Guide
- Job advertisement sampling (positions advertised in the past six months)
- Glassdoor or LinkedIn Salary data
- Industry union enterprise agreement data
Document your sources and include them in the nomination evidence package.
Forms and lodgement: Lodge the nomination through ImmiAccount using Form 1066 (Nomination — Entry — Employer Sponsored Visa). Attach: LMT evidence package, AMSR documentation, position description, evidence of SBS approval.
Stage 4: Visa Application (Worker Side)
Once the nomination is approved, the worker lodges the visa application. The employer does not lodge this — the worker does through their own ImmiAccount.
Cost: $3,210 per adult applicant (primary and any adult dependants); $805 per child under 18
Key worker requirements:
- Occupation on the CSOL in the Core Skills stream (or income above $141,210 for Specialist Skills)
- At least one year of work experience in the nominated occupation within the past five years
- English language requirement: Competent English (IELTS 5.0 in each component, or equivalent on PTE/TOEFL) — unless exempt (UK, US, Canada, NZ, Ireland passport holders; five years of English-medium education; certain high earners in Specialist Skills stream)
- Skills assessment where required for the occupation and nationality (mandatory for specific trade occupations from certain countries, and for some professional categories regardless of nationality)
- Health examination conducted by a DHA-approved physician
- Police clearances from each country where the worker has lived for 12+ months in the past 10 years
Dependent family members: Partners and children under 18 can be included. Adult dependants (18+) pay the full $3,210 VAC. Partners who cannot demonstrate Functional English (IELTS 4.5 equivalent) trigger a second instalment visa application charge of $4,890 before the visa can be granted.
The Timeline: What to Expect
| Stage | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| SBS application preparation | 1 week |
| SBS approval (DHA processing) | 2–4 weeks |
| LMT advertising period | 4 weeks (28 consecutive days) |
| Nomination preparation | 1–2 weeks |
| Nomination assessment (DHA) | 4–8 weeks |
| Visa application assessment (DHA) | 4–12 weeks (Core Skills); 1–2 weeks (Specialist Skills) |
| Total realistic timeline | 16–26 weeks |
Start the SBS application as soon as you decide to proceed. Run LMT concurrently with SBS — they do not need to be sequential. The nomination cannot be lodged until both are complete, but both can be prepared in parallel.
Critical timing note: If the worker is currently in Australia on another visa (e.g., 485 Graduate visa, 457, existing 482), the timing of nomination lodgement relative to their current visa expiry matters. Some visa conditions allow bridging visa protection while the 482 is processing; others do not. The worker should check their specific visa conditions.
Employer Obligations After Visa Grant
Becoming a Standard Business Sponsor creates ongoing obligations that do not end when the visa is granted:
Notification obligations (within 28 days):
- Worker ceases employment (resignation, dismissal, or redundancy)
- Changes to the worker's employment conditions (salary, occupation, hours)
- The business changes ownership, structure, or ABN
- Business enters insolvency proceedings
Payment obligations:
- The worker must continue to receive the nominated salary throughout the visa period
- You cannot reduce the salary below the nominated rate without lodging a new nomination
- You cannot recover the SAF levy, nomination fee, or SBS fee from the worker — the penalty is up to $396,000 per breach
Record-keeping:
- Maintain employment records, payroll records, and evidence of compliance with sponsorship obligations
- The Department of Home Affairs has power to conduct unscheduled site visits and document requests
- Records must be retained for the duration of the sponsorship and for five years after the worker's employment ends
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Who This Is For
Employers who can manage the 482 sponsorship process without a migration agent:
- Your business has been actively trading for at least 12 months with a clean compliance history
- You are sponsoring a worker whose occupation is clearly on the CSOL with no ambiguous caveats
- The worker's nationality does not trigger a mandatory skills assessment, or you have already confirmed the skills assessment is complete
- The nominated salary clearly exceeds both the CSIT and the AMSR for the occupation and location
- You have the internal capacity to manage the documentation and timeline — roughly 20–30 hours of preparation spread over 4–6 months
Who This Is NOT For
Escalate to a migration agent if:
- Your business has recently changed ownership, merged with another entity, or changed its ABN structure
- The worker has a prior visa refusal, character concern, or complex immigration history
- Your occupation requires a Labour Agreement or DAMA pathway (not available through standard CSOL)
- Your nominated salary is close to the CSIT floor and the AMSR calculation is unclear — this is a common refusal trigger that benefits from agent review
- You are unsure whether your business meets the caveat requirements for the nominated occupation
Tradeoffs
DIY with a compliance guide:
- Pro: Full understanding of your own obligations; cost significantly below agent fees; covers both employer and worker
- Pro: You maintain compliance knowledge for ongoing obligations and future nominations
- Con: Requires active engagement; does not provide legal advice or representation if something goes wrong post-lodgement
Migration agent:
- Pro: Managed service with professional indemnity; appropriate for complex cases
- Con: $3,000–$8,000 for work that is procedural on standard cases; you remain a passive participant in your own application
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the worker lodge their visa application before the nomination is decided?
No. The worker's visa application can only be lodged after the nomination has been approved by the Department. Some applicants lodge both simultaneously on the assumption that they will be processed together — this is incorrect and the visa application will be returned or placed on hold pending the nomination decision.
What if the nominated worker quits before the visa is granted?
If the employment relationship ends after the nomination is approved but before the visa is granted, the nomination may be withdrawn. The SAF levy is not refunded. You would need to lodge a fresh nomination for a different worker, paying the SAF levy again. This is one reason employers sometimes delay SBS and nomination until the worker is confirmed to be committed.
Can I recover visa costs from the worker?
The worker's visa application charge ($3,210 per adult) may be paid by either party — you can ask the worker to pay it. The employer-side fees — SBS fee ($420), nomination fee ($330), and SAF levy — cannot legally be recovered from the worker in any form, including as salary deductions or loans. The penalty for illegal recovery is up to $396,000 per breach.
What if my business turnover is below the threshold for my chosen occupation's caveat?
You cannot nominate that occupation. You would need to either: (a) choose a different ANZSCO occupation code that more accurately reflects the role without the turnover caveat, or (b) restructure the role description. This is an area where occupation caveat analysis matters before you begin LMT — running a 28-day advertising period for an occupation your business is ineligible to nominate wastes the $4,800–$7,200 SAF levy and four weeks.
What is the employer's obligation if the worker changes employers after the visa is granted?
Under the SID framework, a worker whose employment ends has 180 days to find a new employer sponsor. Your obligations as the original sponsor continue until the worker transfers to a new sponsor or the 180 days expire. You must notify the Department within 28 days of the worker ceasing employment. You are not responsible for the worker's continued visa status after you notify — that obligation transfers to the new sponsor.
The Australia TSS 482 Visa Guide covers the complete employer-side compliance framework: the LMT compliance calendar, AMSR evidence methodology, occupation caveat lookup, SAF levy structure, and post-grant notification obligations — the specific reference material that turns a confusing three-stage process into a manageable compliance exercise.
Get Your Free Australia Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS 482) Visa Guide — Quick-Start Checklist
Download the Australia Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS 482) Visa Guide — Quick-Start Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.