482 Visa Sponsor Requirements: Can Your Employer Sponsor You?
A job offer alone is not enough for a 482 visa. The employer must have the appropriate sponsorship status and lodge a nomination that satisfies the current Skills in Demand requirements.
Standard Business Sponsorship
Most employers using the standard 482 program need to be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor. The business must be lawfully operating and satisfy the relevant sponsorship criteria.
The position must be genuine
Home Affairs can examine whether the nominated position genuinely exists within the business. The organisation chart, turnover, staffing, contracts, business model, position description and recruitment history can all become relevant.
Labour Market Testing
Unless an exemption applies, employers generally need to satisfy Labour Market Testing before nomination. The current framework ordinarily requires two valid advertisements that meet the prescribed content, duration and timing requirements. Workforce Australia advertising is no longer mandatory.
Salary and employment conditions
The employer must address the applicable income threshold and Annual Market Salary Rate. Sponsored workers must receive employment conditions no less favourable than those provided to an equivalent Australian worker.
Sponsorship obligations continue after grant
Sponsorship is an ongoing compliance relationship. Employers have obligations relating to records, notifications, equivalent terms and conditions, cooperation with inspectors and prohibited cost recovery.
Claim your consultation
Tell us about the employer, occupation, salary, work history and current visa position so our team can identify the issues that need to be assessed.
The Emigrate Lawyers difference
We assess sponsorship, nomination and visa issues as one connected legal pathway.
We test business, position, salary and applicant evidence for inconsistencies before they become refusal issues.
Our work includes SID 482, Subclass 186, nomination refusals, ART review, sponsor changes and compliance.
Employers and skilled workers across Australia and overseas can instruct us through secure digital workflows and video consultations.
Continue your 482 research
Madhab Kharel — Principal Lawyer
Madhab Kharel is the Principal Lawyer and Director of Emigrate Lawyers. His migration law practice includes employer-sponsored visas, Subclass 482 and 186 matters, nomination refusals, ART review, complex visa histories and employer compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small business sponsor a 482 worker?
Potentially. There is no rule that only large companies can sponsor, but the business must satisfy sponsorship and nomination requirements and credibly support the position.
Does a new business qualify?
It can, but a short trading history may require stronger evidence of lawful operation, business activity and the genuine need for the role.
Can a sole trader sponsor?
Business structure is only one issue. Eligibility and the proposed employment arrangement need to be assessed against the sponsorship rules.
Can an employer charge the worker for sponsorship?
Employers must not recover prohibited sponsorship-related costs such as the SAF levy from the sponsored worker.
Speak with a 482 visa lawyer
Contact Emigrate Lawyers for advice about Skills in Demand sponsorship, nomination or visa strategy.
Legal review: Madhab Kharel, Principal Lawyer. Reviewed 26 September 2026. General information only and not legal advice.
