Corporate Migration · Subclass 400 — Business Deployments

Subclass 400 Short Stay Specialist Visa for Businesses

Corporate migration advice for Australian and overseas businesses bringing highly specialised personnel to Australia for genuinely short-term, non-ongoing work, including urgent technical, project and specialist assignments.
2 October 2026 Student visa reform: Subclass 400 holders are now generally required to apply for a Student visa from outside Australia. Read the reform guide.

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International business leaders planning a short-term specialist assignment to Australia

The critical question is not whether the worker is senior—it is whether the Australian assignment is genuinely short-term, highly specialised and appropriate for Subclass 400.

Time-critical specialist mobility

Subclass 400 is powerful when the assignment fits—and risky when it is used as a substitute for sponsorship.

We assess the actual work, project, duration and business need before deciding whether Subclass 400 is appropriate or whether a longer-term sponsored pathway should be used.

Technical specialists

Installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, specialist engineering and proprietary-knowledge assignments.

Project deployments

Short, defined assignments tied to contracts, projects, transactions or specialist deliverables in Australia.

Executive / expert input

Limited high-level specialist work where the facts satisfy the short-stay specialist framework.

What we handle

Prove the assignment rather than overstate the worker.

Subclass 400 pathway assessment
Business support and invitation evidence
Project and contractual documentation
Highly specialised skills evidence
Short-term / non-ongoing work submissions
Assignment duration strategy
Urgency and timing evidence
Comparison with 482 and business visitor options
Complex repeat-travel analysis

Risk control

Issues to settle before lodgement

Work is actually ongoing or part of an Australian permanent role
Proposed stay is longer than the project evidence supports
Generic claims that the worker is ‘specialised’
Using a business visitor pathway for productive work
Repeated 400 applications suggesting an ongoing workforce need

Executive briefing

Have a role, assignment or deadline already in play?

Send us the business, proposed worker, role, location and target commencement date. We can use the first strategy call to identify the viable pathway, critical evidence and immediate risks.

Corporate employers · HR teams · recruiters · founders · in-house counsel

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Employer FAQs

Subclass 400 questions for employers.

General information only. Specific strategy depends on the employer, position, worker, timing and current migration law.

How long can a Subclass 400 visa be granted for?

Grant periods depend on the circumstances and Department assessment. The pathway is designed for short-term, non-ongoing highly specialised work.

Does the business need Standard Business Sponsorship?

Subclass 400 is not the same sponsorship framework as Subclass 482, although the Australian business and assignment evidence are still important.

Can we use 400 while waiting for a 482?

That is not automatically appropriate. The proposed 400 work must independently satisfy the 400 criteria; it should not be used merely to bypass a longer-term sponsorship process.

Can an overseas contractor use Subclass 400?

Potentially, depending on the assignment, skills, contractual arrangements and evidence. The legal and commercial structure should be reviewed.

Legal review: 25 September 2026. Official source: Home Affairs — Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa.

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