A Brisbane construction firm signs a site engineer from Manila in June. The offer is accepted, the start date is set, and the project is scheduled around her. Then the firm discovers it is not an approved sponsor, has never advertised the role, and has no idea what the levy costs. By the time the paperwork catches up, the engineer has taken a competing offer from a company that was ready. The firm did nothing unlawful. It simply started the visa after the hire instead of before it.
This guide sets out the sponsorship sequence for 2026-27, the employer charges, and the parts of the timeline a business actually controls.
Short answer: Sponsorship approval costs $420, a 482 nomination $330, and the Skilling Australians Fund levy $1,200 or $1,800 per year of visa. Build those steps into recruitment, because a candidate cannot be nominated until the business is an approved sponsor and the role has been advertised.
Three stages, one strategy
Employer sponsored work visas run in three stages. The business becomes a standard business sponsor. The business nominates a specific role for a specific worker. The worker applies for the visa. Each stage has its own criteria and charge, and each can fail on its own. However, they do not have to run one after another. Sponsorship and nomination can be lodged together, and nomination and visa can be lodged together. The businesses that hire quickly are the ones that treat all three as one project.
Processing times for each stage are published by the Department and move month to month, so we do not quote them. The point is not the number. It is that the stages you have not started cannot be counted from the date you signed the candidate.
The sequence that works
- Before recruitmentApply for standard business sponsorship, or check the existing approval has not expired. Confirm the occupation sits on the Core Skills Occupation List and settle the salary against the $79,423 threshold.
- During recruitmentRun labour market testing. The advertisements must run for at least 28 days, on the required platforms, within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged.
- At offerDraft the nomination while the contract is negotiated. Align the position description, duties, salary and contract so every document says the same thing.
- At acceptanceLodge nomination and visa together, with health and police checks already done and the levy paid.
- After grantDiarise the visa end date and map the permanent pathway before the second year begins.
The order matters because labour market testing has a shelf life. Advertising done too early expires before the nomination. Advertising done too late delays it. Therefore, the advertising window should be planned around the expected offer date, not left until the nomination form is opened.
Employer charges in 2026-27
The levy and the nomination charge must be paid by the business and cannot be recovered from the worker. The visa charge can be paid by either party. For a permanent 186 nomination the figures change: a $540 nomination charge, a one off levy of $3,000 or $5,000, and a $6,140 visa charge. Our employers page compares the two.
Picking the right visa for the need
The subclass 400 visa, at $535, suits highly specialised work that a local worker cannot do, for a short period. It is not a sponsorship and it does not lead anywhere. It buys time for a commissioning job or a specialist installation while the longer visa is prepared.
The 482 Skills in Demand visa is the standard route. The Core Skills stream covers occupations on the list of 456 at or above $79,423. The Specialist Skills stream covers roles paid at or above $146,576, outside trades. The Labour Agreement stream applies where the business holds an agreement.
The 186 visa is the retention tool. A worker who has completed two years with the sponsor on a 482 can transition while under 45. The planning starts in the first year, because the age limit and the two year count do not wait for a budget cycle.
The fastest visa is only useful if it is the right one. A misclassified Specialist Skills nomination invites refusal, and a 400 used for ongoing work invites compliance action. Match the visa to the need first, then optimise timing.
Sponsor readiness checklist
What employers control
Application volumes, health checks and program priorities are outside any employer’s hands. Three things are not. First, a complete file avoids the request for further information that sends a case to the back of the line. Second, consistent evidence across contract, payslips and nomination avoids the integrity queries that stall approvals. Third, a visa expiry register catches the sponsored worker whose 482 ends before anyone has planned the 186. The sequencing for that transition is set out in our guide to the three dates that decide a 482 to 186 application.
If you are planning a hire for the coming year, contact us before the shortlist closes. A readiness review takes far less time than a lost candidate.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing and published threshold and levy settings as at 1 July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can we lodge the sponsorship and nomination at the same time?
Yes. A standard business sponsorship application and a nomination can be lodged together, and the nomination and visa can also be lodged together. Lodging all three at once is common where the business is ready and the candidate has been selected.
How long must the role be advertised?
Advertisements must run for at least 28 days on the platforms the Department specifies. They must have been placed within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged. Keep screenshots showing dates, salary and duties, because the nomination is assessed on that evidence.
Who pays which charge?
The business pays the $420 sponsorship charge, the $330 nomination charge and the levy, and cannot recover any of them from the worker. The $4,015 visa charge can be paid by either party, and many employers cover it as part of the offer.
Can the worker start before the visa is granted?
Only if they already hold a visa with work rights that permits the role. An onshore applicant on a bridging visa may be able to work depending on the conditions of the visa it follows. An offshore candidate cannot start until the visa is granted.
Should we use a 400 visa to bridge the gap?
Sometimes. The 400 suits short, highly specialised work that no local worker can do. It is not a substitute for a 482 for an ongoing role, and using it that way creates compliance exposure for the business.
General information as at 2 September 2026. Not legal advice. Charges, thresholds and labour market testing rules change, so obtain advice on your own hire before acting.