Visa Advisor
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MARA Registered: 0852408 · Information is general only.
No minimum turnover. If you can offer a genuine role and pay the salary, your small business can sponsor a skilled worker — and we handle it end to end.
Yes — a small business can sponsor an overseas worker. There is no minimum turnover; you must be lawfully operating in Australia, show you can pay the salary, and prove a genuine full-time position. Most small businesses sponsor through the Subclass 482 visa, paying a reduced Skilling Australians Fund levy of $1,200 a year.
Our employer visa services in Australia help small businesses, startups and lean HR teams sponsor skilled workers. The rules are set by the Department of Home Affairs; we handle the sponsorship, nomination and visa.
A registered, actively trading Australian business (ABN/ASIC).
Evidence you can pay the salary for the life of the visa — not a wealth test, just affordability.
A real, full-time role — casual or part-time roles do not qualify.
A clean record under workplace and immigration law.
Three pathways cover most small-business hires. For a full side-by-side, see our visa sponsorship options.
Ongoing skilled role you can’t fill locally. Up to 4 years. SAF $1,200/yr (small business).
Make a worker permanent. SAF $3,000 one-off + $540 nomination.
Regional small businesses. 5 years, SAF $3,000 one-off, pathway to PR.
A one-off charge of around $420 to become a Standard Business Sponsor.
$1,200 per year of a 482, or a one-off $3,000 for a permanent 186 or regional 494. Cannot be passed to the worker.
Payable per nominated position.
Paid by the worker, not the business.
Figures are indicative for 2025–26 and indexed each 1 July — we confirm exact current costs for your case.
We prepare your sponsor application with the right financial and business evidence. Approval usually takes 4–8 weeks and lasts five years.
~4–8 wksWe lodge the nomination for a genuine full-time role at or above the required salary, with any labour market testing evidence.
Step 2Once the nomination is approved, your worker lodges their visa. One sponsorship can cover multiple nominations.
Step 3A clean, well-evidenced application is decided faster. For a small business we typically prepare:
ABN/ASIC registration and evidence you are actively trading.
Recent tax returns, BAS, and bank statements showing you can pay the salary.
A position description and org chart showing a genuine full-time job.
The offered salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold and market rate.
Evidence you invest in training Australians, and advertising records where required.
Trading for less than 12 months? You can still sponsor. New businesses provide extra evidence to show viability — and may receive a shorter initial sponsorship approval while establishing a track record. If you don’t yet have an Australian operating base, an Overseas Business Sponsorship may help set one up.
One Standard Business Sponsor approval lets you nominate multiple workers over five years — you don’t reapply for each hire. We help you manage record-keeping, the 28-day notification rule, and pay reviews so a growing sponsored workforce stays compliant. See our guide on sponsor obligations and how to prepare for an audit.
We make business sponsorship visas simple for small Australian employers. As a MARA-registered practice in Sydney, we handle the whole journey — from sponsor approval through to the worker’s visa.
Yes. There is no business size limit on sponsorship. To become a Standard Business Sponsor, a small business must be lawfully operating in Australia, show it can pay the worker's salary, and prove a genuine full-time position that meets the salary thresholds. Many small businesses sponsor successfully under the Subclass 482 visa each year.
No. There is no minimum annual turnover in the legislation. What matters is financial viability — evidence that your business can afford the worker's salary for the life of the visa. Your turnover does affect the Skilling Australians Fund levy: businesses under $10 million pay the lower small-business rate.
Employer costs for a Subclass 482 include the sponsorship application charge (around $420), the SAF levy at the small-business rate of $1,200 per year of the visa, and the nomination charge. For the permanent 186 or regional 494, the SAF levy is a one-off $3,000 for a small business. The worker pays their own visa application charge. The SAF levy cannot be passed to the worker.
Yes, but expect extra scrutiny. A business trading for less than 12 months can apply, and usually provides additional evidence — Business Activity Statements and bank statements for its whole trading period, a business plan, a commercial lease or contract of sale, and a plan to train Australians. A new business may receive a shorter initial sponsorship approval while it establishes viability.
A well-prepared Standard Business Sponsor application is usually decided in around four to eight weeks. Once approved, your sponsorship is generally valid for five years, and you can nominate more than one worker under it during that period. Processing depends on how complete and clear your application is.
Yes. One Standard Business Sponsor approval lets you nominate multiple workers over its five-year life, each for a genuine position that meets the rules. High-volume, consistently compliant sponsors can also apply for Accredited Sponsor status, which can speed up processing for future nominations.
Check your eligibility to sponsor for free, or book a consultation to map the fastest path for your business.