Business Sponsorship Requirements

If you operate a business and want to sponsor a worker for a subclass 482 visa, your business must first be approved as a sponsor. This approval is known as Standard Business Sponsorship (‘SBS’). 

Once approved, a business can sponsor eligible employees for a subclass 482 visa. For most applicants, this visa can be granted for between 1 and 4 years, depending on how long the business wishes to sponsor the employee. 

For most Australian based businesses, regardless of size, becoming an approved sponsor is achievable. Three key requirements are: 

• the business is lawfully established; 

• the business is actively operating; and 

• there is no adverse information. 

Lawfully Established 

What evidence is required to show that a business is lawfully established depends on the structure of the business. 

If the business is operated by a company, ASIC company registration records can usually be relied on to show that the business is lawfully established. If the applicant company is acting as trustee of a trust, a copy of the trust deed should also be provided, together with the company’s ASIC registration records. 

Actively Operating 

To show that a business is actively operating, it will usually need to provide evidence that it is generating revenue. This is typically done by providing financial and operational documents, such as: 

• balance sheets 

• profit and loss statements 

• BAS statements. 

A business does not need to be making a profit. However, the generation of revenue is generally expected. 

In some situations, a business may still be considered to be operating even if it is not yet generating revenue. For example, a hotel may have staff on payroll in preparation for an upcoming opening. Situations like this may still support a successful Standard Business Sponsorship application, but they need to be carefully considered and supported with evidence before the application is lodged. 

Adverse Information 

The Department of Home Affairs considers whether there is any known adverse information about a business, or its associates, before approving it as a sponsor. The types of information that may be considered adverse are broad and can include: 

• contraventions of Commonwealth, State, or Territory law; 

• current or past investigations or legal proceedings; 

• being the subject of administrative action by a regulatory body. 

Having adverse information does not automatically mean that a business cannot become a sponsor. In some cases, the Department may decide to disregard such information if it considers it reasonable to do so. 

If you think your business may meet these requirements, or you would like more information about the sponsorship process, please contact us for a full assessment.