Sponsoring a trainee on the 407: the employer's guide

The 12 November 2026 change

Home Affairs has announced that from 12 November 2026 a 407 applicant must be outside Australia when they lodge and when the visa is granted. An application made in Australia on or after that date is invalid, even if ImmiAccount lets it be submitted, and a decision that an application is invalid cannot be reviewed. A person who applies from outside Australia gets no bridging visa; they may travel to Australia on another valid visa while the 407 is processed, but must be outside Australia again for the grant. Applications validly lodged before 12 November 2026 are assessed under the earlier rules. The change is made by the Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Application Requirements) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01449), which also let the Minister specify, by legislative instrument, classes of people who may still apply and be granted the visa in Australia; none had been specified when we checked on 10 November 2026.

For a sponsor this changes the timeline. A trainee who is in Australia now (a graduate or a student, for example) has to leave before lodging, so plan the start date around the sponsorship approval, the nomination approval, the trainee's departure and the processing time, and do not commit to a start date based on an expected grant.

The three stages

1. Temporary activities sponsorship. The organisation applies once (A$420); approval lasts five years and covers later trainees. It must be approved before the trainee can apply.
2. Nomination. For each trainee, a nomination of the program of occupational training, with the training plan (A$170). It must be approved before the visa application. A Commonwealth Government agency sponsor invites the trainee instead.
3. Visa application. The trainee lodges, from outside Australia from 12 November 2026, with their own evidence. The visa allows a stay of up to 2 years.

Since 11 March 2026 the stages have been strictly in that order. The document list for each stage is in the 407 documents checklist.

What the training must be

Home Affairs recognises three types of occupational training: training required for registration (for example to obtain an Australian registration or licence), training to improve skills in an eligible occupation, and training for capacity building overseas; the visa also covers professional development programs. Each type has its own nomination requirements. The common thread is that the program is genuine, structured, workplace-based training that fits the trainee's existing occupation, study or field, with supervision and a plan the trainee can actually follow. Home Affairs states plainly that the 407 is not intended to fill workforce shortages: a nomination that reads as a job with a training label is the usual reason for refusal. See training plan requirements and the 407 occupations.

Costs

• Temporary activities sponsorship: A$420, once every five years.
• Nomination: A$170 per trainee.
• Visa application charge: from A$535 for the trainee, more for family members; either side can pay it.
• Wages: all work in Australia must be paid, at least the minimum the Fair Work Ombudsman sets for the role.

The full breakdown is in the cost of a 407.

Obligations and changes

An approved temporary activities sponsor takes on sponsorship obligations for as long as it sponsors trainees, including delivering the training it nominated and paying for the work done. If the trainee moves to another organisation, that organisation must be a sponsor and lodge a new nomination; if the training program changes, the trainee needs a new visa once the new nomination is approved. A trainee who wants a further 407 needs continuing sponsorship.

Plan the timeline before you nominate

With three sequential approvals and an offshore lodgement, the order and the timing decide whether a 407 works for your organisation. In a sponsor consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015, author of OMARA-approved CPD on the 407) looks at your training program, the right training type and a realistic timeline. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice.

Book a sponsor consultation →

In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).

General information, not migration advice. No visa outcome can be promised. Sources: Home Affairs Training visa (subclass 407) page and Changes to Training visa application rules, read 10 November 2026; charges from the Home Affairs pricing service.