Workers · Subclass 482
482 Visa Cost for the Employee
A sponsored worker usually pays for their own visa application and the checks that go with it. The employer must pay the costs of sponsoring and nominating, and it is unlawful for anyone to charge a worker for sponsorship itself. Knowing the line protects you from paying what you should not.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - 482 visa charge (main applicant)
- A$4,015
- Nomination fee and levy
- Employer pays — cannot be passed on
- Paying for sponsorship
- Unlawful
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About the CPD →MARN 1576536
Offered sponsorship and unsure what you should be paying? Check it first.
In the consultation I go through the offer and the costs you have been quoted, tell you which are normal and which are not, and check the occupation, salary and your eligibility for the 482. Bring the offer and any invoice.
What it costs. $330 inc. GST for 30 minutes by video with Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536), credited in full against our professional fee if you engage WIDEN. Advice confirmed in writing after the call. There is no free consultation or free assessment.
What the worker usually pays
- The visa application charge: A$4,015 for the main applicant in 2026-27, plus a charge for each family member. See 482 visa fees. An employer can choose to pay it, but does not have to.
- A skills assessment, if your occupation or passport requires one.
- An English test, unless you are exempt.
- Health examinations and police certificates for you and your family.
- Your own migration agent’s fee for the visa application, if you use one.
What the employer must pay
- The standard business sponsorship application.
- The nomination fee for your position.
- The Skilling Australians Fund levy, charged per year of the nomination.
- Any migration agent or recruitment costs relating to sponsorship and nomination.
These are the employer’s costs by law. A sponsor must not recover them from you, directly or through deductions from your pay. Use the sponsorship cost calculator to see the employer side.
What cannot be charged to you
It is unlawful for anyone, including an employer, recruiter or agent, to ask for or receive a payment or other benefit in return for sponsorship or a sponsored job. That includes a “placement fee” for the job, a repayment of the nomination fee or levy, or unpaid work in exchange for sponsorship. Both the person asking and the person paying can face penalties, and the visa can be affected.
If you are asked to pay for the job itself, or to pay back the employer’s sponsorship costs, stop and get advice. See fake sponsorship job offers.
A typical budget
For a single applicant, the visa charge is the largest item at A$4,015. Skills assessment, English test, health and police checks commonly add several hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the occupation and country. Family members add their own visa charges and checks.
If you have been asked to pay
- Ask for a written breakdown of what each payment is for.
- Check the agent’s registration on the OMARA register.
- Do not pay anything described as a fee for the job or for sponsorship.
- Get advice before you sign or pay.
General information only, current at October 2026; not advice on your own case. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Check your case
Tell Keshab your situation. He reads it personally and replies within a business day with which route fits you and whether a consultation is worth your money. Not an assessment of your file, no advice on it, no obligation.
How this works: Keshab reads every case check himself and replies personally, usually within a business day: which route fits, what it turns on, and whether a consultation is worth your money. If it is, he offers you a time; if it is not, he says so.
Ready now? Skip the form. Pick a time and talk to Keshab directly — your documents on the table, a straight answer, and a written summary afterwards. $330 inc. GST, credited toward your fee if you engage.
Pick a time — no enquiry needed →Questions we get asked first
How much does a 482 visa cost for the employee?
The main cost is the visa application charge of A$4,015 for the main applicant in 2026-27, plus family charges, a skills assessment if needed, an English test and health and police checks.
Does the employer pay for the 482 visa?
The employer must pay the sponsorship, nomination fee and Skilling Australians Fund levy. The visa charge is usually the worker’s, though an employer can choose to pay it.
Can my employer make me pay the nomination fee?
No. Nomination and sponsorship costs, including the levy, cannot be passed on to the worker.
Is it legal to pay for a sponsored job?
No. Asking for or receiving a payment in return for sponsorship is unlawful.
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