Article
How Much Does It Cost to Sponsor a Worker in Australia? 2026 Fees: SBS, Nomination, SAF and Visa
Businesses considering sponsorship for the first time usually ask one question: what will this cost us? The honest answer has a structure to it — three stages, four types of government charge, strict rules about who is allowed to pay what — and understanding the structure matters more than any single figure, because several of the numbers depend on your business and the role.
The three stages, and what each one charges
Sponsoring a worker on the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa involves three separate applications, each with its own fee:
- Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) — the business becomes an approved sponsor. The application fee is A$420. Approval covers the business for a period, so this is a per-business cost, not per-worker.
- Nomination — the business nominates the specific role. This stage carries the nomination application fee (A$330) and the largest employer charge, the SAF levy (below).
- Visa application — the worker applies for the visa itself. The visa application charge is A$4,015 for the main applicant in the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, plus A$4,015 for each additional adult and A$1,005 for each child under 18. It belongs to the worker.
Some worked totals for one worker with no family members:
| Scenario | Employer pays (SBS + nomination + SAF) | Worker pays (visa charge) |
|---|---|---|
| Small business, 2-year visa | A$420 + A$330 + A$2,400 = A$3,150 | A$4,015 |
| Small business, 4-year visa | A$420 + A$330 + A$4,800 = A$5,550 | A$4,015 |
| Turnover A$10m or more, 4-year visa | A$420 + A$330 + A$7,200 = A$7,950 | A$4,015 |
The SBS fee is paid once per business, so a second worker costs the nomination fee and SAF levy only. Family members add to the worker’s visa charge. Professional fees for a registered migration agent are additional and quoted per matter. For an indicative estimate against your own numbers, use our sponsorship cost calculator.
The SAF levy: the number that surprises everyone
The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is a training levy paid by the employer, up-front, when the nomination is lodged — calculated per year of the proposed visa period:
- Small business (annual turnover under A$10 million): A$1,200 per year of the nomination period
- Other businesses: A$1,800 per year
So a multi-year 482 nomination multiplies the levy accordingly, payable in one hit at lodgement. If the pathway later continues to permanent residence via a 186 nomination, a separate one-off SAF levy applies at that stage — A$3,000 for small business, A$5,000 otherwise. Note the small-business threshold here is the SAF levy’s own A$10 million turnover test, not the ATO’s tax definitions.
Who is legally allowed to pay what
This is where first-time sponsors get into genuine trouble. Migration Regulation 2.87 prohibits recovering certain costs from the worker — the SAF levy, the SBS application fee, the nomination fee, and agent fees relating to the sponsorship and nomination stages. “The worker offered to pay” is not a defence; recovery is a breach of sponsorship obligations that can bring fines, sponsorship cancellation and bars on future sponsorship. The visa application charge, by contrast, relates to the worker’s own application and is legitimately theirs.
Budget accordingly: the sponsorship and nomination side of the ledger is the business’s, permanently.
The costs that aren’t fees
Two non-fee items shape the true cost more than the charges do:
- Salary. The nominated salary must meet both the relevant income threshold — for the Core Skills stream, the Core Skills Income Threshold of A$79,423 from 1 July 2026 — and the annual market salary rate for the role. These figures index annually; verify current settings with the Department of Home Affairs.
- Labour market testing. Where LMT applies, the business pays for compliant advertising and carries the internal cost of running a genuine recruitment process and documenting it properly — modest in dollars, decisive in outcome.
Regional businesses have one extra angle worth checking early: regional employer-sponsored options and concessions turn on whether the business location is classified as regional — you can check whether your city counts as regional before settling on the pathway. Some industries sponsor through labour agreements with their own terms, for example the aged care, dairy and meat industry agreements.
Budgeting it sensibly
The pattern that works: treat the SBS fee as a one-off setup cost, price the SAF levy per nomination year at lodgement, keep the worker’s visa charge on the worker’s side of the ledger, and get the salary and LMT settings right before money is spent on applications — because government charges are generally not refunded when an application fails. For the process end-to-end, start with our guide to sponsoring a worker, or download the free 482 sponsorship guide.
Government charges and levy rates are set by regulation and change — always verify current figures on the Department of Home Affairs website before budgeting, and treat the numbers above (current as published on our fee pages) as indicative.
This article is general information only and is not migration advice for your business. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a consultation, with fees confirmed in a written agreement before work commences — contact WIDEN for a quote on your first sponsorship.
Talk it through before you lodge
A consultation checks your business, the role and the salary against the 482 rules, and gives you a cost and timeline for your situation before any government charge is paid. Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited if you go ahead.
In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).
Common questions
How much does it cost to sponsor a worker in Australia?
For a 482 Skills in Demand worker, the employer pays the Standard Business Sponsorship fee (A$420, once per business), the nomination fee (A$330) and the Skilling Australians Fund levy (A$1,200 per year of the visa for businesses with turnover under A$10 million, A$1,800 per year otherwise). The worker's visa application charge is A$4,015 for the main applicant. For a small business sponsoring one worker for 2 years, the government charges come to A$3,150 for the employer plus A$4,015 for the worker. Agent fees are separate. Figures are the Home Affairs charges current in November 2026.
What is the SBS fee?
The Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application fee is A$420. It is paid once by the business when it applies to become an approved sponsor, not per worker, and approval generally lasts 5 years.
How much does it cost to sponsor a worker for permanent residence (186)?
For the Employer Nomination Scheme (186), the employer pays the nomination fee (A$540) and a one-off SAF levy (A$3,000 for businesses with turnover under A$10 million, A$5,000 otherwise). The worker's visa application charge is A$6,140 for the main applicant, with further charges for family members. The employer cannot pass the nomination fee or SAF levy on to the worker.
What are the government charges to sponsor a worker on a 482 visa?
There are four charge types across the three stages: the Standard Business Sponsorship application fee (A$420), the nomination application fee, the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy paid at nomination, and the visa application charge paid by the worker. The nomination fee is A$330 and the main applicant's visa charge is A$4,015 (Home Affairs, November 2026); the total depends on business size, visa length and family members.
How much is the SAF levy?
For 482 nominations, small businesses (annual turnover under A$10 million) pay A$1,200 per year of the proposed nomination period, and other businesses pay A$1,800 per year — paid up-front at nomination. For a 186 nomination it is a one-off A$3,000 (small business) or A$5,000. Rates are set by the Migration Regulations and can change.
Can the employer recover sponsorship costs from the worker?
No — not the SAF levy, the SBS application fee, the nomination fee, or agent fees relating to the sponsorship and nomination stages. Migration Regulation 2.87 prohibits passing these to the worker; doing so breaches sponsorship obligations and can lead to fines, cancellation and sponsorship bars. The visa application charge itself is the worker's.
Is there a minimum salary for a sponsored worker?
Yes. For the 482 Core Skills stream, the nominated salary must meet at least the Core Skills Income Threshold — A$79,423 from 1 July 2026 — and the annual market salary rate for the role. Salary is an eligibility setting, not a fee, but it is usually the biggest number in the whole exercise.
Reading this because it's your situation? Book 30 minutes with Keshab: A$330 inc. GST, credited if you go ahead.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550Free resource
482 Sponsorship Step-by-Step Guide
The three steps of sponsoring a Subclass 482 worker — SBS approval, nomination, visa application — plus a 5-email series on AMSR, the SAF levy and the 482 → 186 pathway.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: Passport bio page, current visa grant or VEVO check, and whatever papers exist.
- Prefer no call? The written pathway check is done in writing, A$550.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
