Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Lodge the nomination and the visa together vs Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved
The nomination and the visa are separate applications that can be lodged on the same day, linked by the nomination’s reference, and lodging them together saves weeks because the Department processes them in parallel and the visa is granted as soon as the nomination is approved. The cost is risk: if the nomination is refused, the linked visa cannot be granted, the worker withdraws it and claims the refund the Regulations allow for that case, and a worker onshore whose own visa has meanwhile expired is on a bridging visa with a problem. Lodge together where the nomination is strong and the worker needs the bridging visa or the start date; lodge sequentially where the nomination is uncertain and the worker’s current visa has time.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Speed
- Processed in parallel; the visa follows the nomination approval at once · The visa is lodged only after the nomination is approved, adding its processing time
- Bridging visa
- Granted at lodgement for an onshore worker, holding the position while both are decided · Not until the visa is lodged; the worker’s current visa must last
- If the nomination is refused
- The visa cannot be granted; withdraw it and claim the refund the Regulations allow for a nomination refusal · No visa charge at risk
- Charges
- All paid up front · The visa charge paid later
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Lodge the nomination and the visa together | Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Processed in parallel; the visa follows the nomination approval at once | The visa is lodged only after the nomination is approved, adding its processing time |
| Bridging visa | Granted at lodgement for an onshore worker, holding the position while both are decided | Not until the visa is lodged; the worker’s current visa must last |
| If the nomination is refused | The visa cannot be granted; withdraw it and claim the refund the Regulations allow for a nomination refusal | No visa charge at risk |
| Charges | All paid up front | The visa charge paid later |
| Watch out | A refused nomination with the worker now unlawful or on a bridging visa engages section 48 | A current visa that expires before the nomination is approved leaves no onshore route |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The nomination and the visa are separate applications that can be lodged on the same day, linked by the nomination’s reference, and lodging them together saves weeks because the Department processes them in parallel and the visa is granted as soon as the nomination is approved. The cost is risk: if the nomination is refused, the linked visa cannot be granted, the worker withdraws it and claims the refund the Regulations allow for that case, and a worker onshore whose own visa has meanwhile expired is on a bridging visa with a problem. Lodge together where the nomination is strong and the worker needs the bridging visa or the start date; lodge sequentially where the nomination is uncertain and the worker’s current visa has time.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
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General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Lodge the nomination and the visa together or Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved — which is better?
The nomination and the visa are separate applications that can be lodged on the same day, linked by the nomination’s reference, and lodging them together saves weeks because the Department processes them in parallel and the visa is granted as soon as the nomination is approved. The cost is risk: if the nomination is refused, the linked visa cannot be granted, the worker withdraws it and claims the refund the Regulations allow for that case, and a worker onshore whose own visa has meanwhile expired is on a bridging visa with a problem. Lodge together where the nomination is strong and the worker needs the bridging visa or the start date; lodge sequentially where the nomination is uncertain and the worker’s current visa has time.
What is the main difference between the Lodge the nomination and the visa together and the Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved?
Speed: Lodge the nomination and the visa together — Processed in parallel; the visa follows the nomination approval at once; Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved — The visa is lodged only after the nomination is approved, adding its processing time. Bridging visa: Lodge the nomination and the visa together — Granted at lodgement for an onshore worker, holding the position while both are decided; Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved — Not until the visa is lodged; the worker’s current visa must last. If the nomination is refused: Lodge the nomination and the visa together — The visa cannot be granted; withdraw it and claim the refund the Regulations allow for a nomination refusal; Lodge the visa after the nomination is approved — No visa charge at risk.
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