For employers · 482 · Timeline
How long does it take to sponsor a worker?
Sponsoring a worker on a 482 runs through four stages, and the worker can start only after the last one. This page sets out each stage with the processing times Home Affairs published on 2 November 2026, what slows each one down, and how to plan a start date you can keep.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed on 11 November 2026 · Check the OMARA register
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Advertising
- 4+ weeks (most roles)
- Sponsorship
- 50% in 15 days
- Nomination
- 50% in 36 days
- Core Skills visa
- 50% in 6 months
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →The four stages
- Labour market testing. For most Core Skills nominations: at least two advertisements, each running for at least 4 weeks, within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged. Some roles and workers are exempt. Ads can run while you prepare the other paperwork, but the nomination cannot be lodged until the 4 weeks are up. Plan your window with the LMT timeline planner.
- Standard business sponsorship. A business that is not yet an approved sponsor applies once; approval lasts five years. An existing sponsor skips this stage.
- Nomination. The position, the occupation, the salary and the evidence that the role is genuine. It can only be approved for an approved sponsor.
- The worker's visa. The worker's own skills, English, health and character evidence. The visa can only be granted once the nomination is approved.
Time on the worker's side runs alongside: a skills assessment where one is needed, an English test, health examinations and police certificates can each take weeks. Starting these early is usually the biggest single saving.
Current processing times
Home Affairs global processing times, updated 2 November 2026. They describe applications already finalised, so they show how long recent decisions took, not how long yours will take.
| Stage | 50% within | 90% within |
|---|---|---|
| 482 sponsorship | 15 days | 4 months |
| 482 nomination | 36 days | 9 months |
| 482 visa, Core Skills | 6 months | 9 months |
| 482 visa, Specialist Skills | 59 days | 3 months |
| 482 visa, Labour Agreement | 6 months | 10 months |
The stages do not simply add up: a slow sponsorship does not mean a slow visa, and the percentiles of different stages cannot be summed into one figure. Read the table as a range for each step.
The order Home Affairs works in
Since 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 121 sets the order in which 482 applications are picked up: first those where the nominated occupation is in one of nine priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence), then the Specialist Skills stream, then other applicants in Australia, then certain applicants outside Australia applying alone, then everything else. Accredited sponsor status is not a tier. A cafe or a retail business nominating an overseas worker who applies with a family is therefore likely to sit towards the back of the queue, and should plan for the longer end of the range. Details: Directions 121 and 122.
What slows each stage
- Advertising that does not count. An ad missing a required detail, on the wrong platform or outside the 4-month window means advertising again, which restarts the 4-week clock. Check yours with the LMT ad checker.
- Requests for more information. Each one stops the clock until you reply. The usual triggers are thin evidence of the market salary rate, of the business's need for the role, or of the business's lawful operation.
- A worker who is not ready. A missing skills assessment, an expired English test or a delayed police certificate holds up the visa, not the nomination.
- Changes after lodgement. A change of role, salary or work location may need a new nomination.
Planning a start date you can keep
- Start advertising and the worker's documents in the same week; both take weeks you cannot shorten later.
- If you are not yet a sponsor, have the sponsorship application ready to lodge before the advertising period ends.
- Tell the candidate the start date depends on the visa grant, and do not book flights or sign a lease for them on an expected date.
- Check work rights in VEVO before the first shift. A worker in Australia on another visa can work only within that visa's conditions until the 482 is granted. See starting before the visa is granted.
The 494 and 186
For the regional 494 (employer sponsored stream) Home Affairs reports 50% of visas within 10 months and 90% within 20 months, after a Regional Certifying Body's advice and labour market testing. For the 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream it reports 50% within 22 months and 90% within 24 months; the worker usually stays on their 482 meanwhile. See the 494 employer guide and the 186 employer guide.
Plan the timeline before you advertise
Most delays come from steps that could have been prepared in advance. In a sponsor consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015) looks at your role, your sponsorship status and the worker's documents, and maps out what needs to happen in what order. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice. No processing time or outcome can be promised.
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. Processing times from the Home Affairs global visa processing times page, updated 2 November 2026.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
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: ABN, what the business does, the role and salary, the candidate’s CV and current visa.
- Prefer no call? The sponsorship readiness check is done in writing, A$550.
Book an employer sponsorship 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
Questions we get asked first
How long does it take to sponsor a worker in Australia?
It depends on four stages: advertising (at least 4 weeks for most roles), sponsorship approval (Home Affairs: 50% within 15 days), the nomination (50% within 36 days) and the worker's visa (Core Skills: 50% within 6 months). The visa is the longest stage, and none of the published times is a promise.
How long does a 482 nomination take to be approved?
Home Affairs reports 50% of 482 nominations decided within 36 days and 90% within 9 months (figures updated 2 November 2026). A request for more information adds to that.
How long does the 482 visa take after the nomination is approved?
Home Affairs publishes the visa time from lodgement, not from nomination approval. For the Core Skills stream it reports 50% within 6 months and 90% within 9 months; for Specialist Skills, 50% within 59 days.
Does accredited sponsor status make the visa faster?
Not in the order of processing. Ministerial Direction 121 ranks 482 applications by priority sector, then the Specialist Skills stream, then location; accredited sponsor status is not a tier. Accreditation has other benefits.
Can the worker start before the visa is granted?
Not unless they already hold a visa with permission to do that work. Employing someone without the right work rights is an offence for the employer, so check VEVO before day one.
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