Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated August 2026
The cost of sponsoring a worker in Australia is almost never the single number employers are first quoted. A “482 visa fee” is one charge out of five or six, and the split between what the business must legally carry and what the worker can pay is fixed by law rather than by negotiation. This guide compares the three realistic sponsorship routes side by side — the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa, and a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) labour agreement — using Department of Home Affairs charges current as at August 2026, with worked examples for a small business and a larger one.
What actually makes up the cost of sponsoring a worker in Australia
Whichever route you take, the bill is assembled from the same building blocks. Understanding them separately is the only way to compare routes honestly.
- Sponsorship. Becoming an approved sponsor under the Skills in Demand program costs AUD420. It lasts five years and covers as many nominations as you make in that period.
- Nomination. Lodged for each position you want filled. AUD330 for a subclass 482 nomination and AUD540 for a subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) nomination.
- The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy. Payable in full when the nomination is lodged, calculated on your business turnover and, for temporary visas, the period of stay you are nominating.
- The visa application charge. Paid by the applicant when they lodge, along with their own health, police, English and skills assessment costs.
Home Affairs is explicit that the sponsorship, nomination and SAF levy costs belong to the business: you cannot transfer them to the visa holder or their family members, and they are not refunded if the application is unsuccessful. Passing them on is a breach of your sponsorship obligations, not merely an accounting choice. Our SAF levy explainer works through the levy calculation in more detail.
The 2026 charge table: 482 vs 494 vs DAMA
All figures below are Australian dollars and current as at August 2026.
| Charge | 482 Skills in Demand | 494 Regional (SESR) | DAMA labour agreement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship application | AUD420 | AUD420 | Not applicable — the labour agreement is your sponsorship authority |
| Labour agreement request | Not applicable | Not applicable | No Home Affairs charge; designated area representative endorsement fees vary by region |
| Nomination charge | AUD330 | No Home Affairs nomination lodgement charge | AUD330 via 482, nil via 494, AUD540 via 186 |
| SAF levy — small business (turnover under AUD10m) | AUD1,200 per year or part thereof | AUD3,000 one-off | Follows the visa subclass used |
| SAF levy — other business (turnover AUD10m or more) | AUD1,800 per year or part thereof | AUD5,000 one-off | Follows the visa subclass used |
| Visa application charge (primary applicant) | From AUD4,015 | From AUD6,140 | From AUD4,015 via the 482 labour agreement stream |
| Minimum salary floor from 1 July 2026 | CSIT AUD79,423 (Core Skills); SSIT AUD146,576 (Specialist Skills) | TSMIT AUD79,423 | Concessions may be available under the head agreement |
Two lines in that table do most of the work. The 494 has no Home Affairs nomination lodgement charge and a one-off levy rather than a per-year one — but a materially higher visa application charge. The DAMA route removes the sponsorship charge entirely, because the labour agreement itself is the sponsorship instrument.
Worked example 1: small business, 482 Core Skills, four-year need
A Sydney engineering firm with turnover under AUD10 million wants a mechanical engineer for four years, nominated in the Core Skills stream at AUD85,000.
- Standard business sponsorship: AUD420
- Nomination: AUD330
- SAF levy: 4 × AUD1,200 = AUD4,800
- Employer subtotal: AUD5,550
- Visa application charge, primary applicant: AUD4,015
- Combined total for one worker: AUD9,565
If the same firm had turnover above AUD10 million, the levy would be 4 × AUD1,800 = AUD7,200, lifting the employer subtotal to AUD7,950 and the combined total to AUD11,965. Business size is the single largest swing factor on a four-year 482. Our detailed 482 cost breakdown covers shorter nomination periods and family members.
Worked example 2: the same worker on a 494
Now assume the role sits in a designated regional area and the firm sponsors under the subclass 494 instead.
- Standard business sponsorship: AUD420
- Nomination: no Home Affairs lodgement charge
- Regional certifying body assessment: varies by state; the Northern Territory, for example, charges nothing
- SAF levy: AUD3,000 one-off
- Employer subtotal: AUD3,420
- Visa application charge, primary applicant: AUD6,140
- Combined total for one worker: AUD9,560
The combined totals land within five dollars of each other, which is a useful thing to know before anyone argues that one route is obviously cheaper. What changes dramatically is who carries the cost. On the 482 the employer wears AUD5,550 and the worker AUD4,015; on the 494 the employer wears AUD3,420 and the worker AUD6,140. If you are competing for a candidate who is comparing offers, that AUD2,000 shift in the worker’s direction matters.
The 494 also carries eligibility costs the 482 does not: the applicant must generally be under 45 and hold a suitable skills assessment, and the visa is a five-year provisional visa tied to regional work.
Worked example 3: sponsoring under a DAMA
A DAMA is a two-tier arrangement: a five-year head agreement between the Australian Government and a designated area representative, then individual labour agreements with endorsed employers in that region. There are currently 13 DAMAs in place. Assume the same small business, endorsed under a DAMA, nominating a four-year 482 in the labour agreement stream.
- Labour agreement request: no Home Affairs charge
- Designated area representative endorsement: varies by region — confirm with the relevant representative before budgeting
- Standard business sponsorship: not required
- Nomination: AUD330
- SAF levy: 4 × AUD1,200 = AUD4,800
- Employer subtotal: AUD5,130 plus any endorsement fee
- Visa application charge, primary applicant: AUD4,015
- Combined total for one worker: AUD9,145 plus endorsement fee
On paper the DAMA is the cheapest of the three in government charges. That is not the real story. The expensive part of a DAMA is time and evidence: you must obtain endorsement from the designated area representative before you can even lodge the labour agreement request, and you must demonstrate a genuine attempt to recruit Australians first. A DAMA will not be endorsed where your industry is already covered by an industry labour agreement. Our DAMA guide sets out when the route is worth pursuing.
So which route is genuinely cheapest?
Ranked by employer outlay for one four-year placement in a small business: the 494 is lowest at roughly AUD3,420, the DAMA next at around AUD5,130 plus endorsement, and the standard 482 highest at AUD5,550. Combined employer and worker cost, all three sit between roughly AUD9,100 and AUD9,600 — close enough that cost alone should not decide the route.
The decision usually turns on other things: whether the position is in a designated regional area, whether the occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List, the candidate’s age and skills assessment position, how quickly you need the person in the role, and where each route leads afterwards. The 482 feeds into the subclass 186; the 494 feeds into the subclass 191 after a qualifying period of regional work.
Costs the comparison tables leave out
- Labour market testing advertising. Required for most nominations, with prescribed advertising periods and platforms. See our labour market testing rules guide before you place a single ad, because non-compliant advertising is one of the most common reasons a nomination fails.
- Skills assessments and English tests. Applicant costs, but they affect your timeline and sometimes your ability to fill the role at all.
- Health examinations, police certificates and translations. Applicant costs, and they add weeks if left late.
- Professional fees. Agent or lawyer costs sit outside the government schedule and vary with complexity.
- Ongoing sponsorship obligations. Record keeping, notifying Home Affairs of changes and ensuring equivalent terms of employment carry a real administrative cost.
To model your own numbers, use the Immigrad sponsor cost calculator, and work through our complete employer sponsorship guide before you commit to a route. If you would rather start with a checklist, download the Employer Sponsorship Readiness Checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sponsor a worker in Australia in 2026?
For a small business sponsoring one worker for four years, expect employer charges of roughly AUD3,400 to AUD5,600 depending on the route, plus a visa application charge of AUD4,015 to AUD6,140 paid by the applicant. Larger businesses pay a higher SAF levy, which can add several thousand dollars. These are government charges only and are current as at August 2026.
Can I ask the worker to repay the sponsorship costs?
No. Home Affairs states that sponsorship, nomination and SAF levy costs must be borne by the business and cannot be transferred to the visa holder or their family members. The visa application charge and the applicant’s own personal costs are a different matter and are normally paid by the applicant.
Is the SAF levy refundable if the visa is refused?
Refunds are only available in limited circumstances set out by the Department, and the sponsorship and nomination charges themselves are not refunded if an application is unsuccessful. Do not budget on the assumption of a refund.
Does a DAMA remove the need for a standard business sponsorship?
Under a DAMA you enter an individual labour agreement with the Australian Government, and that agreement is the instrument under which you nominate and sponsor workers, so a separate standard business sponsorship application is not part of the process. You do still pay the applicable nomination charge and SAF levy.
Is the 494 cheaper than the 482?
For the employer, usually yes, because there is no Home Affairs nomination lodgement charge and the SAF levy is a one-off AUD3,000 or AUD5,000 rather than a per-year amount. For the worker it is more expensive, because the visa application charge is higher. Combined, the two routes cost close to the same for a four-year placement.
What salary must I pay a sponsored worker?
From 1 July 2026 the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423, the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576, and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold applying to the 494 is AUD79,423. You must also pay the annual market salary rate for the occupation, which is often higher than the threshold.
Getting the route right the first time
This article is general information only and reflects publicly available Department of Home Affairs charges current as at August 2026. Fees, thresholds and program settings change, and the right route depends on your occupation, location, business size and the individual candidate. Complex cases need personal advice.
If you are weighing up a 482, a 494 or a DAMA for a role you need filled, book a consultation with Immigrad and we will map the costs, the timeline and the permanent residency pathway against your actual position before you spend anything.