Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated September 2026
To become a standard business sponsor, a business must be legally established and currently operating, with no adverse information about it or its associates that the Department of Home Affairs cannot reasonably disregard. Australian businesses must also attest to a strong record of, or demonstrated commitment to, employing local labour, and declare they will not recruit in a discriminatory way.
Standard business sponsorship (SBS) is the approval an employer needs before it can nominate a worker for a Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482) or a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494). It is a separate step from the nomination and from the worker’s visa application. The Department lists the sponsorship application charge as AUD420, and an approved sponsorship lasts five years from the date of approval.
The four eligibility criteria
- Legally established. Evidence is usually an ABN registration certificate (Australian businesses), an ARBN certificate (overseas businesses registered to operate in Australia), or registration in the home country for businesses not yet operating in Australia. Companies also provide an ASIC company extract, and trading names need an ASIC business names extract.
- Currently operating. What you provide depends on the business’s size and age (see below).
- No adverse information. The Department considers information about the business and people associated with it, and whether it is reasonable to disregard anything adverse.
- Commitment to local labour and non-discriminatory recruitment. Businesses in Australia attest to both in writing as part of the application form.
What evidence shows a business is “currently operating”?
Larger or established businesses generally provide profit and loss statements and the annual report for the most recently concluded financial year. Small or recently established businesses generally provide the latest tax return, recent business activity statements (BAS) and recent bank statements. A new business provides, as a minimum, a business plan with supporting contracts and business bank statements, and can add items such as a premises lease, a contract of sale for a purchased business, or evidence of staff employed.
Can a trust or franchise become a standard business sponsor?
Yes. A business that is party to a trust arrangement applies in the name of the trustee as it appears on the trust deed and specifies the trust’s name and ABN. Trusts, franchises and joint ventures provide the signature page and the pages listing the parties to the relevant arrangement.
How do you apply?
The application is lodged online through ImmiAccount using the Standard Business Sponsorship (482, 494) form, with documents attached and the fee paid. The Department notes that it will not process an application until the fee is paid, and that incomplete applications may be delayed or refused. Processing times are published by the Department and change over time.
Who pays the costs of becoming a sponsor?
The employer. The Department states that sponsors must pay all costs of becoming a sponsor and of nominating and sponsoring a worker, and cannot transfer those costs to the visa holder or their family. It also states that costs are not refunded if the application is unsuccessful.
Once approved, a sponsor takes on ongoing obligations, and some sponsors go on to apply for accredited status. For a fuller walk-through, see our step-by-step SBS guide, the SBS document list, whether a new or small business can sponsor, and our sponsor cost calculator.
This page is general information only, not legal or migration advice. Eligibility depends on your business’s circumstances, and complex matters need personal advice from a registered migration agent. Source: Department of Home Affairs, “Standard business sponsor” and “Cost of sponsoring” pages, checked 28 September 2026.
Thinking about sponsoring a worker? Book a consultation with Immigrad to check your business against the criteria before you lodge.