List of Accredited Sponsors in Australia 2026: Search 3,580+ Approved Employers

If you're searching for the list of accredited sponsors in Australia, here's the honest answer up front: unlike the UK and New Zealand, Australia's Department of Home Affairs does not publish an official public register. But the list effectively exists — 3580 businesses currently hold active Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) status, and you can search the ones with verified sponsorship history in our Australian sponsor database.

This page explains where the sponsor list comes from, how to search it, how to verify any company's status before you apply, and how the sponsorship system works.

Search the List of Accredited Sponsors in Australia

ApplyWave tracks Australian companies with active sponsorship activity — built from visa grant records and sponsor registrations. For each company you can see:

• Whether the company has sponsored 482 workers before (the strongest signal it will again)
• Current open positions from sponsors that are actually hiring
• Recruiter and hiring contacts, so you can reach a person rather than a portal

Search all 3580+ Australian sponsors — filter by name, browse company profiles, and apply directly. Works for every profession: nurses, welders, chefs, software engineers, farm workers, accountants.

Why Australia Has No Official Public Sponsor List

The UK publishes its licensed sponsor register and New Zealand publishes its accredited employer list, but Australia treats sponsor approvals as commercial-in-confidence. That means job seekers can't look up a single government page — you have to verify sponsors one at a time (or use a database like ours that aggregates sponsorship evidence).

How to Verify a Sponsor Before You Apply

• Ask the employer directly for their sponsor ID/approval number — legitimate sponsors share it without hesitation
• Check the company's sponsorship history on ApplyWave
• Look for the company on the Fair Work Ombudsman's compliance register
• Ask your migration agent to verify sponsor status through the Department

If a company is not an approved sponsor, it cannot legally sponsor your 482 visa — no matter what a recruiter promises. Verify first, apply second.

How Standard Business Sponsorship Works

SBS is a two-step process for employers:

1. Sponsorship application — the employer applies to become an approved sponsor (valid for 5 years)
2. Nomination — for each worker, the employer submits a separate nomination linking the role to a specific ANZSCO code

Once both are approved, the worker can lodge their visa application.

Employer Requirements

• Lawfully operating and actively trading in Australia
• No adverse information (no record of breaching workplace, immigration, or tax law)
• Must meet the training benchmark: spending at least 2% of payroll on training for Australian workers, or contributing to an industry training fund
• Must pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy: AUD 1,200/year (small business) or AUD 1,800/year (larger business) per sponsored worker
• Must demonstrate the position is genuine and matches the nominated ANZSCO occupation

SBS vs Labour Agreements

Feature	Standard Business Sponsor	Labour Agreement
Who can apply	Any eligible Australian business	Industries with government-negotiated agreements
Occupations	Core Skills list or AUD 135K+ any	Agreement-specific occupations
Salary	AUD 73,150+ (or going rate)	Agreement-specific (may be lower)
Duration	5 years sponsorship, 4 years visa	Agreement-specific
Industries	All sectors	Meat processing, dairy, aged care, horticulture

What Happens If a Sponsor Loses Approval

The Department of Home Affairs can sanction or cancel a sponsor's approval for:

• Breaching sponsorship obligations (underpaying workers, providing false information)
• Becoming insolvent
• Ceasing to operate
• Being convicted of certain offences

If your sponsor is sanctioned, you typically receive a notice and have 60-90 days to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa, or depart Australia. Your visa is not automatically cancelled, giving you a transition period.

Sponsor Obligations

Approved sponsors must:

• Pay the sponsored worker at least the nominated salary (and market rate)
• Provide equivalent terms and conditions to Australian workers in the same role
• Not recover visa costs from the worker (SAF levy, nomination fee)
• Keep records and cooperate with monitoring by the Department
• Notify the Department of changes (worker's role, address, or cessation of employment)

Tips for Job Seekers

1. Focus on companies with sponsorship history — businesses that have sponsored before have established processes and are more likely to sponsor again
2. Use a migration agent — they can verify sponsor status and ensure the nomination is correctly prepared
3. Negotiate the SAF levy upfront — while employers must pay it, some factor it into the overall package
4. Target growing industries — sectors with rising grant numbers (IT, healthcare) indicate sustained employer demand
5. Search our database — browse 3580 Australian sponsors with company profiles and sponsorship history

Related Guides

• Complete guide to the Subclass 482 visa — requirements, streams, and costs
• Top ANZSCO occupations for sponsorship — which roles get the most grants
• Top companies sponsoring 482 visas — ranked by grant volume
• UK licensed sponsor list — the UK publishes its register in full
• NZ accredited employer list — searchable by industry
• Australia vs NZ: which country is better?