Australian Standard Business Sponsors: How the System Works

3580 Companies Are Approved to Sponsor Workers in Australia

To hire a foreign worker on a Subclass 482 visa, an Australian employer must first become a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). Currently 3580 businesses hold active SBS status, allowing them to nominate overseas workers for skilled positions. This article explains how the system works and how to navigate it as a job seeker. See our full Australian sponsorship database.

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.

How to Verify a Sponsor

Unlike the UK and NZ, Australia does not publish a public list of approved sponsors. However:

• Ask the employer directly for their sponsor ID/approval number
• Check if the company has a history of sponsoring workers 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

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