Standard business sponsor

The process and documents required to nominate someone for a position depends on the visa that you choose.

By meeting your sponsor obligations, we ensure:

• overseas skilled workers are protected from exploitation
• the SID and SESR visa programs are being used to meet genuine skills shortages

Note: Some of your obligations apply beyond the term of sponsorship approval. To retain or renew your standard business sponsorship, you must meet your sponsor obligations.

If there is a change to your business structure that results in the creation of a new legal entity, for example, you change from a sole trader to a company:

• the new entity must become a standard business sponsor
• you must lodge new nominations for each 457, TSS, SID or SESR visa holder you currently employ

If you don't:

• your workers will breach their visa conditions. If this happens, we might cancel their visa
• you might breach your sponsorship obligations
• there might be problems if you want to sponsor someone for a permanent visa in the future

Complete Notification of sponsorship change form in ImmiAccount.

When you apply to become a standard business sponsor or when you renew your existing sponsorship you can apply to become accredited.

We recommend you apply to renew your sponsorship about two months before your current sponsorship ends.

Note: The date your sponsorship expires is displayed in ImmiAccount under the original sponsorship application.

If approved, your renewed sponsorship will start from the date we approve your renewal application - not from the date your current sponsorship ends.

Before you renew your sponsorship, we must know of any changes to your business since we last approved your sponsorship. Complete Notification of sponsorship change form in ImmiAccount, if required.

If your current sponsorship ends while we process your application, unfinalised nomination applications will be put on hold until we decide on your application. If we approve the renewal, we will continue to process the nomination applications. If we refuse the renewal, we will refuse all unfinalised nomination applications that you do not withdraw.

If your current sponsorship ends before you lodge your renewal application:

• you will need to lodge a completely new sponsorship application
• we will refuse any related unfinalised nomination applications

Steps to renew your sponsorship

To renew your sponsorship:

1. Log in to ImmiAccount
2. Complete Standard Business Sponsorship Renewal (482, 494)
3. Attach documents
4. Pay the AUD420 sponsorship application charge. We will not process your application until you pay the charge.
5. Note the Transaction Reference Number (TRN)