Employer Sponsorship Costs Breakdown 2026 — What You'll Really Pay

Last reviewed September 2026. Government charges below are the Department of Home Affairs published amounts, checked August 2026. Charges are indexed at least each 1 July — confirm current amounts at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.

The true cost of sponsoring a worker

Employer sponsorship involves separate government charges at three stages — sponsorship, nomination and visa — plus the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy and professional fees. Many businesses budget off out-of-date figures: the visa application charges rose substantially when the 482 became the Skills in Demand visa. Here is the current picture.

Government charges (checked August 2026)

The 482 Specialist Skills stream and labour-agreement streams carry different visa charges. The salary offered must also meet the Core Skills Income Threshold — $79,423 from 1 July 2026 — and the annual market salary rate; see current salary thresholds.

Who is allowed to pay what

The sponsorship application, nomination and SAF levy are the sponsor's costs by law — they cannot be passed on to, or recovered from, the sponsored worker. The visa application charge may be paid by either party. Getting this wrong is a sanctionable breach of sponsor obligations, not a negotiating point.

Professional and third-party costs

• Migration agent fees: typically $3,000–8,000 depending on visa type and complexity
• Skills assessment: roughly $500–3,000 depending on the assessing authority — see current fees by authority
• English test: $300–400 (usually the worker's cost)
• Health examination: $300–500 per person
• Police clearances: $50–200 per country
• Labour Market Testing advertising: $0–2,000 depending on channels (Workforce Australia is free; commercial boards are not)
• 407 training plan preparation: $2,000–$2,800 + GST via WIDEN Migration Experts
• Return travel costs on termination: sponsors must pay reasonable departure travel if employment ends — budget $2,000–5,000

Worked examples — government charges only

• 482 Core Skills, 4-year visa, small business, single applicant: $420 + $330 + $4,800 SAF + $4,015 = $9,565
• 482 Core Skills, 2-year visa, small business, single applicant: $420 + $330 + $2,400 SAF + $4,015 = $7,165
• 186 Direct Entry, small business, single applicant: $540 + $3,000 SAF + $6,140 = $9,680
• 494, small business, single applicant: $420 + $540 + $3,000 SAF + $6,140 = $10,100

Add professional fees (typically $3,000–8,000) and any family members for the all-in figure — most single-applicant 482 sponsorships land in the $12,000–18,000 range all-in; 186 and 494 typically $13,000–19,000.

How long it takes

Home Affairs' published figures (04 August 2026): 482 nomination 50% in 5 days / 90% in 9 months; 482 Core Skills visa 50% in 69 days / 90% in 10 months. Current figures for every stage: visa processing times, refreshed monthly.

Is it worth it?

For businesses facing genuine skill shortages, usually yes: the cost of an unfilled critical role — lost output, missed contracts, overworked staff — typically exceeds the sponsorship spend, and a 482 can run up to four years. The way to keep costs down is a decision-ready application the first time: refusals forfeit charges and months.

Post your role on SponsorTalent to reach sponsorship-ready candidates, or talk to our migration agent (MARN 1576536) for a personalised cost estimate.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs published visa pricing and SAF levy settings (checked August 2026); processing times as published 04 August 2026. General information only, not migration advice.