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Sponsorship visa
I have found an employer willing to sponsor me. I am 48 years old. Are there migration agents/lawyers that provide a free consultation? What are my first steps and who is responsible for doing what (between me and employer)
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5 Replies
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Hi Rachel, and welcome! 😊
Firstly, it is fantastic news that you’ve found an employer willing to sponsor you! Well done!
Here’s what you and your employer need to do next.
Visa Options & Age Considerations
- The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) does not have an age limit, so you are still eligible to apply. However, if your long-term goal is permanent residency, most employer-sponsored PR visas (such as the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa, subclass 186) have an age limit of 45, with some exemptions (e.g., high salary earners or certain regional agreements) so keep this in mind.
Next Steps – Employer Responsibilities
Since your employer is sponsoring you, the process begins with them. They must:
- Become an Approved Sponsor – If they are not already a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS), they need to apply for sponsorship approval through the Department of Home Affairs.
- Nominate Your Occupation – They must select your occupation from the relevant skills list (either MLTSSL, STSOL, or ROL) and lodge a nomination application with the Department.
- Meet Salary & Market Rate Requirements – The salary offered must meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) (currently AUD 70,000 as of 2024) and be comparable to Australian workers in the same role.
- Pay Required Fees – The employer covers the nomination fee and any Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy required for sponsorship.
Your Responsibilities as the Visa Applicant
Once the employer completes their steps, you need to:
- Ensure You Meet Eligibility Requirements – You must have relevant skills, qualifications, and English language proficiency for the nominated role.
- Lodge Your Visa Application – Once the employer’s nomination is approved, you submit your Subclass 482 visa application via the Home Affairs website.
- Provide Supporting Documents – This may include skills assessments, police clearances, health exams, and work experience evidence.
- Prepare for the Future—If you want PR later, check whether you may qualify for an exemption when transitioning to a Subclass 186 visa.
Finding a Migration Agent for Advice
We can recommend a registered migration agent we work with, though they charge for an initial assessment (approximately $100 AUD).
If you’d like a free consultation with a migration agent or lawyer, check the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) website: http://www.mara.gov.au. It’s important to deal with migration agents registered with MARA.
I’m unsure if you will need an agent at this time as the next action is for the employer to organise the visa approvals.
In the meantime, I would recommend registering a free immiaccount as you will submit your 482 Visa application via this portal: https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login
I hope this helps. Best of luck with your sponsorship process! If you get stuck or confused with the lodging process via your immi account, let us know. However, the information required to support your 482 visa application should be relatively self-explanatory.
Regards
Mark
mara.gov.au
Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority
Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority homepage
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Hi Rachel, I would advise going through an immigration lawyer, also letting you know it will be expensive, from experience. You can contact
Suite 1, Level 2/171 Bigge St, Liverpool NSW 2170
They are lawyers who deal with immigration and are quite good at it.
Good luck 👍🏻
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This reply was modified 2 days, 16 hours ago by Mark. Reason: tidy odd text formatting
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Cheers for your input Brie – I tweaked your post as the formatting was a bot strange. Are you able to provide any indication of $$ and was your experience in support of a 482 Visa application?
Cheers
Mark
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This reply was modified 2 days, 16 hours ago by
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Hi Mark,
I would say starting from to nomination process, in case the employer is a first time nominee( fee required to become a nominee), labour market testing, documentation, English test (if required), skills assessment, payment to the Australian immigration for 1 or 2 (in case of a partner) for the skilled visa, to health assessment, there would be lot of fees and charges that the employee has to go through. Also adding the fee for the lawyer.
Hope this answers your query!
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Cheers, Brie; this is useful (and possibly slightly terrifying) context. Thanks for the insight! 😊
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