Corporate Solutions · Employer Sponsorship

Sponsor skilled talent, and rise to trusted status.

To hire skilled workers from overseas, your business must first become an approved sponsor. We secure your Standard Business Sponsorship — and, when you qualify, the premium Accredited Sponsor status that puts your nominations at the front of the queue.

Why it matters

Sponsorship is the licence to hire globally.

No Australian business can sponsor a skilled worker without first holding sponsor approval. Standard sponsorship opens the door; accredited status — the premium tier — keeps it open wider, with priority processing that turns months into weeks. For businesses competing for global talent, the difference is decisive.

The two tiers

From approved sponsor to trusted partner.

Australian employer sponsorship works in two tiers. Every sponsor starts at the first; eligible businesses rise to the second, where the real speed advantage lives.

Step one · the foundation

Standard Business Sponsor

Your licence to nominate

The mandatory first step. Once approved, your business can nominate skilled workers for the relevant employer-sponsored visas — and the approval stands for years, not a single hire.

  • Lawfully operating in Australia
  • A genuine need for the role
  • Commitment to employing local labour
  • A clean compliance record
Priority processing
Step two · the premium tier

Accredited Sponsor

The front of the queue

A trusted-partner status for sponsors who meet stricter criteria. Nominations and visas are prioritised — cutting processing from months toward weeks — and lower-risk applications are streamlined.

  • Priority processing of nominations & visas
  • Streamlined handling of low-risk cases
  • Use of your own website for advertising
  • Enhanced standing with Home Affairs
Routes to accreditation

How businesses qualify for accredited status.

Accreditation isn't a fixed waiting period — it opens once your business meets one of several qualifying categories, backed by a track record of compliance as a standard sponsor. The common routes:

Category

Government agencies

Commonwealth, state and territory government bodies qualify directly under their own category.

Category

Low-volume, high local workforce

Lower-volume users of the program where Australian workers make up a high share of the workforce — broadly at least 85%.

Category

High-volume, strong local workforce

Higher-volume sponsors with a solid majority of Australian workers — broadly at least 75% — and a strong nomination-approval record.

Category

Trusted Traders & major investors

Accredited Australian Trusted Traders, and businesses that have made a major investment in Australia, qualify on that basis.

Exact thresholds and evidence vary — and Home Affairs retains discretion. We assess which route fits your business.

The sponsorship process

Sponsor, nominate, hire.

Australian sponsorship runs in three stages. Sponsorship approval comes first; we manage the full sequence so each hire moves without delay.

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How we act

Your sponsorship, handled.

01

Approved as a sponsor, cleanly

We prepare a well-evidenced Standard Business Sponsorship — lawful operation, genuine need, local-labour commitment — so your approval comes through without avoidable queries.

02

Accredited where you qualify

We assess your workforce mix, volume and record against the accreditation categories, and make the case for trusted status — and the priority processing that comes with it.

03

Nominations that hold up

Each nomination — occupation, salary, market-salary-rate and conditions — prepared to meet the test the first time, so your hire isn't delayed by a fixable error.

04

Obligations kept, status protected

Sponsorship carries continuing obligations and monitoring. We keep you compliant — protecting your accredited standing and your ability to keep hiring.

The accredited advantage

For accredited sponsors, processing moves from months toward weeks — and the right hire arrives when you need them.

Common questions.

What's the difference between standard and accredited sponsorship? +
Standard Business Sponsorship is the mandatory first step that lets you nominate skilled workers. Accredited Sponsor status is a premium tier above it, available to businesses that meet stricter criteria — its main benefit is priority processing of nominations and visas, which can cut timeframes significantly.
Do we have to be a standard sponsor before we can be accredited? +
Generally yes. Accreditation builds on standard sponsorship and a demonstrated history of compliance with immigration and workplace laws. There isn't a single fixed waiting period — eligibility turns on meeting one of the qualifying categories, such as your workforce mix and volume of program use.
How does a business qualify for accredited status? +
By meeting one of several categories — for example, government agencies; lower-volume users with a high proportion of Australian workers; higher-volume users with a strong majority of Australian workers; Australian Trusted Traders; or major investors in Australia. Exact thresholds and evidence vary, and Home Affairs retains discretion. We assess which route fits.
How long does sponsorship approval last? +
Standard Business Sponsorship is approved for a period of years, allowing multiple nominations across that time rather than a single hire. Accredited status is also granted for a multi-year term. Both carry ongoing obligations, and we help you keep them in order through to renewal.
Is sponsorship just for one worker? +
No. Once approved as a sponsor, you can nominate multiple roles and workers over the life of the approval — each nomination is a separate step, but you don't re-apply for sponsorship each time. That's what makes getting the sponsorship right, and accredited where possible, so valuable.
Begin

Put your hiring on the fast track.

Talk to a senior adviser about sponsorship — approved cleanly, accredited where you qualify, and the whole nomination process run for you.

Book a confidential consultation