Your 482 Sponsorship Has Ended: The 180-Day Rule and What to Do Now

The Current Rule: 180 Consecutive Days, 365 Days in Total

Condition 8607 permits a 482 holder to cease working in accordance with the nominated occupation and sponsor restrictions for a period, but any single period must not exceed 180 consecutive days and the total across the visa period must not exceed 365 days. The cumulative cap matters if you have changed employers or had an earlier gap before: a later employment break does not automatically give you a fresh 365 days.

The Old 60-Day Rule Is Out of Date

Older guides still say a 482 worker has 60 days after employment ends. That is pre-reform advice. From 1 July 2024, the relevant cessation allowance under condition 8607 is 180 consecutive days, with the 365-day aggregate cap. If you are reading an article, forum post or old migration plan that still tells you 'day 60 makes you unlawful', do not rely on it.

Your Visa Does Not Automatically Expire When the Clock Runs Out

Condition 8607 is a visa condition. Exceeding the permitted cessation period can amount to a breach, and Migration Act section 116(1)(b) gives the Minister power to cancel a visa where its holder has not complied with a visa condition. That is different from the visa automatically ceasing to exist on day 181. Do not treat that distinction as permission to overrun the period; it means the legal consequence is a potential cancellation process rather than an automatic expiry switch.

Can You Work for Someone Else During the Cessation Period?

The current condition 8607 wording allows the holder to cease working in accordance with the normal nominated-occupation and sponsor restrictions during the permitted cessation period. In practical terms, that allows work for other employers and outside the nominated occupation during the allowance, subject to any other visa conditions and ordinary workplace, licensing and legal requirements. That is another major change from older advice that said you could not work at all between sponsors.

What to Do in the First Week

Record the date your employment actually ended and check your visa grant notice for condition 8607. Work out whether you have used any of the cumulative 365-day allowance before. Then run your realistic pathways in parallel: speak to prospective employers if you want to remain on a sponsored route, check whether another visa is genuinely available to you, and consider departure planning if neither route is realistic. The 180-day allowance is long enough to plan properly but short enough that a new sponsorship process can consume a meaningful portion of it.

Finding a New Sponsor

A new employer may need to become an approved sponsor and complete a nomination process before the longer-term sponsored arrangement is regularised. Labour-market testing and nomination requirements can add time, which is why waiting until late in the cessation period to start looking is risky. The exact steps depend on the new role, occupation and sponsor status, so this is where a registered migration agent can help sequence the process without wasting weeks.

Other Visa or Departure Options

Depending on your circumstances, another substantive visa pathway may be available, or leaving Australia may be the cleanest option. Do not lodge a placeholder application solely to buy time if you do not genuinely meet its criteria. Your current visa, any section 48 issues, family circumstances and future sponsorship prospects can all affect which route is viable.

When a Registered Migration Agent Helps

This is a high-value timing problem: the agent can confirm which condition is on your grant, calculate how much of the 180/365 allowance you have already used, review whether a new sponsor or different visa is realistic, and help keep the sponsorship process aligned with the condition clock. They cannot find you a job or guarantee sponsorship approval.

Do I still only have 60 days after losing my 482 sponsor?

No. The old 60-day rule is out of date. Current condition 8607 allows up to 180 consecutive days away from the sponsored work arrangement, with a 365-day total cap across the visa period.

Can I work for another employer while looking for a new sponsor?

Current condition 8607 permits you to cease working in accordance with the normal sponsor/occupation restrictions during the cessation allowance. That can permit other work during the period, subject to any other visa conditions and ordinary legal or licensing requirements.

Does my 482 automatically expire after 180 days?

No. Exceeding the condition 8607 allowance can create a visa-condition breach and a ground for cancellation under section 116; it is not an automatic expiry mechanism. Treat 180 days as a real compliance limit regardless.

What does the 365-day cap mean?

It is cumulative across the visa period. If you have already used part of the cessation allowance in an earlier employment gap, that reduces what remains available later.

What if I resigned rather than being made redundant?

Condition 8607's cessation allowance is about ceasing to work in accordance with the sponsored arrangement; it does not depend on whether the employment ended through redundancy or resignation.