What Does It Cost an Employer to Sponsor a Worker in Australia?

The cost line items, one by one

An employer sponsorship has these distinct costs: (1) Standard Business Sponsorship application charge — a one-off to become an approved sponsor. (2) Nomination application charge — per role nominated. (3) Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — the big one, payable per nomination, scaled by turnover and visa length (see below). (4) Migration agent professional fees — commonly $3,000–$8,000+ to prepare and manage the sponsorship and nomination. (5) The worker's visa application charge — sometimes the employer absorbs this as part of the package, sometimes the worker pays it. (6) Incidentals — skills assessments, health and police checks (usually the worker's), and labour market testing advertising costs. The first three are employer costs; the SAF levy specifically cannot be recovered from the worker.

The SAF levy: the cost that varies most

The Skilling Australians Fund levy is usually the single biggest employer cost and it scales two ways: by your business's annual turnover (smaller businesses, broadly under $10M turnover, pay a lower per-year rate; larger businesses pay more) and by the visa. For the temporary Skills in Demand (482) visa, the levy is charged per year of the nominated period, so a four-year nomination costs more than a one-year one. For the permanent Subclass 186, the levy is a larger one-off payment. This is why the headline 'cost to sponsor' has such a wide range — a small business sponsoring a one-year 482 pays a fraction of what a large business sponsoring a four-year role or a permanent 186 pays. Get the levy modelled for your turnover and intended visa length before budgeting.

The salary you must commit to

Separate from the application costs, sponsorship commits you to a salary floor for the life of the visa. From 1 July 2026 the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD 79,423 (Core Skills stream of the 482) and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576 (Specialist Skills stream). The regional 494 also uses the AUD 79,423 threshold. You must pay whichever is higher: this statutory floor, or the genuine Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and location. These thresholds are indexed annually. This is an ongoing payroll commitment, not a one-off fee — factor it into the true cost of the hire.

A realistic total — and how to keep it predictable

Adding it up: the application charges and agent fees are reasonably predictable (low thousands), while the SAF levy can range from a modest sum for a small business on a short 482 to a substantial five-figure amount for a large business or a permanent 186. The biggest avoidable cost is a refused nomination — you can lose the levy and the hire and have to start again. That's the core argument for using a MARA-registered migration agent experienced in employer sponsorship: the fee is small relative to the levy and salary commitment at stake, and a clean first-time nomination protects both. Through Migratio you can compare agents who do employer-sponsored work and get a fee quote before engaging — free for the business.

Can I pass sponsorship costs on to the worker?

No for the core employer costs, and absolutely not for the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — recovering the levy from the worker is a breach of your sponsorship obligations and can cost you your sponsor status. The worker may pay their own visa application charge.

Is sponsoring on a permanent 186 more expensive than a 482?

The 186 carries a larger one-off SAF levy than a single year of the 482, but a four-year 482 (levied per year) can approach or exceed it. The 'cheaper' option depends on your turnover and how long you intend to keep the worker — model both.

Does the SAF levy get refunded if the visa is refused?

The SAF levy is refundable only in limited circumstances (for example, certain nomination refusals where the sponsorship was approved but the visa was refused on specific grounds). Do not assume a refund — a correctly prepared nomination is the safeguard. Check current refund rules before lodging.

Roughly how much should a small business budget in total?

As a planning figure, a small business sponsoring a worker on a shorter Skills in Demand 482 might budget application charges plus a lower-rate SAF levy plus $3,000–$8,000 in agent fees — and then the ongoing salary at or above $79,423. A migration agent will give you an exact total for your turnover, stream and visa length.