Who Pays 482 Visa Costs: Employer vs Worker

Migratio Editorial · Last updated 28 July 2026

TL;DR: The sponsoring employer must pay the Standard Business Sponsorship fee, nomination fee, and SAF levy — and cannot pass those costs to the worker. The worker typically pays their own visa application charge, health exam, police clearances, skills assessment, and English test. Asking a worker to cover sponsorship costs is unlawful under the Migration Act 1958.

When an Australian employer sponsors a worker on a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the question of who pays what matters both practically and legally. Some costs fall squarely on the employer and cannot be shifted to the worker under any arrangement. Others are typically the worker's own responsibility. Getting the split wrong can expose the employer to serious civil and criminal penalties — even if the worker agreed to the arrangement in writing.

This article sets out which costs belong to which party, the law that draws that line, and what a worker can do if an employer asks them to cover fees they should not have to pay.

The costs the employer must pay

The costs the worker typically pays

Quick reference: cost-by-cost summary

The law: why sponsorship costs cannot be passed to workers

Common arrangements that breach the law

What to do if an employer asks you to pay sponsorship costs

A note on the 186 visa (Employer Nomination Scheme)

Getting the cost split right

Frequently asked questions

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