The approval everything depends on
It's largely an evidence exercise — and evidence assembled after you apply is already late.
Standard Business Sponsorship is approval of your business as a sponsor, separate from nominating a role or person. Two things are assessed: the business, and the role. Most applications that struggle do so on the genuine-position test or on salary evidence, not on business size.
Two tests, assessed separately
Your business as a sponsor. Your role as a nomination.
Six stages
Eligibility review
Business standing, structure, trading and financial position.
Business evidence
Registration, financials, trading evidence, organisational chart.
Genuine position
A position description matching how the role actually operates.
Salary benchmarking
Against the market and the applicable threshold.
Labour market testing
Where it applies — advertising that meets the requirements.
Obligations briefing
In writing, before approval rather than after.
Collect the slow documents first
Financials and structure documents are stable. Advertising records, skills assessments and police checks expire — leave those until close to lodgement.
- Business registration, ABN and structure
- Recent financials and evidence of trading
- Organisational chart and position description
- Salary benchmarking and labour market testing records
Five avoidable reasons applications go badly
A description written for the visa
Rather than describing the job.
Salary at a threshold figure
With no market-rate evidence behind it.
Labour market testing done wrong
Wrong place, wrong duration, or undocumented.
A role that doesn't fit
The size, structure or activity of the business.
No plan for the obligations
They begin the moment approval is granted.
Sponsorship FAQs
Can a new business become an approved sponsor?
Possible but harder. Less trading history means the business plan, financial position and the case that the role is genuine carry more weight.
What is a genuine position?
A role that genuinely exists, fits your operations and structure, and would need filling regardless of who fills it.
Do we need to advertise locally first?
Labour market testing requirements depend on the pathway and occupation. Where it applies the advertising must meet specific requirements — and you can't retrospectively advertise.
Can we sponsor someone already in Australia?
Often yes. Their current visa status affects the sequence, so it's worth mapping before an offer is made.
Find out where you stand first
The readiness check is free and takes one conversation.