Employer visa sponsorship services for Australian businesses
Does your candidate need a visa? Matilda's registered migration agents manage the entire employer sponsorship process - from eligibility assessment through to lodgement with the Department of Home Affairs.
What does it mean to sponsor an overseas worker?
To sponsor someone, your business first needs to be recognised by the Australian Government as an approved employer sponsor. You'll then nominate the candidate and apply for their visa. Matilda's migration agents will guide you and your candidate through every step.
Why businesses choose our
immigration lawyers
Transparent processsing
Unclear migration timelines can put new hires at risk. We fix that.
- Clear processing timelines from Standard Business Sponsorship approval through to visa grant
- Your team has full visibility into where every application stands
- We work efficiently to shorten the delay between offer acceptance and start date
Support beyond the application
We work with you and your employees throughout the entire process - at no extra cost.
- Proactive updates at every stage
- A dashboard you can check anytime for real-time progress
- Unlimited access to our registered migration agents
- Ongoing support with your obligations as an approved employer sponsor
Proactive industry insights for you
Australian migration policy changes constantly - especially for employer sponsorship, where occupation lists, salary thresholds and sponsor obligations shift regularly.
- Our agents track every regulatory change that affects employer sponsorship
- We'll flag anything that impacts your ability to hire from overseas before it catches you off guard
- You stay informed without having to follow immigration policy yourself
How Matilda handles your employer sponsorship from start to finish
Here's exactly what to expect when you work with Matilda to get your overseas employees an Australian work visa.
You can also alternate between your view and what your employee will experience with us:
1. You'd like to sponsor an overseas candidate to work in your business
Your top candidate needs a visa with work rights in Australia - and the sooner you start the employer sponsorship process, the sooner they can start.
2. Understand which employer-sponsored visa is the right fit for your business
We will guide you on which employer-sponsored visa pathway is the right fit for you and the candidate, making it easier to plan staffing levels, budget, and processing timelines.
3. Ensure that you have the right to Sponsor them
Where necessary, we will help you obtain Government approval to become an approved employer sponsor - including preparing your Standard Business Sponsorship application. Where possible, we'll also help you achieve Accredited Sponsor status, which gives your applications priority processing and makes the process quicker every time you hire from overseas.
4. Check the candidate's eligibility for an employer-sponsored visa
We will assess your candidate's experience and skills to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements, and provide guidance on the minimum qualifications, work experience and English language ability needed for each position you wish to nominate under your sponsorship.
5. We’ll build the Standard Business Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa applications for you
We'll create the Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa applications so they meet the Department of Home Affairs requirements for employer sponsorship. We'll also do the hard work for you - including the Genuine Position Statement, Labour Market Testing, Skills Assessment and Police Checks.
6. Final review and lodgement
Our Registered Migration Agent will complete the final review before lodgement, submit your employer sponsorship applications, and liaise directly with the Department of Home Affairs until the grant of the visa.
7. Receive post-lodgement support and compliance guidance
We will work with the Department of Home Affairs to respond immediately to any requests for further information, and work with you to ensure your business remains compliant with all approved sponsor obligations - so you avoid any issues with departmental monitoring or audits.
Get your visa!
Industries we work with
Every industry has a different reason for needing overseas workers - skills shortages, seasonal demand, rapid growth, or simply not being able to find the right person locally. We work with businesses across the following sectors and understand the roles, obligations, and pressures that come with each.
Technology
Software engineers, data analysts, product managers, and sales. Many tech companies sponsor UK, US and Irish hires who start on working holiday visas.
Trades
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters. Australia's critical shortage of skilled tradespeople makes this one of the most in-demand sponsorship categories.
Hospitality
Chefs, venue managers, sommeliers. High turnover and persistent shortages make sponsorship a genuine retention strategy.
Agriculture & Fisheries
Farm managers, aquaculture workers, seasonal roles. Volume hirers benefit most from Accredited Sponsor status.
Healthcare
Nurses, allied health professionals, specialist roles. A consistently under-supplied sector with strong government support for skilled migration.
Professional Services
Sales managers, account executives, finance professionals. Frequently sponsored in fast-growing B2B businesses.
Why businesses choose Matilda for employer visa sponsorship
Your application done for you
We don't send you a task list. We assess your situation, build the application, and lodge it. You review; we do the rest.
Unlimited support
Email us as often as you need. Your dedicated case manager is your single point of contact from first enquiry to visa grant.
Compliance support included
We help you meet your ongoing obligations as a sponsor - record-keeping, reporting, and responding to any departmental monitoring - so your business stays protected.
Registered migration agents
All applications are prepared and reviewed by registered migration agents. Not paralegals. Not offshore teams. You know who is working on your case.
Industry specialists
We understand the specific roles, occupation lists, and compliance pressures for the industries we work in — tech, trades, hospitality, agriculture, healthcare, and professional services.
4.9 stars from 60+ reviews
Businesses and candidates trust Matilda with something important. Read what our clients say about the experience of working with us.
Take your career to new places
“The Matilda team did an incredible job guiding us through this sponsorship, nomination and visa application process. All three applications were granted within 2 weeks of submission. Thank you Niamh and the team.”
Tom
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FAQs about sponsoring an employee for an Australian work visa
We like to call Matilda a modern migration agency, offering practical, personalised support that does the heavy lifting for you and your employee.
Here’s what makes Matilda different:
- We offer a 20 minute consult with a client manager
- We handle the most time-consuming parts of your application to reduce applicant workload from 100 to 20 hours
- We provide a no-visa no-fee refund to ensure you only pay if your visa application is approved
- You gain peace of mind knowing your application is being prepared by a team of qualified lawyers and registered migration agents
- You receive unlimited expert support through your application process, with our team going the extra mile post-lodgement by organising tasks like your medical and tracking the status of your application
Find out what to look for when choosing a migration agents in Australia.
To sponsor an employee in Australia you will need to cover a number of costs including:
Remember that these costs are not refundable, even if the application is rejected.
Application processing times vary significantly between different types of visas. Processing times are managed by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and can change frequently.
As of May 2024, the average processing time for sponsorship under the SID Visa (subclass 482) is 50% of applicants processed within eight days and 90% processed within four months.
Visit the Home Affairs website to check the current visa processing times for your visa subclass.
Not necessarily. While an Employer Sponsored visa could be a good option for your employee, it’s not the only one. In fact, there are over 40 visa options for working in Australia and dozens more visa types that also grant the holder working rights in Australia.
It all depends on your employee’s individual circumstances. Our team can help your employee select the right visa for them while also accounting for factors that may impact your business e.g. visa processing time.
A unique feature of Matilda is that we charge one flat fee for each type of visa application.
Employer Sponsored - SID
- Applicant Visa application (for employees): $2,950 AUD
- Employer Nomination application (for employers): $2,640 AUD
- Standard Business Sponsor application (for employers): $1,980 AUD
Employer Sponsored - Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (ENS)
- Applicant Visa application (for employees): $3,950
- Employer Nomination application (for employers): $2,970
To sponsor an employee for an Australian work visa, your business first needs to be approved as an employer sponsor by the Department of Home Affairs. This involves applying for a Standard Business Sponsorship -the mandatory first step before you can nominate any overseas worker. Once approved, Matilda manages the nomination and visa applications for your employee. Most businesses have never been through this process before - that's exactly why we exist.
There is no set limit on how many overseas workers your business can sponsor. Your Standard Business Sponsorship covers your entire organisation, not a single role - so you can nominate multiple employees across different positions, as long as each role meets the relevant occupation and salary requirements. Businesses that sponsor regularly often benefit from Accredited Sponsor status, which gives all their applications priority processing.
Yes - there is no minimum size requirement to become an approved employer sponsor. Small businesses and startups can apply for a Standard Business Sponsorship provided the business is lawfully operating in Australia and the role being filled is a genuine position. Matilda will assess your eligibility before anything is lodged so you know where you stand before committing to the process.
If a sponsored employee leaves your business - whether they resign or are made redundant - your sponsorship obligations don't automatically end. You are required to notify the Department of Home Affairs and in some cases cover the cost of the employee's return travel. Matilda's post-lodgement support includes helping you understand and manage these obligations so your business isn't caught off guard if circumstances change.
Yes - this is one of the most common scenarios we work with. Many businesses have employees on working holiday visas, student visas, or other temporary visas who they want to retain long-term. As long as the employee meets the eligibility requirements for the relevant sponsored visa and your business is an approved sponsor, we can manage the transition. Matilda will advise on timing and any bridging visa considerations to make sure there's no gap in their right to work.
Failing to meet your obligations as an approved sponsor can result in significant financial penalties, suspension or cancellation of your sponsorship status, and in serious cases, being barred from sponsoring in the future. Common issues include not paying the correct salary rate, passing sponsorship costs onto the employee, or failing to keep adequate records. Matilda's compliance support is specifically designed to help your business avoid these risks throughout the life of every sponsored visa.
No - your Standard Business Sponsorship covers your whole business for its approval period, not a single hire. Once approved, you can nominate multiple overseas workers without reapplying for sponsorship each time. Businesses with Accredited Sponsor status benefit from priority processing on every subsequent nomination, making each new hire faster than the last.
Ready to bring your overseas hire to Australia?
Talk to Matilda - we manage the entire employer sponsorship process for you.
