sbs
Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
The legal foundation of any employer sponsorship arrangement. Before your business can nominate a position or sponsor an overseas worker, Standard Business Sponsor approval must be in place. Our immigration lawyers manage the entire application from start to finish.
- Required before any employer visa
- Processing: 20–30 business days
- Govt fee: ~$420
- Valid for 5 years
What Is Standard Business Sponsorship?
Standard Business Sponsorship — formally known as Approved Standard Business Sponsor (ASBS) status — is the government approval that allows an Australian business to sponsor overseas workers for the Subclass 482, 186 and 494 visas. Without it, a business cannot nominate a position or lodge a sponsored visa application.
Think of it as your business’s employer immigration approval. Once granted, you can nominate as many eligible positions as your business genuinely requires without reapplying for SBS each time — until the sponsorship period expires, typically after 5 years.
Who Can Apply for SBS?
- Any lawfully operating Australian business — including companies, partnerships, sole traders, and not-for-profits
- Overseas businesses with a genuine need to second workers to their Australian operations (though requirements differ)
- The business must be actively engaged in legitimate business activity in Australia
- The business must not have a poor record of compliance with immigration or employment law
- No minimum turnover or staff size is required — startups and small businesses can apply
What Evidence Is Required?
Business Activity Evidence
- ABN registration and ASIC documents
- Business Activity Statements (BAS) or tax returns
- Bank statements showing business activity
- Client contracts or invoices
- Photos of business premises
- Website, marketing materials
Additional Documents
- Organisational chart and staffing details
- Workers compensation insurance certificate
- Evidence of any professional licences required for the industry
- Statutory declaration from a senior officer of the business
- Evidence of financial capacity to meet employment obligations
Note for new businesses: Businesses operating for less than 12 months face additional scrutiny from the Department. Our immigration lawyers prepare a detailed supporting submission for new businesses that clearly demonstrates genuine operation and the legitimate need for overseas workers going forward.
SBS Approval Duration and Renewal
- SBS is typically granted for 5 years from the date of approval
- Renewal applications should be lodged before expiry — there is no automatic renewal
- During renewal, compliance history is reviewed — a clean compliance record is essential
- Sponsors with poor compliance records may have SBS cancelled or not renewed
Can I Nominate and Apply for SBS at the Same Time?
Yes — in most cases, the SBS application, nomination and visa application can all be lodged at the same time through concurrent lodgement. The Department processes the SBS approval first, then proceeds to the nomination. Our immigration lawyers assess whether concurrent lodgement is the right approach for your situation and prepare all three components together where appropriate — saving time without creating unnecessary risk.
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