Step 2 - Apply for Sponsorship Approval

Lodging a sponsorship application

When an Australian sponsoring organisation has established a binding professional development agreement with an eligible overseas employer, it may apply for sponsorship approval. The Australian sponsoring organisation completes Form 1226 providing all the required information, documentation and fees, and lodges the completed application to the Hobart Professional Development Visa Processing Centre.
See:
Form 1226 Application for approval as a Professional Development Sponsor (185KB PDF file)
Fees and Charges

If sponsorship is approved, the Australian sponsoring organisation may lodge visa applications on behalf of the overseas participants. There is no limit on the number of valid sponsorship approvals an organisation may hold concurrently or the number of overseas participants who may be sponsored under each sponsorship approval.

Security bond

A security bond may be required for programs involving overseas participants from countries which are not eligible to use an Electronic Travel Authority.
See: ETA (Visitor) (Subclass 976) Eligibility

The security bond covers all participants within a single professional development program and must be lodged, if requested, before the sponsorship application can be approved. While there is no upper limit to the amount of security that may be required, under current policy, it is considered that AUD15,000 should be payable for each program, regardless of the number of overseas participants within each program. The security bond should take the form of a bank guarantee.

A bond may be forfeited as a result of non-compliance with any conditions or obligations associated with sponsorship approval, the professional development program or visa.

Sponsors will be required to replace any forfeited security amounts within the specified time, for the duration of the professional development program.