Transitional Arrangements for Sponsorship and Visa Applications

On 14 September 2009, changes came into effect regarding sponsorship requirements for temporary residence visas. Transitional arrangements are in place for visa and sponsorship applications lodged before 14 September 2009.

Transitional arrangements for the Occupational Trainee Visa (Subclass 442)

If you lodged a visa application before 14 September 2009, you will be assessed against the provisions in effect before the 14 September 2009 changes. This applies even if the associated nomination is not lodged until after 14 September 2009. If a new nomination is required for a visa application lodged before 14 September 2009, the nomination will need to be completed and submitted on the previous nomination form.
See: Form 913 Nomination for occupational training (183KB PDF file)

If a nomination for your training was lodged, but you did not lodge a visa application before 14 September 2009, you will need a new nomination. This nomination will need to be made in accordance with the new sponsorship arrangements. The organisation providing the training will need to apply for approval as an occupational trainee sponsor on Form 1377 and submit a new nomination on Form 1378.
See:
Form 1377 Application for approval as a temporary residence sponsor (200KB PDF file)
Form 1378 Nomination for a temporary resident position (257KB PDF file)

Transitional arrangements for the Professional Development Visa (Subclass 470)

If your visa application was lodged by your approved sponsor before 14 September 2009, it will be assessed against the provisions in effect before the 14 September 2009 changes.

Visa applications lodged on and after 14 September require approval of the sponsor under the new sponsorship arrangements. Even if your sponsor already has sponsorship approval for the professional development program they will need to reapply under the new arrangements before they can lodge a new visa application.
See: Form 1226 Application for approval as a Professional Development Sponsor (143KB PDF file)

If sponsorship for a professional development program was approved between 1 July 2009 and 13 September 2009 (inclusive) and no associated visa applications were lodged before 14 September 2009, the sponsor will not incur an additional sponsorship fee when lodging the new Form 1226.