Important: the 457 visa has been replaced
The subclass 457 visa closed in March 2018 and was replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. On 7 December 2024 the TSS visa was itself replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482). Accredited sponsorship still exists for 482 sponsors, but the categories and criteria have changed since this article was written. The table below shows the original 457 era criteria for reference only.
- Current accreditation rules: see our Accredited Sponsorship guide
- Category 3 now needs at least 85% Australian workers (it was 90% in the 457 era)
- Accredited sponsors still pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold ($79,423 from 1 July 2026) or the market salary rate, whichever is higher
This article reflects the former 457 visa rules. For current accredited sponsorship rules, please see here.
A business can apply to become an Accredited Sponsor as part of their sponsorship application. If a business is approved for Accredited Status, they will receive priority allocation for all subclass 457 nomination and visa applications.
There are four categories of sponsors who may be eligible for Accredited Status. To qualify for Accredited Status, a sponsor must meet all the requirements for standard business sponsorship in addition to the characteristics listed for one of the four categories below:
| Characteristic | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 |
| be a Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency | Y | – | – | – |
| be an Australian Trusted Trader | – | Y | – | – |
| be a publicly-listed company or a private company with at least AUD 4 million annual turnover for the last 2 years | – | – | Y | Y |
| have Australian workers comprising at least 75% of their workforce in Australia | Y | Y | Y | |
| have Australian workers comprising at least 90% of their workforce in Australia | – | – | Y | – |
have all 457 holders engaged as employees under a written contract of employment that includes at least the minimum employment entitlements as required under the National Employment Standards (unless their occupation is exempt from this requirement)
|
– | Y | Y | Y |
have all Australian employees paid in accordance with an Enterprise Agreement or an internal salary table that reflects the current market salary rates for all occupations in their business
|
– | Y | Y | Y |
| have been an active subclass 457 visa sponsor for at least 2 years | – | – | Y | Y |
| have no adverse monitoring outcomes unless reasonable to disregard | – | – | Y | Y |
| have nominated at least 10 primary subclass 457 visa holders in the 2 years prior to the application for accreditation | – | – | – | Y |
| have nominated at least 1 primary subclass 457 visa holder in the 2 years prior to the application for accreditation | – | – | Y | – |
| have a nomination non-approval rate of less than 3% for the previous 2 years | – | – | Y | Y |
have provided details of all business activities undertaken by their business to the Department
|
– | – | Y | Y |
have provided details of all Principals / Directors of their business to the Department.
|
– | – | Y | Y |
Accredited sponsorship in 2026: the four categories
Under the Skills in Demand visa, a standard business sponsor can apply to be accredited if it meets the extra characteristics for one of four categories. In summary:
| Category | Who it is for | Australian workforce |
| Category 1 | Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies | At least 75% |
| Category 2 | Australian Trusted Traders (Australian Border Force program) | At least 75% |
| Category 3 | Low volume sponsors: at least 1 approved 482 (or TSS/457) nomination in the last 2 years, standard sponsor for at least 1 year, turnover of at least $4 million for the last 2 years | At least 85% |
| Category 4 | High volume sponsors: at least 10 approved nominations in the last 2 years, standard sponsor for at least 2 years, turnover of at least $4 million for the last 2 years | At least 75% |
Categories 3 and 4 also need a nomination non-approval rate under 3% for the last two years, no adverse monitoring outcomes, written employment contracts that meet the National Employment Standards, and pay set by an Enterprise Agreement or an internal salary table that reflects market rates. Sole traders and partnerships cannot use Categories 3 and 4, although the Department has discretion for some large partnerships, start ups and businesses going through a restructure.
Accredited sponsorship FAQs
What are the benefits of accredited sponsorship?
Accredited sponsors receive priority allocation of their 482 nominations and visa applications, a six year sponsorship approval, streamlined processing for some low risk nominations, fewer documents at nomination stage, some concessions for labour market testing advertising, and a character concession: sponsored workers can provide a written good character reference from the accredited sponsor instead of overseas police certificates.
Does accreditation remove the salary or levy requirements?
No. Accredited sponsors must still pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold ($79,423 from 1 July 2026) or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher, pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy for each nomination, meet labour market testing (with the advertising concessions) and comply with all sponsorship obligations.
How long does it take to become accredited?
Accreditation applications generally take one to two months, depending on the Department’s workload and how complete the application is. You can apply for accreditation together with a standard business sponsorship application or later, once you meet the criteria.
Can accreditation be revoked?
Yes. Accreditation can be revoked if the business no longer meets its category characteristics, or if it gives a good character reference for a worker who is later found not to meet the character test. Revocation ends priority and streamlined processing, but the business remains a standard business sponsor.
Is accreditation worth it for a small business?
It depends on how often you sponsor. Under the Skills in Demand visa, Specialist Skills and Core Skills applications already have target processing times, so accreditation mostly helps employers who sponsor regularly and want priority across all their nominations. A consultation can help you decide.
