Business Sponsorships

Standard Business Sponsorships (SBS)

SBS is a formal approval granted by the Department of Home Affairs, enabling Australian businesses to sponsor overseas workers for specific skilled roles under the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa programs. This sponsorship is not a one-off approval. It’s a binding legal arrangement that carries strict obligations and, if mismanaged, can expose your business to significant compliance risks.

To become an approved SBS sponsor, your business must:

• Be lawfully operating in Australia (or intend to establish operations here).

• Demonstrate a genuine need to employ skilled overseas workers.

• Show compliance with Australian workplace and immigration laws.

Once approved, your business can nominate eligible skilled workers for up to five years (or one year for certain start-ups or overseas entities).

Under the SBS program, employers can sponsor workers for occupations classified under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) framework. These mainly include:

• Skill Level 1 (Highly Skilled)
  e.g., Engineers, IT professionals, Accountants, Medical Practitioners etc.

• Skill Level 2 (Skilled Workers)
  e.g., Chefs, Engineering Technicians etc.

• Skill Level 3 (Trades and Technical Roles)
  e.g., Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters etc

Despite being a well-defined process, businesses often encounter challenges such as:

• Unclear or inadequate business documentation

• Failure to prove a genuine need for the nominated position

• Incorrect occupation classification

• Misunderstanding sponsorship obligations

• Delays due to incomplete Labour Market Testing (LMT)

• Issues arising from previous non-compliance or business restructuring

As experienced immigration professionals, we guide you through every step of the SBS process:

• Initial eligibility assessment of your business

• Preparation and lodgement of your SBS application with correct supporting documents

• Strategic advice on selecting eligible occupations and visa streams

• Labour Market Testing (LMT) support and guidance

• Compliance assistance to ensure you meet all legal obligations as a sponsor

• Ongoing support with monitoring, audits, or sponsorship renewals

Whether you are a growing business looking to fill skilled roles or an established employer seeking to expand your workforce, we can help you become an approved Standard Business Sponsor with confidence and legal clarity.

Contact us today to book a consultation or learn more about your sponsorship options.

Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA's)

The DAMA is an agreement between the Commonwealth Government and relevant State Governments, Regions or Territories to enable the employers to sponsor skilled and semiskilled overseas workers to certain occupations having exhausted in finding from the local labour market (LMT). Only Businesses/Employers can apply for DAMA to sponsor prospective workers residing in Australia and Overseas. They may sponsor overseas workers for TSS (Subclass 482), SESR (Subclass 494) and, and ENS (subclass 186) visas where applicable under the DAMA with agreed cap limit for each occupation.

There are 12 DAMA’s in place covering mainly regional areas of VIC,NSW,WA,QLD, entire NT, SA.

• Goulburn Valley, VIC: Goulburn Valley​

• Great South Coast, VIC: Warrnambool City Council​

• Orana, NSW: Regional Development Australia - Orana, NSW

• Pilbara, WA: RDA Pilb​ara​

• South Australia Regional, SA: Skilled & Business Migration

• South West, WA: Shire of Dardanup

• The Goldfields, WA: Designated Area Migration Agreement » City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder​​​​​

• Townsville, QLD: Townsville Enterprise Limited​

• Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA: Skilled & Business Migration

• East Kimberley, WA: East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry​

• Far North Queensland, QLD: Cairns Chamber of Commerce,

• Northern Territory, NT: Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement

DAMA is a labour agreement. However, this is a pre-agreed arrangement for certain occupations in some region (i.e mainly regional areas in Australia) which gives employers/businesses lots of flexibility to sponsor overseas workers. The main feature of DAMA is, it comes with prearranged concessions relating to skills, qualifications and experience, age, English requirements etc. Please note that each DAMA has unique features which was already negotiated by the regions/States/Territories with the Commonwealth Government based on their labour requirement and for economic growth.

Some of the concessions/ features of DAMA’s are as follows. However, all these concessions are not available for all the occupation types and for all regions/States and Territories.

1. Age Concession

2. English Concessions

3. Skills and Experience concessions

4. Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) Concessions

5. Flexibility to meet Labour Market Testing (LMT) requirements

6. Ability to nominate semiskilled occupations that are not available under standard business sponsorship scheme

7. Pathway to Permanent Residency

Therefore, if you are an employer and currently operate your business in any of the above regions, territories or States and struggling to hire skilled and semiskilled workers, please contact us. Our experienced and professional immigration team will assess your request and if eligible, will guide you through the step-by-step DAMA application process.

Book your consultation today!

Labour Agreements (LA's)

These formal agreements are negotiated between the employer (or industry representative) and the Australian Government, through the Department of Home Affairs.

Labour Agreements provide enhanced flexibility. Critically, they allow employers to sponsor semi-skilled workers where there is a genuine labour shortage making them an important solution for industries and regions unable to access the workforce they need through standard sponsorship programs.

Types of Labour Agreements

1. Company-Specific Labour Agreements

Tailored for individual businesses, these agreements allow employers to sponsor overseas workers in occupations or under conditions not covered by the standard skilled visa program. These may include concessions to salary, English language proficiency, or age requirements.

2. Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA)

DAMA arrangements are developed for specific regional areas experiencing acute skill shortages. They offer significant flexibility and can include access to semi-skilled occupations not available under standard visa programs. Employers must be endorsed by a Designated Area Representative before applying.

3. Industry Labour Agreements

These are pre-negotiated agreements between the government and specific industry sectors such as meat processing, dairy, hospitality, age care and fishing. They are designed to address long-term workforce shortages across the sector and may also allow for semi-skilled worker sponsorship where appropriate.

4. Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot

This pilot initiative enables Australian employers to sponsor skilled refugees and humanitarian entrants into meaningful employment. It supports workforce needs while providing humanitarian entrants with long-term opportunities in Australia, including access to permanent residency pathways.

Common Challenges with Labour Agreements

• Complex Negotiation Process: Labour Agreements require detailed submissions and evidence, including genuine labour market testing.

• Stringent Documentation and Justification: Employers must clearly demonstrate that Australian workers are not available to fill the roles.

• Ongoing Compliance Obligations: Employers must ensure visa conditions and workplace standards are consistently met.

• Time and Resource Intensive: Delays and rework can occur if applications are incomplete or do not align with policy expectations.

We can provide essential guidance through this complex process, including:

• Assessing your eligibility and workforce needs;

• Advising on suitable Labour Agreement types for your business or region;

• Preparing and lodging the Labour Agreement request;

• Liaising with the Department of Home Affairs;

• Ensuring compliance with immigration, Fair Work, and occupational health and safety laws;

• Assisting with visa nominations under subclasses 482, 494, or 186.

Labour Agreements are powerful tools for addressing workforce shortages, especially for businesses needing access to semi-skilled workers or roles outside standard occupation lists. However, they require careful planning, negotiation, and legal expertise to implement successfully.

Contact our team today to discuss how a Labour Agreement could help meet your workforce needs and how we can support you at every stage of the process.