AUSTRALIA – 457 Visa Nomination Ceilings Abolished
As of 14 February 2014, the ceiling on nominations for 457 visas has been abolished. This gives employers the flexibility to nominate more foreign nationals for a 457 visa than they initially requested in their Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application.
Unlimited Nominations
When lodging a new SBS, employers are still required to request a certain number of persons that they wish to nominate during the period of approval as a sponsor but this number is now treated as an estimate, rather than a limit. Until the SBS period of approval expires, employers can continue to nominate more people beyond their initial request.
Previously Approved Sponsorships
Standard Business Sponsorships that were approved before 14 February 2014 and were subject to the nomination ceiling will still cease when the ceiling is reached. If these sponsorships are getting close to reaching their nomination ceiling, a sponsorship variation application can still be lodged.
Action Items
- Note that there is no longer a ceiling for 457 Visa nominations.
- Note that sponsorships approved before 14 February 2014 still have a ceiling on nominations, but that a sponsorship variation application can be submitted to increase the number of nominations.
