More Time to Find an Sponsoring Employer for Employer Sponsored Visa

Date: 21 June 2024

From 1 July 2024, visa conditions 8107, 8607, and 8608 will be updated to support temporary migrants holding the following visas:

Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494)

MORE TIME TO FIND A SPONSOR

Holders of these visas who stop working with their sponsoring employer will have more time to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa or arrange to depart Australia. These visa holders will have up to:

180 days at a time, or
a maximum of 365 days in total across the entire visa grant period.

WORKING CONDITIONS

During this period, visa holders may:

work for other employers, including in occupations not listed in their most recent sponsorship nomination, to support themselves while seeking a new sponsor.
Visa holders must not work for another employer unless they have ceased work with their sponsoring employer and must remain in their nominated occupation while employed with their existing sponsor.
Visa holders must ensure that any work they undertake complies with the licensing or registration requirements for their nominated occupation.

SPONSOR OBLIGATIONS

Sponsors are required to notify the department of any changes, such as ceasing sponsorship or a visa holder resigning, within 28 days. For more details, refer to Sponsorship obligations for Standard business sponsors.

WHEN DOES THIS APPLY?

These changes apply to both existing visa holders and those granted a visa on or after 1 July 2024. Any periods of non-employment with a sponsor before 1 July 2024 will not count towards the new time limits.