Preparing for an employer-sponsored visa: what to have ready before you lodge

Employer-sponsored visa applications are rarely refused because of a single missing form. They stall because the evidence supporting the nomination and the visa application does not line up, and the case officer has to ask for more.

Before lodging, we generally ask clients to have the following ready.

From the employer: evidence the business is lawfully and actively operating, financial records covering recent trading, a position description that reflects the work genuinely required, and documentation showing how the role fits the structure of the business.

From the applicant: identity documents, qualifications and any assessment obtained for them, a detailed employment history with references that confirm duties rather than just dates, and English language evidence where it is required.

Two things are worth checking early, because they are difficult to fix once an application is on foot. The first is whether the nominated occupation carries caveats that affect eligibility. The second is whether the applicant's current visa carries conditions that limit what can be lodged onshore, and how long that visa has left to run.

Requirements differ between subclasses and change over time, so this is general information rather than advice on your circumstances. If you are planning a nomination or an application, a short pre-lodgement review is usually the cheapest step in the whole process.