Prior to sponsoring a worker, a business must obtain a standard business sponsorship (SBS). This allows you to nominate an applicant to come work for your business. An SBS is valid for up to 5 years after which you will be required to renew it. The two main requirements for an SBS include:
- The business must be operation lawfully.
- The business must not have any adverse information recorded against it
As a business, you must also ensure that you are financially viable to sponsor a skilled worker and maintain the same level of remuneration for the sponsored worker as you would any Australian worker. You can be from any one of these class groups to be able to sponsor:
- sole traders;
- partnerships;
- proprietary companies;
- public companies;
- government departments;
- statutory authorities;
- not-for-profit-organisations; and
- educational institutions.
As a sponsor it is essential that you also prove that you are committed to employing local labour as part of the SBS application and ensure that your taxes as well as your financial statements are all up to date so you can show you’re financially liable to sponsor a skilled visa from offshore.
Once you have obtained an SBS, you must
- inform the department of any changes to the employment;
- inform the department if the business has become insolvent;
- ensure the employee works in the nominated employment position;
- ensure the terms and conditions of the employment is equivalent to Australian employees;
- not engage in discriminatory recruitment practices;
- keep records to show compliance with the sponsorship obligations;
- assume costs related to the sponsorship
Remember that obtaining a standard business sponsorship is only the first step however it determines whether you will be able to sponsor a skilled worker from overseas. For more information on the requirements of the SBS, please see link below to the department’s website. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/existing-sponsors/standard-business-accredited-obligations