RecruitUp Global is a recruitment agency, not a migration agent. Genine and the RecruitUp team specialise in connecting skilled candidates with Australian employers who can sponsor them — they do not provide visa or immigration advice. For migration matters, RecruitUp works alongside registered MARA migration agents.
When Australian employers ask about the 482 Visa Fees and Costs of sponsoring a skilled overseas worker, the honest answer is: it depends on your business size, the length of the visa, and how many family members come with the worker. But the core government charges are fixed and calculable — and understanding them before you commit to the process is straightforward.
This guide breaks down every cost category in the 482 Skills in Demand visa process: mandatory government charges, worker-side preparation costs, migration agent fees, and the optional costs that vary by employer. Where fee figures are provided, they are indicative and sourced from publicly available Department of Home Affairs data — always verify current amounts before lodging, as fees are updated by the government periodically.
For the full overview of how employer-sponsored recruitment works, see our 482 Visa Australia hub. For the eligibility criteria behind these costs, see our 482 Visa Requirements guide.
Reminder: RecruitUp Global is a recruitment agency. We source and place candidates — we do not lodge visa applications or advise on fees. For authoritative, current fee figures and immigration advice, consult a registered migration agent (MARA) or verify directly at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.
Before getting into the numbers, the structure is important:
Legal note: Under the Migration Act, employers are explicitly prohibited from passing the SAF levy or nomination charge costs onto the worker. Recovering these costs from the worker — through salary deductions or any other mechanism — is unlawful. A worker being asked to fund these charges should seek independent advice.
The following charges are mandatory for every 482 nomination. Figures are indicative based on government-published schedules — verify current amounts at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
The SAF levy is the largest government charge for most employers. It is paid upfront at nomination and funds Australian apprenticeship and workforce training programmes. It is non-refundable.
The levy rate depends on two things: your annual business turnover, and the length of the visa period being nominated.
| Business Turnover | Levy Rate (per year of visa) |
|---|---|
| Less than $10 million p.a. | $1,200 per year |
| $10 million p.a. or more | $1,800 per year |
SAF levy totals by visa length:
| Visa Duration | Small Business (<$10M) | Large Business (≥$10M) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | $1,200 | $1,800 |
| 2 years | $2,400 | $3,600 |
| 3 years | $3,600 | $5,400 |
| 4 years | $4,800 | $7,200 |
Core Skills stream visas are typically granted for up to 4 years. The SAF levy is calculated based on the period nominated, not the period granted.
The SAF levy is the cost that most surprises employers who are new to 482 sponsorship — particularly the fact that it is paid in full upfront and is not refunded if the worker leaves the role before the visa expires.
Employers pay a nomination application charge each time they lodge a nomination for a specific position. This is a separate charge from the SAF levy.
Current indicative figure: approximately $330 per nomination. Verify at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
Employers who are applying to become an Approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) for the first time pay a sponsorship application charge. Employers who already hold active SBS approval do not pay this again — sponsorship approval is valid for 5 years and covers multiple nominations.
Verify the current sponsorship application charge at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
The visa applicant pays a visa application charge (VAC) when lodging their visa application. The charge applies to the primary applicant and separately to each secondary applicant (partner and/or dependent children) included in the application.
| Applicant | Indicative Charge |
|---|---|
| Primary applicant | ~$3,115 |
| Secondary applicant aged 18 or over | ~$1,040 |
| Secondary applicant under 18 | ~$775 |
Indicative figures based on Skills in Demand visa charge schedule. Verify current amounts at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
Does the employer have to cover the worker’s visa charge? No — the visa application charge is the worker’s responsibility. Employers are not legally required to cover it. However, many employers — particularly those recruiting from overseas and competing for skilled candidates — choose to contribute to the worker’s visa charge as part of a relocation package. Whether this is expected or negotiable depends on the role and the employer’s resourcing situation.
Before the visa application is lodged, a South African tradesperson typically incurs several preparation costs. These are not government visa charges — they are the cost of getting ready to apply. Employers do not usually cover these, but understanding them helps manage candidate readiness and timeline expectations.
| Preparation Step | Who Pays | Indicative Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TRA Skills Assessment (Trades Recognition Australia) | Worker | ~$800–$1,200 AUD |
| IELTS General Training test | Worker | ~$370–$420 AUD (varies by test centre and currency) |
| PTE Academic test (alternative to IELTS) | Worker | ~$360–$410 AUD |
| Medical examination (approved panel physician) | Worker | ~$300–$500 AUD depending on tests required |
| South African Police Service (SAPS) clearance | Worker | Nominal fee (~R150 ZAR) — time cost is the main issue |
| Certified document translations (if applicable) | Worker | Varies |
All indicative. Costs vary by provider, test centre location, and currency exchange rates at time of payment.
The TRA skills assessment is typically the highest-cost and longest-lead item on this list. For South African tradespeople coming through RecruitUp, we encourage candidates to begin their TRA assessment early — before an employer is in the picture — to avoid it becoming the bottleneck in an otherwise ready application.
For more on how the skills assessment process works and where South African qualifications typically stand: 482 Visa Requirements.
Most employers who sponsor 482 visas engage a MARA-registered migration agent to manage the process. Migration agent fees are not government charges — they are professional fees charged by the agent for their services and vary significantly between agents and case complexity.
As a rough guide, professional fees for managing the full 482 process (sponsorship application if needed, nomination, and visa lodgement) can range from approximately $3,000 to $8,000 or more, depending on:
These fees are the employer’s business relationship with their migration agent — RecruitUp does not have visibility into individual agent fee structures. Your agent will quote before you engage.
The following examples illustrate what a 482 sponsorship might cost in total government charges for typical trade placements. These are illustrative only and do not include migration agent fees, recruitment fees, or relocation support.
Example 1: Small construction company (turnover < $10M), sponsoring an electrician for 4 years, no dependants
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| SAF levy (4 years × $1,200) | $4,800 |
| Nomination charge | ~$330 |
| Worker visa application charge | ~$3,115 |
| Total government charges | ~$8,245 |
Example 2: Large mining contractor (turnover ≥ $10M), sponsoring a boilermaker for 2 years, with partner and one child under 18
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| SAF levy (2 years × $1,800) | $3,600 |
| Nomination charge | ~$330 |
| Worker visa application charge (primary) | ~$3,115 |
| Secondary applicant — partner | ~$1,040 |
| Secondary applicant — child | ~$775 |
| Total government charges | ~$8,860 |
Verify all figures against current government fee schedules before using them for budgeting purposes.
This is one of the most important cost questions employers ask — and the answer is not what most people want to hear.
SAF levy: Non-refundable. If the visa application is refused, or if the worker leaves the role before the visa expires, the SAF levy is not returned. It is a government charge, not an insurance policy.
Nomination charge: Non-refundable in most circumstances.
Visa application charge: Partially refundable in limited circumstances if the visa is refused and the application was correctly lodged. Your migration agent can advise on the current refund policy. The biometrics fee is generally not refunded.
This non-refundable structure is a genuine risk in sponsored hiring — it is the reason migration agents emphasise ensuring the application is decision-ready before lodgement. A refused application means the employer absorbs the SAF levy in full.
For a small business (turnover under $10M) sponsoring a tradesperson on a 4-year Core Skills visa with no family members, total mandatory government charges are approximately $8,000–$9,000 — made up of the SAF levy (~$4,800), nomination charge (~$330), and the worker’s visa application charge (~$3,115). Migration agent fees and recruitment fees are additional. Verify current figures at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before budgeting.
No. Employers are legally prohibited from recovering the SAF levy or nomination charge costs from the worker. Deducting these costs from the worker’s salary or requiring the worker to reimburse them is unlawful under the Migration Act. An employer found to have done this can face significant penalties.
No. The skills assessment through Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the worker’s responsibility and cost. Most candidates who are serious about the 482 pathway begin their TRA assessment independently, before a specific employer is involved.
No. The SAF levy is non-refundable regardless of what happens after nomination approval. If the worker leaves the role after three months, the employer does not recover the remaining levy. This is a known risk of sponsored hiring and is factored into the cost-benefit calculation employers make when deciding whether to sponsor.
The SAF levy rates are the same across streams. The visa application charge may differ slightly — verify the current charge schedule at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. The Specialist Skills stream is for roles paying above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (currently above $135,000 p.a.) and generally processes faster than the Core Skills stream.
Each nomination requires a new nomination charge and, if the original SAF levy was paid for a specific period, the situation is more complex. Your migration agent can advise on whether the original SAF levy can be applied to a new nomination or whether a fresh levy payment is required. This is one reason having the right candidate before lodging the nomination matters.
RecruitUp Global is a recruitment agency — we source, vet, and place South African tradespeople with Australian employers who are ready to sponsor. Our recruitment fees sit separately from the government charges described on this page.
Where we add cost-related value is on risk reduction. Employers who receive a RecruitUp candidate are working with someone who has been pre-screened for placement readiness — qualifications verified, TRA assessment status understood, documentation gaps identified before the nomination is lodged. A nomination that proceeds to a refused visa because the candidate’s paperwork was inadequate is an expensive outcome. A candidate who is genuinely ready reduces that risk materially.
We also work alongside MARA-registered migration agents and can refer employers to one if needed. The recruitment side and the visa side are separate — but they work better when both are running with accurate information from the start.
For employers: If you want to understand what a 482-sponsored trade hire actually costs end-to-end and whether the candidate pipeline exists for your role, talk to our team.
For tradespeople: If you’re a South African tradesperson and want to know what costs you should expect on your side of the process, register your interest and we’ll walk you through the preparation steps.
Website by BSharp Tech
