Temporary Activities Sponsorship

Key considerations

• Match the proposed activity to the correct visa and sponsor requirements before applying.
• Treat sponsorship approval, any nomination or programme approval, and the individual visa as separate decisions.
• Read the dedicated Temporary Activities Sponsor obligations guide when planning resources and responsibilities.

What TAS approval is used for

Temporary Activities Sponsorship (TAS) is the relevant approval for subclass 407 training and specified subclass 408 activities. It is also required for employers sponsoring workers through the subclass 403 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream. It is not an approval for every 403 or 408 stream.

For some short offshore subclass 408 applications, a supporter can be used instead of an approved sponsor. Australian Government Endorsed Events have a sponsor exemption. Check the particular activity, application location and intended stay rather than applying a blanket three-month rule.

Eligible organisations and the correct legal entity

Eligible categories include lawfully operating Australian organisations, specified government and international bodies, sporting organisations, religious institutions and specified superyacht owners, captains or operators. The required organisation type can depend on the activity. Home Affairs also assesses adverse information and capacity to meet obligations.

An individual or sole trader does not qualify through the Australian-organisation category. Superyacht sponsorship has distinct eligibility and evidence rules. Overseas registration alone is not enough: relevant foreign organisations generally need lawful Australian operations, subject to the applicable category.

For a trust arrangement, the eligible trustee must apply in its own registered name and satisfy the requirements. A trust’s charitable status does not automatically establish the trustee’s eligibility. Home Affairs requires separate TAS approvals for organisations operating under different ABNs.

Build the organisation’s evidence

Prepare a document index that explains how the applicant is constituted, what it does and how it will support the proposed activity. Tailor the file to the organisation rather than supplying a generic company checklist.

• Legal identity: relevant ABN and registration records, business-name or company extracts, and trust or franchise documents where applicable.
• Active operations: available financial statements, tax records, banking evidence, contracts, premises and staffing information. A business operating for less than 12 months should explain its operating history and plan.
• Financial capacity: evidence of resources to meet sponsorship commitments, such as recent bank records, accounts or an appropriate accountant’s or financial institution’s assessment.
• Activity-specific capacity: identify the trainers, supervisors, facilities, institutional status, agreements or permissions needed for the selected activity.
• Special categories: religious institutions need relevant religious and charity evidence; superyacht applicants use vessel and authority documents appropriate to the owner, operator or captain.

Subclass 407: training and approval sequence

The sponsor must be approved before a 407 visa application. Unless the sponsor is an Australian Commonwealth Government agency, an approved training nomination is also required before lodgement. The agency exception concerns nomination, not the need for approved sponsorship.

Training must fit an eligible category and genuine learning purpose. The sponsor generally provides the occupational training directly, with specified Commonwealth-supported or other prescribed exceptions. Assess any third-party delivery arrangement before relying on it.

Create a participant-specific training outline showing learning needs, supervision, activities, location and timing. The 407 route is not intended to fill ordinary labour shortages. Home Affairs’ current guidance states that work undertaken in Australia must be paid; assess any placement arrangement against applicable workplace laws.

Subclass 408 activities and the PALM scheme

For 408, identify the precise activity before preparing supporting evidence. Research, religious work, sport, entertainment, exchanges and special programmes can require different organisation characteristics or agreements. A supporter provides the required supporting evidence without applying for sponsor approval; it is a different role.

PALM employers need both TAS approval and separate approval through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The current PALM application process requires TAS approval before the employer application is considered. Scheme participation brings additional requirements under the employer deed and guidelines.

Apply, record the decision and plan renewal

Apply through ImmiAccount, attach the relevant evidence and pay the current charge. Keep the submission and transaction reference number. Check the visa-specific sequencing rules before the participant lodges; the 407 approval sequence is particularly important.

Home Affairs states that TAS approval lasts five years from grant. The decision identifies the approval number, obligations and expiry date. The participant’s permitted stay is determined by their visa, not by the sponsor’s five-year approval.

Home Affairs recommends renewal at least two months before expiry. Maintain current contact details, review the expiry well ahead of proposed activities and check whether changed circumstances need disclosure. Approval or renewal should never be assumed while an application is pending.

How we can help

Discuss the proposed training or activity, the appropriate sponsor category and the evidence and compliance plan with Ausdirect.

Questions to consider

Your next step

Prepare the organisation’s registration details, existing approvals, activity outline, financial evidence and proposed participant dates.