Australian Immigration Daily News

Migration Amendment (Training Visas - Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026

The Australian Government has introduced the Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026, which amend the Migration Regulations 1994 and update the validity requirements for the Subclass 407 (Training) visa.

Under the amendments, an applicant will only be able to make a valid application for a Subclass 407 visa if they have an approved Temporary Activities Sponsor. In addition, where the sponsor is not a Commonwealth agency, there must also be an approved nomination for a program of occupational training before the visa application can be lodged.

Previously, it was possible for an application for sponsorship approval, nomination, and the Subclass 407 visa to be lodged concurrently. The amendments remove this ability, meaning that both the sponsor approval and nomination approval must now occur before a visa application can be made.

The Department of Home Affairs has indicated that these changes are intended to strengthen the integrity of the Subclass 407 visa program. The Department identified a significant increase in onshore applications since mid-2024, including cases where the visa was being used for purposes other than genuine workplace training or professional development.

By requiring sponsor and nomination approval prior to lodgement, the amendments aim to deter non-genuine applications and improve processing efficiency for applicants seeking legitimate training opportunities in Australia.

The amendments commence the day after registration of the legislative instrument.

Source: Migration-Amendment-Training-Visas-Sponsorship-Requirements-Regulations-2026_.pdf and 

Migration-Amendment-Training-Visas-Sponsorship-Requirements-Regulations-2026-Explanatory-Statement.pdf