Commencing from 11 March 2026, all new applicants for a Subclass 407 Training visa must have an approved temporary activities sponsor and a current, approved nomination for a program of occupational training, before they can make a valid visa application. An exception applies where the sponsor is a Commonwealth Government agency, which does not require a nomination application to be lodged.
Prior to this change, it was possible to validly lodge the visa application at the same time as the sponsorship and Training visa nomination application. These applications needed to be approved by the Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) before the Training visa could be granted.
The difference now is that sponsorship and nomination applications must be approved before the Training visa can be lodged.
What Are The Implications Of These Changes To The Validity Requirements For A Training Visa?
Following these changes, the sponsorship and nomination applications must be lodged and approved first before applying for a Subclass 407 Training visa. Otherwise, the visa application will be invalid, and the Visa Application Charge (VAC) will be refunded.
Forward planning is key, especially if the proposed visa applicant is onshore in Australia and holds a visa with an impending expiry date.
It is therefore recommended that a business should lodge the sponsorship and nomination applications well before the proposed training start date.
Proposed training visa applicants who are onshore in Australia should also ensure that they hold a valid visa whilst they await the processing of the sponsorship and nomination applications by the DOHA. Applicants will only be granted a Bridging visa for their Training visa application once they lodge a valid Subclass 407 Training visa application.
Applicants may need to depart Australia, or apply for a different visa, while they await approval of the sponsorship and/or nomination applications.
What If The Sponsor Is A Commonwealth Government Agency?
Separate arrangements apply for Australian Commonwealth agency sponsors.
A Commonwealth agency must be approved as a temporary activities sponsor before the applicant can validly lodge a Subclass 407 Training visa application.
Commonwealth agencies are not required to lodge a nomination application.
They need to provide a letter stating:
- they agree to be the sponsor (and this may also include family members); and
- the type, location and length of the training.
This letter should be included with the visa application.
High Growth And Refusal Rates For Subclass 407 Training Visa Applications
There has been a level of growth in lodgements for the Subclass 407 Training visa 407 over the past two years.
Training visa applications increased by 183.1% in 2024-25 (21,407) compared with the previous year (7,563 applications lodged in 2023-24).
The training visa refusal rate in 2025-26 to 31 December 2026 was 40.9%, compared with 6.3% over the same period in 2023-24.
Training Visa Processing Priorities
To manage the ongoing demand and increased growth in applications for the training visa, sponsorships and nominations for position types where there has been ongoing demand with strong quality indicators will be streamlined. This includes the following sectors:
- Health care and Social Assistance
- Professional Scientific and Technical
- Education and Training
- Engineering
- Aviation
Sponsorships and nominations with the following factors can expect extended processing times (not eligible for streamlined processing):
- where there appears to be an intention to maintain ongoing work in Australia rather than a genuine training outcome;
- nominations with a training duration not commensurate to the level of skills development to be obtained; and
- nominations with a long duration of training and a low rate of pay/remuneration
Applications characterising the above can expect to face a greater level of scrutiny and a higher risk of refusal.
Why Have These Changes To The Training Visa Validity Requirements Been Introduced?
The Training visa is designed for applicants who are seeking to improve their skills through structured, workplace-based training in Australia.
These changes aim to ensure that the program supports genuine skills development as intended, and to address ‘permanent temporariness’, where individuals who may not meet the eligibility criteria for permanent residence extend their stay through multiple temporary visa applications. This can make them vulnerable to exploitation.
Sources/Links
Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs, Changes to Training (subclass 407) visa application requirements
Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs, Immigration and citizenship, News and media, Archive, News, 10 Mar 2026, Changes to Training (subclass 407) visa application requirements: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1392&TermStoreId=1cafda66-8aac-4a45-95fa-3e03872913b6&TermSetId=a76074c9-979d-4db3-adcc-34af89495da2&TermId=a1f3153a-64f7-43f5-9891-29ec9f7ce4a6
Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs, Immigration and citizenship, Visas, Getting a visa, List of all visas, Subclass 407 Training visa: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/training-407#HowTo