Who must pay Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy?

Sponsors of 482 visa applicants pay SAF levy at nomination time.

The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is the nomination training contribution charge imposed by the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Act 2018 and payable under section 140ZM of the Migration Act 1958 when an employer nominates a position for a sponsored skilled worker. The amount is set by the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Regulations 2018 and depends on the employer's annual turnover (under or over $10 million) and the visa. For Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) and older 457/482 nominations, a base amount of $1,200 (turnover under $10 million) or $1,800 applies for each year of the proposed stay of 1 to 4 years. Permanent Subclass 186 and 187 nominations, and Subclass 494 regional nominations for a visa applicant, attract $3,000 or $5,000 (a formula applies when nominating an existing 494 holder). The charge is nil for Labour Agreement nominations of a minister of religion or religious assistant. It applies whether the nomination is made in or outside Australia.

Applies when the business has sponsored visa workers.

How the regulator frames it: Employers nominating a position for a Subclass 482 Skills in Demand, Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional), or Subclass 186 or 187 visa, whether the employer is in Australia or overseas.

What triggers it: Making a nomination of a proposed occupation for a sponsored worker under section 140GB of the Migration Act or regulation 5.19 of the Migration Regulations.

Jurisdiction: Commonwealth law, so the test is the same in every state and territory.

Outcome across the 35 industries Rules Mate maps (35 of 35: no).

The answer is the same in every industry: no. Industry does not change who must comply.

Structure does not change the answer across all industries: for every structure the answer is "no".

Size does not change the answer across all industries: at every size band the answer is "no".

Each line is one run of the Rules Mate applicability engine for a single business profile, with the reason the engine gives:

• Pty Ltd company in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: does not apply. Requires sponsored visa workers.

Starting from a small or large professional services company that does not otherwise meet the test, each of these single facts changes the engine's answer:

• The business sponsors workers on employer-sponsored visas: it then applies (you sponsor visa workers).

When due

On the nomination day, when the nomination (or the application for approval of a nomination) is made. Annual turnover is measured for the most recent income year ending before that day.

Frequency

When a triggering event occurs

Evidence to keep

Annual turnover figures for the most recent income year before the nomination day (total ordinary income for a business operating in Australia); calculation of the charge by visa subclass and years of proposed stay; payment receipt for each nomination; Labour Agreement documents where a nil charge is claimed.

Status

Current

Priority

High

Maximum penalty: The SAF levy is a statutory charge rather than a penalty: the amount payable is fixed by the Charges Regulations (up to $1,800 per year of proposed stay for a 482 nomination, or $5,000 for a 494, 186 or 187 nomination by a business with turnover of $10 million or more), within the indexed charge limit in s 9 of the Charges Act.

Rules Mate has not yet classified the audit or assurance level for this obligation. Any audit, review or certification requirement is set by the regulator source listed below.

If this obligation applies to you, so do these 2: the engine uses the same rule for each.

• Comply with Standard Business Sponsor obligations (482 + 494)
• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — 3 streams from 7 December 2024

• Document VEVO checks + retain employer records (s 245AYL Migration Act): Employers should document VEVO checks at hire; statutory defence for compliant employers.
• Verify work rights via VEVO before employment: Employers must verify visa work rights via VEVO before hiring non-citizens.

Rules Mate tracks 5 published obligations tagged "migration", 3 of them rated critical. For a professional services Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees operating in every state, 2 of those apply outright. This obligation is rated high priority, and is triggered by events.

Migration Act 1958: Federal migration regulation.

• Migration Act 1958

Free tools that help with this obligation:

• Compliance calendar builder