The Australian Government has announced an important update to the Training visa (subclass 407) application process. This change is designed to make sure the visa continues to support genuine skill development through structured workplace training in Australia.
From 11 March 2026, new applicants can no longer submit their Training visa application at the same time as the sponsorship and nomination applications in most cases. This is the biggest change people need to understand.
Earlier, it was possible for someone to lodge the visa application while the sponsor approval and nomination were still being processed. The visa could only be granted after those approvals were in place, but the application itself could still be lodged. Now, that process has changed.
Under the new rules, a person applying for a Training visa must first wait until:
- their sponsor is approved as a Temporary Activities Sponsor
- their sponsor has an approved Training visa nomination for them
Only after these steps are completed can the applicant lodge a valid Training visa application.
This change is very important because if a subclass 407 visa application is submitted after 11 March 2026 without the required sponsor and nomination approvals already in place, the application will not be valid. The Department will notify the applicant that the application is invalid and refund the visa application charge.
For many applicants, this means the process now needs more planning than before. Sponsors should apply well before the proposed training start date so that there is enough time for approvals to come through. Applicants also need to be careful, especially if they are already in Australia.
This is because people in Australia must continue to hold a valid visa while they wait for the sponsorship and nomination to be approved. They will only be able to receive a Bridging visa once they lodge a valid Training visa application. If the required approvals are still pending, they may need to stay on another valid visa, apply for a different visa, or in some cases leave Australia while waiting.
There is one exception to this general process. Separate arrangements apply to Australian Commonwealth agency sponsors. In those cases, the Commonwealth agency must still be approved as a Temporary Activities Sponsor before the applicant lodges the visa application, but it does not need to submit a nomination.
The reason behind this update is connected to the purpose of the Training visa itself. The subclass 407 visa is meant for people who want to improve their skills through structured, workplace-based training. According to the Government, the changes are also part of a wider effort to reduce “permanent temporariness,” where some people keep extending their stay in Australia through repeated temporary visa applications even if they may not be eligible for permanent residence. The Government has said that such situations can increase the risk of exploitation.
In simple words, the new system is intended to make the Training visa pathway more genuine and better controlled.
For applicants, the key message is clear: do not rush to submit the visa application before the sponsor side of the process is fully approved. For sponsors, the message is equally important: start early, because applicants can no longer rely on lodging everything together.
This update may seem procedural, but it can have a big effect on a person’s visa planning, travel timing, and legal stay in Australia. Anyone considering this pathway should make sure they understand the new process before moving ahead.
