A Significant Change to the Subclass 407 Training Visa
A significant change to the Subclass 407 Training Visa came into effect on 11 March 2026.
While it may appear procedural, the change could significantly affect how this visa pathway is used, particularly for applicants already in Australia.
The Training visa (SC407) allows a person to come to Australia for occupational training or professional development, usually for up to two years.
It is commonly used for:
- workplace-based occupational training
- professional development programs
- capacity building for overseas employees
Unlike employer-sponsored work visas, the 407 visa is not designed as a work visa, but as a structured training program intended to improve professional skills.
Prior to 11 March 2026, the three key applications could be lodged simultaneously. From 11 March 2026, visa applicants can no longer lodge a visa application while sponsorship and nomination are still pending.
Under the new rules:
- The organisation must first be approved as a Temporary Activities Sponsor
- The training nomination must be approved
- Only then can the visa application be lodged
In simple terms: Sponsorship and nomination must now be approved before the visa application can be submitted.
For applicants already in Australia, the change creates a practical timing risk.
Current processing times for Subclass 407 visas can be up to 11 months. Because the visa application can now only be lodged after sponsorship and nomination approval, some applicants may face situations where their current visa expires before they are able to lodge the 407 application, leaving limited bridging options.
The government has framed the change as a measure to protect program integrity.
The Department has observed increasing cases where the visa was used for purposes other than genuine occupational training, including attempts to extend onshore stay or maintain lawful status when other migration pathways were not available.
In reality, the 407 visa has increasingly been used as a “holding visa” in migration strategies.
In practice, this sometimes involved:
- using the visa to extend stay after student visas
- weak or poorly structured training programs
- training arrangements that closely resembled regular employment
As scrutiny increased, refusals have also become more common.
This change also fits within a broader shift across the migration program. Over the past two years, Australia has introduced stricter settings across several temporary visas including student visas, graduate visas, and now training visas.
The broader policy direction appears clear, the government is increasingly focusing on reducing misuse of secondary visa pathways and tightening integrity across temporary migration programs.
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