Sponsoring or being sponsored on a Training visa (407)? Lodge in the wrong order and your application is void

Visa guide · 2026-08-14 · 5 min read

Two Kenyan adults review paperwork beside a laptop and clock at a sunlit dining table.

If you are in Nairobi or Mombasa and a business in Australia wants to bring you over on a Training visa (subclass 407), the order in which things are lodged now decides whether your application counts at all. From 11 March 2026, the old habit of lodging everything together and sorting out approvals afterwards is no longer an option. This guide explains the change in plain terms and what to ask your sponsor.

Old sequence against new sequence

Step	Under the old system	From 11 March 2026
Sponsorship application	Could be lodged around the same time as the other two	Must already be approved before the visa application is lodged
Nomination for you	Same: approved any time before the visa was granted	Must already be approved for you specifically before lodgement
Your visa application	Could go in early, even before the approvals	Valid only if both approvals are in place at lodgement

In short, the application is considered valid only if, at the time of lodgement, the sponsor already holds approval as a temporary activities sponsor, and the sponsor already has an approved Training visa nomination for that specific applicant. Commonwealth agencies are exempt from the nomination requirement, though they still need sponsor approval.

What happens if it goes in too early

An application lodged before those approvals are in place is not just delayed. It is treated as never having been valid. The visa application charge is refunded, but the applicant loses their place in the queue entirely and has to start over once the approvals come through.

The real risk is the gap in your status

The paperwork matters less than what happens to your legal position. Under the old process, lodging the visa application, even a technically premature one, triggered a bridging visa, which kept applicants legally in Australia while everything was finalised. Under the new rules, no valid application means no bridging visa. If your current visa runs out while you wait for your sponsor's approvals, you could have to leave Australia or scramble for another visa to stay within your conditions.

Questions to put to your sponsor

Is your approval as a temporary activities sponsor already in place, or only applied for?
Has a Training visa nomination been approved for me by name?
When did you lodge each, and what is the current processing situation?
If the dates slip, what is the plan for my current visa?

Treat "in progress" as not yet. Only an approved sponsorship and an approved nomination make a later visa application valid.

Why the government is doing this

This is not a random tightening of red tape. It is part of a wider push against what has been called permanent temporariness, where people string together one temporary visa after another because they do not quite meet the criteria for permanent residence. That pattern has been linked to exploitation risk, especially in sponsored categories where the right to stay depends on the employer. By requiring the sponsorship and nomination to be locked in first, the government aims to close the gap where that vulnerability tends to appear.

Common mistakes for Kenyan applicants

The first is lodging speculatively, hoping that a pending approval will catch up. Under the new rules an invalid application does not hold your spot; it resets the clock. The second is checking only the sponsor's word, rather than asking for confirmation of both approvals. The third is ignoring the expiry date on your current visa. The fourth is paying for a service that promises to fix timing, which nobody can do. For Australia, use an agent you can find on the Register of Migration Agents with a MARA registration; for New Zealand, a licensed immigration adviser or lawfully exempt person. For related reading, see new visa processing priorities and how to budget for the new visa charges. When you need a clear summary of your background for a sponsor, Build AI CV can help.

Frequently asked questions

Does this apply to every Training visa applicant?

It applies to Training visa (subclass 407) applications lodged from 11 March 2026.

What if my sponsor is a Commonwealth agency?

Commonwealth agencies are exempt from the nomination requirement, though they still need sponsor approval.

Will I get my money back if the application is invalid?

The visa application charge is refunded, but you lose your place in the queue.

Do I still get a bridging visa?

Not if there is no valid application.

Where can I read the official guidance?

See the Home Affairs visa listing and browse sponsor-led roles on the jobs page.

Key takeaways

A Training visa application is valid only if sponsor approval and nomination already exist at lodgement.
An early lodgement is treated as never valid, and you lose your place in the queue.
No valid application means no bridging visa.
Confirm both approvals and your current visa expiry before you lodge.

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