Increased Scrutiny Of Temporary Visas: Subclass 407

The Department of Home Affairs has significantly increased scrutiny of visa applications and the integrity of the immigration system. This focus is partly due to concerns about potential misuse of the visa system, including issues like exploitation of migrant workers, and misuse of the employer-sponsored visa schemes. The Department is conducting more thorough checks on sponsors to ensure that positions are genuine and available, and that visa holders are being treated fairly.

Roam Migration Law has seen an increased focus on the Genuine Temporary Entry (GTE) requirement for temporary visa applicants, to verify their intention to genuinely stay temporarily in Australia and their incentive is to to return to their home country. Changes have been introduced to restrict "visa hopping," where individuals apply for multiple visas onshore, potentially circumventing the intended purpose of the initial visa.

Subclass 407 (Training) Visa

The Subclass 407 visa is a temporary visa that allows applicants to participate in workplace-based training to enhance their skills for their job, area of tertiary study, field of expertise, or in a professional development training program in Australia. Applicants are generally required to have at least 12 months of full-time experience in their occupation in the 24 months immediately preceding the application.

This visa allows a stay of up to 2 years. However, the visa period is determined at the Department´s discretion based on the applicant's skills and experience (or time required to obtain registration).

Following the cessation of the subclass 408 Covid-19 visa, the Department has seen a dramatic increase of the number of lodgements for subclass 407 visas. Between 1 July 2024 and 28 February 2025, there was a 360% increase in lodgements compared to the same period in the previous year.

This increase has impacted the scrutiny of these applications, as the Department has seen how this visa can be used to extend the applicants stay and work in Australia who have no other visa pathways ("visa hoping") due to a lack of experience or skills. There is a high refusal rate for these applications, including those for sponsors with good track records.

Common reasons for refusals

• Training plans that are not structured or that do not align with the applicant´s occupation
• No clear evidence that the training opportunity has been tailored to suit the applicant's qualifications, skills and experience
• Genuineness of the position

How to strengthen your application

• Ensure you provide a training plan that is occupation-specific, structured and tailored to the applicant's skills
• Do not provide generic documentation
• Ensure you meet all the eligibility criteria and that you have provided documentation to support this. Assistance from a professional is highly recommended in this current environment

Our Assistance

Sponsored visas are complex and challenging to navigate. Our firm has experienced immigration lawyers with extensive knowledge in corporate migration.

If you would like our assistance to provide you with strategic workforce planning or evaluate your visa options, please schedule a consultation with our team.