Employer cannot cancel your visa
The visa was granted by the Department, not the employer. Only the Department can cancel it.
Sponsor Cessation · 60-Day Window · New Sponsor Options
Your employer cannot directly cancel your visa.
Our employer sponsorship team Brian Park, Sourabh Aggarwal, and Prateek Maan handles urgent sponsor cessation matters from Brisbane, Darwin, and Gold Coast. But they can cease sponsorship, which starts a 60-day clock to find a new sponsor or depart. Here is what actually happens when an employer ends an employment relationship with a 482 or SID holder, and what workers can do.
What the employer can and cannot do
Four realities.
The employer role in visa cancellation is often misunderstood by workers.
Employer can end employment
Standard employment law applies. Termination, resignation, redundancy can all end the role.
Employer notifies Department
Within 28 days of ceasing employment, the sponsor must notify the Department. Part of sponsor obligations.
Department then considers cancellation
Department may consider cancellation under Section 116. NOICC process typically follows if cancellation considered.
The 60-day grace period
Find a new sponsor or depart.
After sponsorship ends, a 60-day window lets workers transition.
60 days starts on cessationFrom the date employment actually ends. Count precisely. 60 days is not extendable by the Department generally.
Finding a new sponsorA new SBS-approved employer can nominate you. If nomination lodged within 60 days, the worker visa can usually continue via the new nomination.
Alternative visa optionsApply for another visa (student, family, visitor) if pathway fits. Depart if no options materialise.
Work rights during the windowWork rights generally continue on the existing 482 or SID until the visa is cancelled. After cessation notification, situation becomes more delicate.
New sponsor option
Can save your Australian stay.
A new employer nomination within the 60-day window is often the cleanest resolution.
New sponsor must be SBS-approved
The new employer needs to be an approved Standard Business Sponsor. See SBS guide.
Nomination for the same or similar role
New nomination should be for the same or a similar ANZSCO occupation. Different occupation may trigger fresh skills assessment.
Lodge within 60 days
The new nomination must be lodged before 60 days expire. Visa cancellation is more likely if the window passes.
Workers have more time and options than many realise.
Employer cessation does not equal immediate departure. The 60-day window, possibility of new sponsorship, and consideration of visa cancellation (rather than automatic cancellation) all give workers time to plan. Early legal advice protects options.
Common questions
The questions we hear most.
For 482 cancellation scenarios, book with Brian Park.
What if I cannot find a new sponsor in 60 days?
Options include applying for a different visa type (family, student), or departing. Each case is specific.
Do I stop working immediately when sponsorship ends?
Generally yes, unless a specific arrangement continues. Ceasing work is usually the safer position.
Can I challenge the sponsor notification to the Department?
Not directly. But facts matter for subsequent visa cancellation consideration if Department acts.
What if I am in a dispute with my employer?
Fair Work process for workplace disputes. Migration law process for visa implications. Often run in parallel with specialist help.
Some information on this page has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and has been interpreted and approved by Principal Migration Agent Sourabh Aggarwal (MARN 1462159). Last reviewed: May 2026.