Australia Sponsored Training Visas
Professional Development Visa (Subclass 470)
Who is the Australia Professional Development visa for?
A professional development visa allows sponsored foreign nationals who are professionals, managers or government officials to undertake professional development training programs in Australia for periods of up to 18 months. (Longer periods may be possibel in exceptional cases)
An approved Australian sponsoring organisation that has an agreement with an overseas employer operating outside Australia, lodges visa applications on behalf of applicants nominated by the overseas employer.
What does the Australia Professional Development visa let me do?
If granted this visa, sponsored participants can undertake an approved professional development program in Australia.
Visas are granted four weeks before a participant is due to begin a professional development program. The visa also allows for two weeks after the cessation of the program to allow the participant to finalise affairs before departing Australia.
Changes to the visa as of November 2005
The regulation regarding the Australia Professional Development visa program were amended on 1 November 2005 to provide more flexible and attractive arrangements for all participating parties.
Longer Professional Development programs
Program may now last up to 18 month. In exceptional cases, approval may be granted for programs of more than 18 months duration.
New flexible funding
Australian sponsors and other parties to a professional development agreement can now fund applicants. Other than tuition costs, the overseas participant can partially fund their own participation. Agreements between sponsors and employers must specify funding arrangements and responsibilities.
Bond changes
The sponsor security bond has been reduced from AUD$100,000 to AUD$15,000.
Note: A bond is not usually required if participants are nationals of an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) eligible country, or are sponsored by an Australian federal government agency.
Where a bond is required, the Australian sponsors are to provide a security bond of AUD$15,000 per program, which should be in the form of a bank guarantee.
Sponsors are required to sign a new undertaking requiring them to 'top up' any forfeited security amounts within 28 days of being requested by the department in writing to do so, or any further period allowed.
For details see http://www.immi.gov.au/students/sponsored/pdv/
