Practice Alert
Subclass 407 Refusal Surge: About 6,500 of 8,000 Finalised Nominations Refused
Recent subclass 407 figures warrant attention: about 6,500 of approximately 8,000 finalised nominations were refused, while roughly 6,500 associated visa applications had received section 57 letters or were yet to progress.
Recently released industry figures indicate that, since July 2026, about 6,500 of approximately 8,000 finalised subclass 407 nomination applications did not meet the relevant requirements. High volumes of associated visa refusals were expected to continue over the following weeks and months.
About 6,500 associated visa applications remain in the process
- About 2,500 visa applications had received a section 57 natural justice letter after nomination refusal;
- about 4,000 visa applications involved a refused nomination but had not yet been progressed.
These figures should not be treated as a final refusal total because some applications remain under consideration or response. They do show that refusal of a nomination does not make the associated visa application disappear; the applicant may quickly face the absence of an approved nomination, a GTE concern or another visa issue.
Three separate questions
- whether the sponsor meets the sponsorship requirements;
- whether the proposed training and nomination are genuine, structured and eligible;
- whether the visa applicant meets GTE, health, character and other personal criteria.
What do the 28-day and 14-day periods mean?
- Where refusal is being considered because there is no longer an approved nomination, a standard section 57 letter generally provides 28 days to respond;
- where the applicant is also found not to satisfy GTE, refusal may proceed without that type of section 57 letter;
- the Department described a standard practice of generally allowing 14 days after nomination refusal before deciding the associated visa application, giving clients time to consider their options.
Preparing a stronger subclass 407 matter
- The training should have a defined purpose, structure, supervision and timetable;
- content should fit the applicant’s background and genuine development needs;
- the sponsor must be capable of delivering the proposed training;
- documents should be consistent and should not disguise ordinary employment as nominal training.