Employer Sponsor Visa Australia

What Employer Sponsor Visa Australia does

Southern Stone International, doing business as Southern Stone, is a privately-held, MARA-registered Australian migration agency headquartered in Mount Waverley, Victoria, with a second office in Hobart, Tasmania. The firm provides fee-based professional advisory and visa processing services across the full spectrum of Australian immigration categories, serving two primary customer segments: individual visa applicants (skilled, family, student, partner, parent, business, visitor, and citizenship pathways) and corporate employers seeking to sponsor skilled overseas workers under programs including TSS 482, ENS 186, RSMS 187, SESR 494, and Training 407. Its service portfolio extends to labour agreements, SBS compliance monitoring, overseas skilled recruitment, merits review and Administrative Review Tribunal representation, and ministerial intervention.

The firm's core technology is its team of MARA-registered migration agents, education counselors, and support staff with over 30 years of combined experience, supplemented by a content marketing presence through its blog, news section, and Southern Stone Monthly newsletter. There is no proprietary software platform, mobile application, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed; service delivery relies on direct human expertise rather than automated tooling. A 'Trusted Brands' referral ecosystem includes the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA), QEAC Australia, NIB, Commonwealth Bank, Citibank, and Bupa.

The business model is sales-led and direct-to-client, with a free initial consultation funnel used to qualify leads, followed by bespoke fee-based engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, with prospective clients directed to book a consultation for personalized quotes. Inbound demand is generated through SEO-optimized website content, Google reviews (5.0 rating across 126 reviews), client referrals, and the monthly newsletter. No external funding rounds, revenue figures, headcount data, or ownership structure are disclosed in available sources.

Name

Employer Sponsor Visa Australia

Legal name

Southern Stone International

Website

https://southernstone.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Stone International is a MARA-registered Australian migration agency providing fee-based visa advisory, employer sponsorship, and merits review services to individual applicants and corporate clients across all Australian visa categories, operating from Mount Waverley and Hobart.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migration Advisory Services

akta.pro primary industry

Business Visa Application & Processing Services (THACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration Legal Advisory & Representation (Student Visas) (EDAIADAB), Appeals, Refusals, Administrative Review & Re-application Support (EDAIADAL), Corporate Visa, Immigration & Compliance Travel Services (THAKACAJ)

Keywords

• Migration advisory services
• Visa application processing
• Employer sponsorship visas
• Skilled migration consulting
• Australian immigration law

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Waverley

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Migration Advisory and Visa Processing Services: Fee-based professional services for visa application preparation, lodgement, and representation. Services cover individual visas (skilled, family, student, partner, parent, business, visitor, citizenship) and corporate employer-sponsored visas (TSS 482, ENS 186, RSMS 187, SESR 494, Training 407). Revenue is generated through consulting fees and service charges for application handling, merits review representation, and post-settlement support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Stone International is a MARA-registered Australian migration agency that provides fee-based visa application preparation, lodgement, and advisory services for individuals and corporate clients. The firm handles skilled migration, employer-sponsored, family, student, business/investor, citizenship, and visitor visas, alongside corporate employer-sponsorship programs, labour agreements, sponsorship compliance monitoring, overseas skilled recruitment, and merits review representation before the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Product overview

Southern Stone International is a registered Australian Migration Agency providing expert migration advice and visa-related services through a comprehensive portfolio of individual and corporate visa services. The company's offerings span multiple visa categories including General Skilled Migration (Subclass 189, 190, 491, 485), Employer-Sponsored Visas (TSS 482, ENS 186, RSMS 187, SESR 494, Training 407), Family Visas (Partner, Parent, Child), Student Visas (500, 590), Business & Investor Visas (188, 888), Citizenship Services, Visitor Visas (600), and corporate services including Labour Agreements, Compliance & Monitoring, and Overseas Skilled Recruitment. The firm operates as a MARA-registered migration agency with over 30 years of combined experience, primarily serving individuals and businesses in Melbourne, Victoria, and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Employer Sponsorship Services Supporting Australian businesses to sponsor skilled overseas workers under approved visa programs including Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS 482), Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS 186), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS 187), Regional Employer Sponsored (SESR 494), and Training Visa 407. Designed for Australian employers needing temporary or permanent skilled labour.
• Labour Agreements Facilitating tailored labour agreements between Australian employers and the Australian Government to address skilled labour shortages with overseas workers. For employers in industries with recognised shortage occupations.
• Sponsorship Compliance & Monitoring Helping Australian employer sponsors stay compliant with sponsorship obligations including SBS (Sponsorship Monitoring System) reporting, monitoring, and record-keeping requirements. For approved standard business sponsors.
• Overseas Skilled Recruitment Connecting Australian employers with qualified international talent to meet workforce demands through targeted overseas recruitment campaigns. For Australian employers facing skilled labour shortages.
• International Recruitment Services

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NIBminorOthersNIB is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands' on the website footer, indicating some form of association or referral relationship between Southern Stone and NIB (health insurer). Nature of partnership not further detailed.
• Migration Institute of Australia (MIA)minorOthersMigration Institute of Australia (MIA) is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands'. MIA is the peak industry body for migration professionals in Australia. Association suggests professional membership and adherence to industry standards.
• QEAC AustraliaminorOthersQEAC Australia (Qualified Education Agent Counsellors) is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands', indicating a connection related to international education and student recruitment services.
• Commonwealth BankminorOthersCommonwealth Bank is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands', suggesting a referral or partnership relationship for financial services related to visa applications (e.g., bank accounts for migrants, home loans).
• CitibankminorOthersCitibank is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands', suggesting a referral or partnership relationship for financial services catering to migrants and visa holders in Australia.
• BupaminorOthersBupa is listed among the agency's 'Trusted Brands'. Health insurance is a common need for visa applicants in Australia; this association suggests a referral or partnership for health insurance services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fragomen: Global immigration law firm with substantial Australian corporate employer-sponsored practice serving multinational clients; competes with Southern Stone for enterprise sponsorship work but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• KPMG Migration Services Australia: Big-Four advisory firm offering corporate immigration and visa sponsorship services as part of a broader professional services portfolio; an incumbent competitor for large corporate employer-sponsorship clients.

Others

• Migration Alliance: Australian migration agent association and ecosystem organisation representing the interests of registered migration agents; relevant peer in the sense of operating within the same professional community and standards framework rather than as a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• The Migration Agency: Australian registered migration agent offering visa application services for skilled, employer-sponsored, partner, and parent visas. Directly comparable in scope and target segments.
• 1st Migration: MARA-registered migration agency providing comprehensive visa services across skilled, employer-sponsored, partner, and parent visa categories to individual and corporate clients in Australia.
• Visa Solutions Australia: MARA-registered migration consultancy providing employer-sponsored, skilled, family, and student visa services to individuals and corporate clients in Australia. Closely matched service breadth and customer base.
• Immigration Advisers Australia: Australian migration advisory offering similar visa services including skilled, employer-sponsored, and family migration pathways for individuals and corporate clients in Australia.
• Emigrate Lawyers Australia: Australia-focused immigration law firm handling skilled migration, employer sponsorship, partner, and parent visas, with similar MARA-registered agent expertise and individual/corporate client focus.
• PAX Migration Australia: Australian MARA-registered migration agency offering a comparable mix of individual and employer-sponsored visa services with offices in multiple Australian states. Most directly comparable peer given similar service portfolio and target market.

Emerging players

• VisaEnvoy: Online-first Australian migration agency offering visa services with a strong digital/content marketing approach, serving similar individual and corporate visa clients but competing more on tech-enabled convenience than local presence.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-stone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Employer Sponsor Visa Australia