A Genuine Position Report (GPR) is one of the most important—but most underestimated—documents in an employer-sponsored visa application. Its job is simple in theory: prove that the role being nominated is real, necessary, and genuinely fits within the sponsoring business.
In practice, it’s often the make-or-break factor.
What is a Genuine Position Report?
A GPR is a written explanation from the employer that demonstrates:
The position actually exists
The role is necessary for the business to operate or grow
The duties align with the nominated ANZSCO occupation
The role makes commercial sense given the business’s size, structure, and revenue
It helps the Department answer one key question:
“Is this job genuine—or is it being created just to sponsor a visa holder?”
Why the Department cares so much
Employer-sponsored visas are meant to fill real skill shortages, not function as backdoor migration pathways. The GPR is how case officers assess intent.
They use it to test:
Whether the business genuinely needs this role right now
Whether the position fits logically within the organisation
Whether the duties have been inflated to match a skilled occupation
Whether the business can realistically afford the role long-term
If the story doesn’t add up, the nomination can be refused—even if everything else is perfect.
How the GPR differs from Labour Market Testing
This is where many employers get caught out.
Labour Market Testing proves you tried to hire locally
Genuine Position Report proves the job itself makes sense
You can pass LMT and still fail on genuineness if:
The business is too small for the seniority of the role
The duties don’t match what the business actually does
The position duplicates existing roles with no explanation
The role exists only on paper
They work together—but they are not interchangeable.
What a strong Genuine Position Report covers
A well-prepared GPR usually explains:
Business overview
Nature of the business, services/products, growth stageOrganisational structure
Where the role fits and who it reports toWhy the role is needed
Increased workload, expansion, compliance needs, specialist skillsDaily duties (realistic and specific)
Not copied from ANZSCO—tailored to the businessWhy the role can’t be absorbed by existing staff
This is a big one that’s often missedFinancial capacity
Evidence the business can sustain the role at the nominated salary
Common reasons GPRs fail
Some of the most common refusal triggers include:
Generic, templated explanations
Duties copied word-for-word from ANZSCO
Roles that are too senior for a very small business
Inconsistent information across the nomination and LMT
No clear commercial rationale for the position
A weak GPR can undo an otherwise solid application.
Why it’s critical for visa success
The Genuine Position Report:
Protects the integrity of the visa program
Demonstrates employer credibility
Reduces the risk of refusal or further information requests
Strengthens the overall nomination narrative
From the Department’s perspective, if the job isn’t genuine, the visa shouldn’t exist—no matter how qualified the nominee is.