Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186
Permanent residence through an employer who nominates you. For people already sponsored on a 482 it is usually the most direct route to PR available — provided the qualifying period is served in the same role, with the same employer.
At a glance
- Visa type
- Permanent residenceNominated by an employer
- Streams
- Direct Entry, Temporary Residence Transition, Labour AgreementRequirements differ substantially
- Skills assessment
- Direct Entry: yesTransition stream: generally not required
- Age
- Generally under 45Exemptions exist for certain roles
- Our fee
- On quoteAfter a consultation, fixed in writing
Subclass 186
Which stream you are in changes everything
The streams are not variations on a theme — they have materially different evidence requirements. Working out which one applies to you is the whole first conversation, because people routinely prepare for the wrong one.
Temporary Residence Transition
For people already working for their sponsor on a 482 or predecessor visa. Generally no skills assessment, but the qualifying period must be in the same occupation, with the same employer, and the details of that are strict.
Direct Entry
For applicants without that history. Requires at least three years of relevant work experience and a positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation.
Labour Agreement
Where the employer is party to a labour agreement, which can vary the standard requirements.
Employers nominating for permanent residence
A different commitment from temporary sponsorship. We advise on what the nomination requires and what follows it.
Eligibility
What the Department requires
Common criteria first, then the stream-specific ones. If you have been told you qualify without anyone establishing your stream, get a second opinion.
- 01
Nomination by an approved employer
For a genuine, ongoing position.
- 02
Age generally under 45
Exemptions apply to certain applicants, including some senior academics, scientists, researchers and technical specialists.
- 03
An eligible nominated occupation
On the list applying to your stream.
- 04
Direct Entry: three years relevant experience and a skills assessment
Both are required, and the experience has to be relevant to the nominated occupation.
- 05
Transition stream: a qualifying period with the sponsor
Time counts only where it was worked in the same role, for the same employer, and in the same location for the full required period.
- 06
English, health and character
At the level required, plus examinations and police certificates.
How we work
What we actually do for you
You should know whether an application is viable before you spend money on it. If it is not yet, we say so and set out what would change that.
- 01
Establish the stream
From your visa history and employment record, not from what is most convenient.
- 02
Check the qualifying period properly
For the Transition stream this is where cases fail — a role change, a site change or a gap can reset it.
- 03
Nomination by the employer
Position, occupation and salary evidence assembled to withstand scrutiny.
- 04
Your visa application
Skills assessment where the stream requires it, plus English, health and character.
- 05
Through to the decision
We handle requests for further information and keep you informed.
Where it goes wrong
Why these applications fail
Refusals are rarely a surprise in hindsight. These are the patterns we see most, and all four are avoidable with advice before lodgement rather than after a decision.
Assuming time on a 482 automatically counts
It counts only if it was the same role, same employer, same location for the whole qualifying period. Promotions and restructures can quietly break it.
Turning 45 mid-process
Age is assessed at a particular point. If you are close, timing stops being a detail.
Direct Entry without a valid skills assessment
Required for that stream, and it must be current when you apply.
Relying on a verbal promise of nomination
Until the employer lodges and it is approved, there is no nomination. Plan for the possibility that it does not come.
Fees
What we charge
General information, not personal advice. This page explains how the visa works in general terms. It is not immigration assistance for your circumstances, and reading it does not create a client relationship.
Requirements, thresholds and processing priorities change. The Department of Home Affairs is the authority on current settings, and we confirm them against your case in a consultation. Reviewed August 2026.
Advice on this page is provided by a MARA-registered migration agent, MARN 1793706. In Australia only registered agents may lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee.
Migration agent consultation
60 minutes, in person or online
Full assessment of your options with customised advice. Credited towards your visa professional fee if you proceed.
AUD 150Free for Scholar Hub students
Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186)
Our professional fee
Document preparation, drafting and lodgement, and responses to the Department through to a decision.
On quoteFixed in writing after your consultation
Our professional fees only. They exclude Department of Home Affairs visa application charges, skills assessment fees, English test fees and medical examinations.
See the full pricing page for other services.
Related pathways
Other visas we advise on
Most people are choosing between two or three of these. The immigration services page compares them side by side.
Skills in Demand
482Employer-sponsored temporary work, and the usual route into a 186.
Skilled Independent
189Points-tested permanent residence with no employer and no state involved.
Skilled Nominated
190Permanent residence with state nomination, which adds points to your score.
Skills assessment
Step oneThe mandatory first step for most skilled visas. Get the occupation right.
Questions
What people ask about the 186
General guidance only, and policy changes. Your own circumstances are assessed in a consultation.