Employer Sponsored Visa - Subclass 186

This visa lets overseas workers, who are nominated by their employer, to live and work in Australia permanently. There are three streams:

• Direct Entry Stream: Applicants who meet the necessary skills and work experience criteria and have an eligible occupation can be directly sponsored for permanent residency by the employer.
• Temporary Resident Transition Stream: Applicants who have worked with their nominated employer on a subclass 457/482 visa for 2/3 years in the same occupation, can be nominated for permanent residency by the employer.
• Labour Agreement stream: Pathway for applicants who are sponsored by an employer through a labour agreement.
  
  

Direct Entry Stream

You must be nominated by an Australian business that is actively and lawfully operating in Australia. The business must be able to demonstrate that the nominated position is genuine and fits within the regular and ongoing business activity of the employer. The employer must also intend to and have the capacity to employ the nominated person in the position on full-time basis for at least two years.

In summary, the criteria that a visa applicant has to meet is as follows:

• Be under 45 years*
• Have competent English
• Have an eligible occupation in the skills list
• Hold a positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation*
• Have at least 3 years of work experience
• Meet Health and Character Requirements

*There are limited exemptions to this criteria 

Temporary Resident Transition

You must be nominated by an Australian business that is actively and lawfully operating in Australia and the nominee is required to be employed under the direct control of the employer. The business must be able to demonstrate that the nominated position is genuine and fits within the regular and ongoing business activity of the employer and the employer must intend to and have the capacity to employ the nominated person in the position on full-time basis for at least two years. The visa criteria in summary is as follows:

• Be under 45 years of age, or under 50 if covered by transitional provisions*
• Eligible occupation in the Medium to Long Term List, unless covered by the transitional provisions
• Held a subclass 457/482 visa for 3 years in the same occupation, or if covered by the transitional provisions a 457/482 visa for 2 years in the same occupation.
• Have competent English
• Meet health and character criteria

*limited exemptions apply

Labour Agreement stream

If you currently nominated by an employer under a labour agreement, you may have a pathway for permanent residency if you meet the age, skills and English language requirements of the labour agreement.

Contact us

If you have any questions about your eligibility for permanent residency through the employer sponsored pathway, call us on 1300 98 70 71 and speak to one of our Registered Migration Agents.