Employer Nominated Visa (Subclass 186)

The Subclass 186 Visa has 3 streams:

Direct Entry Stream

For applicants who are qualified or have sufficient experience in an eligible occupation.

Transition Stream

For 457 visa or 482 TSS Visa holders who have worked for their nominating employer for a minimum of two or three years.

Agreement Stream

For applicants who are sponsored by an employer under a labour agreement.

With this visa, you can

work in Australia indefinitely

study in Australia

travel to and from Australia for 5 years

enrol in Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare system)

sponsor your relatives to come to Australia

apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

186 Visa General Eligibility

Sponsor

You must be nominated by a business in Australia before lodging your visa

Experience

Applicants must have at least 3 years of work experience in the nominated occupation. Part-time work may be considered. Casual work will not be considered.

Age

The age limit is 45, unless exempt.

English

The primary applicant for the 186 Visa must have Competent English.

You will need to take an English test unless one of the following applies:

you are a passport holder from Canada, Ireland, UK, USA or NZ

If you need to take an English test, you can take one of the below tests:

Include family

You can include other family members when you submit your visa application, or add them in when the visa is under processing.

Employer Nomination

Applicants must be nominated by an Australian employer before applying for this visa and must apply within 6 months of the nomination being approved if the applications aren’t lodged together.

The visa cannot be granted if:

the nomination is withdrawn, or

the position is no longer available

Length of stay

This is a permanent visa, however, the 186 visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.

After this time, applicants can apply for one of the below:

Australian Citizenship

Resident Return Visa