Australia Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186

Immigrating to Australia with a confirmed job offer from an Australian employer is one of the most reliable pathways to secure Australia permanent residency. Australia, the country with immense career opportunities, world-class healthcare facilities, and an advanced educational system, attracts skilled professionals to immigrate and reside in one of the fastest-accelerating countries. 

Across several pathways available to skilled and competent professionals, Australia Employer Nomination Scheme visa is considered to be one of the most secure and credible pathways.  

What is the Australia Employer Nomination Scheme Visa?

Australia Employer Nomination Scheme visa also known as 186 visa is a well-established pathway for skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian employer, can live and work in Australia permanently. This visa grants workers to live, work and reside in the country and later apply for permanent residency after fulfilling PR eligibility requirements. This visa not only provides excellent career opportunities but also ensures their citizens and permanent residents the equal labour rights and remunerations, making an ideal choice for professionals planning to build a stable and secure future in Australia.

In order to immigrate to Australia under the Subclass 186 visa, applicants do require certain eligibility requirements such as: 

❖  necessary skills for the job

❖  nominated by the Australian employer

❖  Meet health and character requirements 

Streams Under the Australia Employer Nomination Scheme Visa

Australia Employer Nomination Scheme visa, also known as the Subclass 186 visa, has been categorised into three major streams. Skilled professionals can immigrate to Australia through Employer Nomination Scheme visa under one of the stream, which are as follows: 

❖  186 Visa Direct Entry Stream

One of the nomination scheme pathways which enables skilled professionals to immigrate and work in Australia. With this stream, professionals who have never worked and lived in Australia before and are presently residing outside Australia. To be eligible under this stream applicants must have certain eligibility requirements such as: 

●    the occupation must be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List

●    have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in their nominated occupation

●    the applicant must be licensed, registered or a member of a professional body

●    have a positive skill assessment from an authorized body such as ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS and TRA

●    nominated by the an Australian employer

●    must be under 45 years of age at the time of application

●    meet health and character requirements

●    must understand and sign the Australian values statement

●    must have at least competent English 

●    do not hold any debt to the Australian government

●    not had a visa cancelled or a previous visa application refused 

❖  Labour Agreement Stream

It is one of those streams which are reserved for applicants who are sponsored under special agreements between the employer and the government. With this stream, talented professionals are allowed to immigrate to the country on the basis of a labour agreement. To be eligible under this stream, applicants must: 

●    be currently working or plan to work for the employer under the labour agreement

●    be licensed, registered, or a member of a professional body

●    be nominated by an Australian employer

●    be under 45 years of age

●    in Australia and holds a substantive 457 or 482 visa issued under the labour agreement

●    meet health and character requirements  

●    have understood and signed the Australian values statement 

●    do not hold any debt to the Australian government

●    not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused 

❖  186 Visa Temporary Residence Transition Stream

Temporary residence transition stream visa is applicable to applicants currently working in Australia on a temporary visa. The applicants must be in Australia on a 457 or 482 visa issued under a labour agreement. To be eligible under this stream, talented applicants must: 

●    have the required skills and qualifications needed to perform the tasks of the nominated occupation.

●    skill assessment (may be asked in future)

●    have 2 years eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years prior to the application

●    be licensed, registered or a member of a professional body

●    be nominated by the employer who sponsored your temporary work visa

●    must hold a subclass 457, 482 or an eligible bridging visa

●    be under 45 years of age at the time of application

●    have at least competent English

●    meet health and character certificate

●    understand and sign the Australian values statement

●    do not hold the debt to the Australian government

not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

The Employer Nomination Scheme visa, or the 186 visa entitles skilled professionals to immigrate to Australia through a job offer letter from an Australian employer. Although, an employer nomination plays a crucial role in the visa application but the application process plays no less part. A clear understanding and strategic planning are considered one of the factors for a successful visa application. This guide will help you navigate the entire process of applying for the Subclass 186 visa. 

Step 1: Before Application

Even before applying for the visa, applicants need to prepare themselves for the immigration journey. There are certain key tasks that are to be done beforehand, such as: 

●    Get your skill assessment done from the recognised authority (not required under the labour agreement stream)

●    Take up your English language exam as the exam (competent English)

●    Get the nomination transaction reference number (TRN) from the employer 

Step 2: Choose the Correct Stream

Once applicants get themselves prepared for the immigration process, they are required to choose the correct visa stream under the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186. Before making a decision, applicants must check eligibility factors each stream holds. 

Step 3: Check Eligibility

After choosing a stream, applicants are required to check eligibility requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs. The general eligibility requirements remain the same for all the streams such as employer nomination from the Australian employer, health and character certificates, and necessary skills required for the occupation nominated, but there are some of the eligibility requirements that differ across 186 visa streams.   

Step 4: Gather Documents

After checking in all the eligibility factors, applicants must start accumulating necessary documents such as: 

●    Passport bio page

●    Coloured photographs

●    Proof of any license, registration, or professional membership to perform nominated occupation

●    Proof of skills and educational qualifications

●    Skill assessment certificate

●    Work experience documents

●    Age-exempted documents (if older than 45)

●    English language documents

●    Health and character certificates

●    Partner or dependent documents (if accompanying)

●    Proof of functional English (applicable for accompanying partner or dependents) 

Note –all the documents must be in English or translated into English. It is also required that the documents must be in a colour format, including photographs. 

Step 5: Apply for the Visa

After accumulating essential documents, applicants are required to apply for the visa. Initially, by creating an ImmiAccount, they must attach all the necessary documents, pay the application charge and submit the visa application. Applicants must note the TRN number for the reference as it ensures the Australian employer has submitted a nomination application. 

Step 6: Stay Updated with the Procedure

However, the Australian Immigration Department usually takes approximately 9 to 15 months to process the visa application, but it is always advisable to applicants to stay updated with the procedure. The immigration department may request for additional requirements such as biometrics, or to add or edit any further information, so applicants must wait for the visa decision. 

Step 7: Visa Outcome

Applicants are advised to wait for the visa outcome and if received a positive response, the Department of Home Affairs will provide:

●    Visa grant number

●    The date the visa starts

●    Visa conditions 

With these 7 steps, skilled professionals planning to immigrate to Australia with a valid job offer, can successfully turn their dream into reality. Australia, a land of diverse opportunities, provides a better lifestyle, highest-paying job profiles, making the chance of relocating with a job offer beforehand is considered a highly desirable pathway for prospective immigrants. 

186 Visa Processing Time

The Employer Nomination Scheme Visa or 186 Visa process visa applications depending upon the type of stream an applicant has selected to immigrate to Australia. Usually it takes approximately 8 to 15 months which differ across streams but is also dependent on certain factors such as already existing visa applications, additional requirements raised by the department or large number of applications registered. The 186 visa processing time is as following: 

 186 Visa Processing Cost

The processing costs for the 186 visa under its three respective streams are as follows: