The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) — subclass 186 — is Australia's primary employer-sponsored permanent residence visa. It allows Australian employers to nominate a highly skilled worker to fill a position in Australia permanently. Unlike the temporary employer-sponsored visa (subclass 482 SID), the 186 grants permanent residence immediately on grant.

The 186 has three streams: the Direct Entry stream (for workers coming directly to Australia or recently arrived from overseas), the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream (for workers already in Australia on a subclass 482 or former 457), and the Labour Agreement stream (for employers operating under a labour agreement with the Australian government). For current eligibility requirements, occupations lists, and salary thresholds, refer to the DHA subclass 186 page.

• Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 186 — the visa criteria
• DHA: Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/employer-nomination-scheme-186
• DHA: Direct Entry stream — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186-direct-entry
• DHA: Temporary Residence Transition stream — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186-trt
• DHA: Labour Agreement stream — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186-labour-agreement

Employer requirements for all streams

Across all three streams, the employer must:

• Be a lawfully operating business in Australia
• Be an approved standard business sponsor (for Direct Entry and TRT streams) or be party to a labour agreement (for the Labour Agreement stream)
• Pay the nominated worker at least the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) — ensuring the worker is paid no less than an Australian worker would be for the same position. For current salary requirements, refer to the DHA salary requirements page.

Stream 1 — Direct Entry stream

The Direct Entry stream is for workers who:

• Are nominated by an Australian employer for a position in an eligible occupation
• Have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation
• Hold a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority (unless exempt)
• Meet English language requirements
• Are under 45 years of age at the time of application (with limited exceptions)

The nominated occupation must be on an eligible occupation list. For the current eligible occupation list for Direct Entry 186 applications, refer to the DHA Direct Entry stream page.

Stream 2 — Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream

The TRT stream provides a pathway to permanent residence for workers who are already in Australia on a:

• Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa — granted on or after 18 March 2018; or
• Subclass 457 (former Temporary Business Long Stay) visa

To qualify under the TRT stream, the worker must have been working for the same nominating employer in the nominated occupation for at least:

• 2 years (for subclass 482 holders granted on or after 18 March 2018), or
• 3 years (for subclass 457 holders granted before that date)

The TRT stream does not require a new skills assessment or the 3-year work experience requirement of the Direct Entry stream — the time spent working for the employer on the temporary visa satisfies the relevant transition requirement. An occupation list restriction does not apply to TRT applicants in the same way as Direct Entry — refer to the DHA TRT stream page for current requirements.

Stream 3 — Labour Agreement stream

The Labour Agreement stream is for workers nominated by an employer who is party to a labour agreement with the Australian government. Labour agreements are tailored arrangements that allow employers to address specific workforce needs that cannot be met through the standard visa framework. The eligibility requirements under the Labour Agreement stream are set out in the relevant labour agreement rather than the standard Migration Regulations criteria. For the labour agreement framework, see the labour agreement framework page.

What the 186 grants

The subclass 186 grants permanent residence in Australia from the date of grant. There is no requirement to remain with the nominating employer after the visa is granted — the holder is free to change employers, change occupation, or cease work. As a permanent resident, the holder can apply for Australian citizenship after meeting the residence requirements.

The ENS subclass 186 is one of the main permanent skilled visa pathways alongside the points-tested skilled visas (subclass 189/190/491→191). For workers already in Australia on a temporary 482 visa, the TRT stream is typically the most straightforward route to permanent residence — it does not require a fresh skills assessment and directly recognises the time spent working for the employer. For current occupation lists, salary thresholds, and processing times, refer to the DHA subclass 186 page and the DHA processing times page.