The Direct Entry (DE) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS, subclass 186) provides a pathway to permanent residence for applicants who have been nominated by an approved employer but who have not (or have not yet) accumulated 3 years of employer-sponsored temporary visa employment with the nominating employer — the requirement that defines the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. The Direct Entry stream is available to applicants both offshore (applying from outside Australia) and onshore (applying from within Australia). Unlike the TRT stream, the Direct Entry stream generally requires a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation, and the nominated occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list. The age limit (under 45 at nomination) applies to both streams. This page explains the Direct Entry stream requirements, how it differs from the TRT stream, and when it is the appropriate pathway.

For current Direct Entry stream requirements and the current skilled occupation list for ENS 186, refer to the DHA ENS 186 Direct Entry stream page.

• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) — Direct Entry stream criteria — sets the requirements for nominations and visa applications under the Direct Entry stream, including occupation list requirements, skills assessment requirements, age criteria, and salary requirements
• Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) — the primary occupation list for Direct Entry stream nominations under ENS 186; maintained by DHA; updated periodically; applicants should verify the current version of the MLTSSL at the time of nomination
• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, clause 186.233 (TRT stream) — for comparison: the TRT criteria requiring 3 years of sponsored employment and waiving the skills assessment; the DE stream has different requirements found in the Direct Entry criteria clauses
• DHA: ENS 186 Direct Entry stream — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186-direct-entry

Who uses the Direct Entry stream

The Direct Entry stream is appropriate for several categories of applicant:

• Applicants from outside Australia: a skilled worker who has been recruited overseas by an Australian employer and who has no prior temporary visa employment in Australia with that employer
• Workers who have not yet accumulated 3 years with the nominating employer: a worker who is currently in Australia on a subclass 482 or other temporary visa but has been with the nominating employer for less than 3 years — they are not yet eligible for the TRT stream but the employer wishes to nominate them for permanent residence now
• Workers on non-employer-sponsored visas: workers who are in Australia on a visa that is not an employer-sponsored temporary work visa (for example, on a partner visa or a skilled independent visa) who are nominated by an employer for permanent residence
• Workers transitioning from a different employer: where a worker has changed employers during their temporary visa period and has not yet accumulated 3 years with the new nominating employer, the DE stream may be appropriate

Occupation list requirement

For the Direct Entry stream, the nominated occupation must generally be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or another occupation list specified for ENS 186 Direct Entry nominations. Key points:

• The MLTSSL lists occupations (by ANZSCO code and title) that are eligible for nomination under the Direct Entry stream — an occupation not on the MLTSSL may still be eligible if it is on another applicable list for ENS 186
• The occupation must be at ANZSCO skill level 1, 2, or 3 — occupations at skill level 4 or 5 are not eligible for ENS 186 Direct Entry nominations
• The current MLTSSL is published at the DHA skilled occupation list page — it is updated periodically; practitioners and employers must use the current list at the time of nomination

Skills assessment requirement

Most Direct Entry stream applicants must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation. Key points:

• The skills assessment confirms that the worker's qualifications and work experience are equivalent to the Australian standards for the nominated occupation
• Different occupations have different assessing authorities — for example, Engineers Australia assesses engineers, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) handles health professionals registered in Australia, VETASSESS handles many professional and technical occupations, and Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) handles many trade occupations
• The skills assessment should be obtained early in the process — many assessments take several months and require extensive documentation of qualifications and experience
• For some occupations, the registration or licence to practise in Australia effectively serves as the skills assessment — for example, medical practitioners registered with AHPRA do not need a separate skills assessment

Age requirement — under 45 at nomination

The worker must generally be under 45 years of age at the time the nomination is lodged:

• The age is assessed at nomination lodgement, not at visa grant — if the worker turns 45 after nomination but before visa grant, the age criterion is still met
• Exceptions from the age requirement exist for: certain academics nominated by research institutions; medical practitioners to regional areas under a labour agreement; and some other high-income or category-specific cases — refer to the DHA Direct Entry stream page for current exceptions

Salary and employment requirements

The nominated position must offer:

• Market salary rate: the salary must be at the market rate for the occupation in the location of employment — the employer cannot use the subclass 186 to pay below-market wages; the salary comparison must be like-for-like (total remuneration for the sponsored worker vs. total remuneration for an equivalent Australian in the same role)
• Full-time permanent employment: the employer must intend to employ the worker on a full-time permanent basis in the nominated occupation

Direct Entry stream vs TRT stream — key comparison

The two primary streams of the ENS 186 serve different pathways:

• TRT stream: requires 3 years of employment with the nominating employer on a temporary employer-sponsored visa (TSS/SiD or former subclass 457); waives the mandatory skills assessment; same age requirement; more commonly used by workers already in Australia with the nominating employer
• Direct Entry stream: no requirement for prior employer-sponsored employment with the nominating employer; requires a positive skills assessment; occupation must be on the skilled occupation list; same age requirement; used by offshore applicants and workers who have not accumulated 3 years with the nominating employer

The TRT stream is the more commonly used of the two for workers already in Australia — the Direct Entry stream is the appropriate pathway when the TRT conditions cannot be met.

The Direct Entry stream is particularly important for Australian employers who want to recruit skilled workers from offshore — it does not require the worker to have previously held a temporary employer-sponsored visa in Australia, making it the main pathway for direct offshore recruitment to permanent residence. The skills assessment requirement is the most significant practical challenge in the Direct Entry stream — for some occupations, assessments take 6–12 months and the process of gathering and certifying evidence of overseas qualifications and experience can be burdensome. Employers considering Direct Entry nominations for offshore workers should factor in the skills assessment timeline when planning their workforce. The occupation list requirement means practitioners must verify that the nominated occupation is on the current MLTSSL at nomination time — occupation list changes are not uncommon and relying on a stale list can result in nomination refusal. For current Direct Entry criteria, the MLTSSL, skills assessment authorities, and processing times, refer to the DHA ENS 186 Direct Entry stream page.