The Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS, subclass 186) is a permanent residence pathway for workers who have been employed in Australia on a temporary employer-sponsored visa — the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) or the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa — for at least 3 years with the same nominating employer. The TRT stream is the most common route from temporary employer-sponsored work to permanent residence in Australia. It does not require the worker to obtain a separate skills assessment, as the 3 years of sponsored employment serves as the evidence of qualification. From 7 December 2024, the TSS visa was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SiD) visa — workers on either the TSS or SiD can use their temporary employment history toward the TRT stream. This page explains the core requirements, how the TRT stream differs from the Direct Entry stream, the age limit, and the process.

For current TRT stream requirements, refer to the DHA ENS 186 TRT stream page.

• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Subclass 186, Temporary Residence Transition stream criteria — the primary criteria for the TRT stream, including the 3-year employment requirement, the same employer requirement, the occupation requirement, and the age criterion
• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, clause 186.233 — the applicant must have been employed for at least 3 years in the nominated occupation by the nominating employer on a specified temporary visa (TSS or Skills in Demand)
• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa from 7 December 2024; workers currently on a SiD visa accumulate TRT-eligible employment from the commencement of their employer-sponsored work in the nominated occupation
• DHA: Temporary Residence Transition stream — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186-trt
• DHA: Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/186

The two-stage process — nomination then visa application

Like other ENS 186 streams, the TRT stream involves two stages:

1. Employer nomination: the employer lodges a nomination application with DHA, nominating the worker for permanent residence under the TRT stream — the nomination specifies the nominated occupation, the worker's employment history, and confirms the employer's intention to employ the worker on a full-time permanent basis
2. Visa application: the worker lodges a subclass 186 visa application (usually simultaneously with or after the nomination) — the visa application is linked to the approved nomination

The nomination and visa application can be lodged concurrently. DHA assesses both the nomination (employer eligibility, occupation, employment history) and the visa application (identity, health, character, English language).

Core requirements — TRT stream

The key requirements for the TRT stream are:

• 3 years of employment in the nominated occupation: the worker must have been employed in the nominated occupation for at least 3 years by the nominating employer — the 3 years does not need to be continuous but must have been on a temporary employer-sponsored visa (TSS/SiD, or the former subclass 457)
• Same employer: the employer nominating the worker for the 186 must be the same employer with whom the worker has accumulated the 3-year employment history — changing employers during the 482/TSS period resets the clock for the TRT stream (the worker would need to build up 3 years with the new employer)
• Same or closely related occupation: the nominated occupation for the 186 must be the same occupation (or closely related) as the occupation in which the worker was employed during the 3-year TSS/SiD period
• Full-time employment intent: the employer must intend to employ the worker full-time on a permanent basis in the nominated occupation
• Market salary rate: the nominated position must offer the worker a market salary rate; the employer must meet the salary requirements applicable under the ENS 186 framework

No skills assessment required under TRT stream

A significant advantage of the TRT stream compared to the Direct Entry stream is that the worker does not generally need to obtain a formal skills assessment from a relevant assessing authority. The rationale is that 3 years of employment in the nominated occupation with a registered sponsor provides sufficient evidence of the worker's suitability. This removes what can be a time-consuming and costly step — skills assessments for some occupations take several months and involve providing evidence of qualifications, work experience, and in some cases sitting an assessment examination. However, DHA may still request evidence of qualifications or work experience in certain circumstances — the absence of a mandatory skills assessment does not mean DHA will not scrutinise the worker's suitability for the nominated occupation.

Age requirement — under 45 at nomination

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

• The age is assessed at nomination lodgement, not at visa grant — if the worker turns 45 after the nomination is lodged but before the visa is granted, the age requirement is still met
• Exceptions from the age requirement include: certain academics nominated by research institutions; medical practitioners to regional areas under a labour agreement; and certain other high-income earners or specific category workers — the DHA page sets out current exceptions
• The age requirement is a significant threshold for workers approaching 45 — timing the nomination carefully is important

TRT stream vs Direct Entry stream

The ENS 186 has two primary streams:

• Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream: for workers already in Australia on a temporary employer-sponsored visa with the nominating employer for at least 3 years; no mandatory skills assessment; the most common pathway for 482/TSS holders transitioning to permanent residence
• Direct Entry (DE) stream: for applicants who have not (or have not yet) held a temporary employer-sponsored visa with the nominating employer for 3 years; typically requires a skills assessment; may be used by workers who have just arrived in Australia or who are applying from offshore; no prior sponsored employment required

The TRT stream is the more commonly used of the two for workers already in Australia — the Direct Entry stream is used where the TRT pathway is not available (for example, the worker has not yet accumulated 3 years with the nominating employer, or is applying from outside Australia).

December 2024 — TSS visa to Skills in Demand visa transition

From 7 December 2024, the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SiD) visa (subclass 482) for new applications. Key implications for the TRT stream:

• Workers who held a TSS visa before December 2024 can still count their TSS-era employment toward the 3-year TRT requirement — the change from TSS to SiD visa did not reset the employment clock
• Applications for a subclass 186 TRT stream that were lodged before December 2024 continue to be assessed under the requirements in force at the time of lodgement
• New applications for temporary employer-sponsored work from December 2024 are on the Skills in Demand visa, and those years of employment will count toward the TRT stream requirement

For current requirements and processing information for the TRT stream, refer to the DHA TRT stream page.

The TRT stream is the primary route to permanent residence for the large cohort of workers currently in Australia on employer-sponsored temporary visas. The 3-year requirement creates a defined pathway — workers and employers should plan for the permanent residence nomination well before the 3-year mark is reached, as DHA processing times for ENS 186 nominations and visa applications can be substantial. Workers who change employers before reaching 3 years must restart the TRT clock with the new employer; some workers may prefer to remain with the same employer specifically to preserve their TRT eligibility, even if they could otherwise move to a better opportunity. The absence of a mandatory skills assessment under the TRT stream is one of the most significant differences from the Direct Entry stream and from the skilled independent pathway — it removes a potential barrier for workers whose qualifications may not align perfectly with Australian skills assessment requirements. For current TRT stream criteria, nomination requirements, processing times, and fees, refer to the DHA ENS 186 TRT stream page.