Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visas or subclass 186 visa allows the skilled worker to work and reside permanently in Australia. This visa is available:

  • To those applicants who are already living and working in Australia as a temporary residence
  • To those applicants who are living outside Australia but are willing to work and reside here permanently.

As this visa is employer nominated, getting this visa is tougher as compared to other visas. The applicants have to qualify for a skill test to get this visa.

Benefits of Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) 

This visa provides you and your family members (mentioned in the application) almost all the benefits of permanent residence in Australia which include:

  • Reside in Australia for an unspecified time
  • Opportunity to Work and study in Australia without any restriction
  • Permit you to apply for Australian citizenship
  • Allow you to travel in and out of Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted
  • Access to Australia’s national health care scheme
  • You can sponsor your eligible relative for permanent and temporary visas

Eligibility criteria applying for Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) 

Visa 186 has three streams and the eligibility criteria for each stream is somewhat different.

Let’s first see the general eligibility criteria of 186 visas, required by all three streams:

  • Applicants must be skilled workers – you have to possess certain skills to carry out the job mentioned in the skilled occupation list. You must be an experienced skilled worker, at least with a minimum of three years of work experience. You have to prove yourself skilled by qualifying for the skill assessment test or by showing a relevant license.
  • Applicants must be sponsored by an approved Australian employer – your employer has to go through an official channel to nominate you for a 186 visa. Your employer must be an Australian resident whose venture is currently operated lawfully in Australia. The nomination will be withdrawn if your employer puts false information about them. 
  • Applicant’s age must be less than 45 years – your age must be less than 45 years at the time applying for 186 visa. There are some special dispensations for academic lecturers, scientists and researchers, or if you already have a 444 visa or you already work for the employer who nominated you.
  • The applicant must fulfil health requirements – you or any family member travelling with you must meet the minimum health requirement so that there is no extra burden on the Australian healthcare system. A registered healthcare employee will examine your health and submit the report on your behalf.
  • The applicants must meet the character requirements – you are denied to get a 186 visa if you do not provide your character certificate. It is to ensure that you are of good character and you don’t have any criminal record.
  • Your occupation must be mentioned in the skilled occupation list – The occupation list is always updated to meet the changing demand. All occupations are not eligible for all types of visas. So, do check if your occupation is listed on the 186 visa list or not.
  • Applicants must meet the minimum English standards – you must be competent in the English language otherwise you will be exempted. You need to qualify for either of the tests such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, OET or Cambridge C1 Advanced test, to prove yourself to be qualified in the English language.

Visa 186 allows its holder to work in Australia under one of these three streams:

  • Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream – This stream is for those skilled workers who are temporarily living and working in Australia under a class 457 visa. They must have worked at least two years for the same employer who has lodged a nomination for them to offer them a permanent position in that occupation. The employer must have submitted a valid nomination with the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) under the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
  • The Direct Entry Stream – This stream is for those people who have never or fleetingly worked in Australia. A subclass visa 457 holders who are temporarily residing in Australia and could not qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, may also apply under this stream to acquire a permanent residence in the country.
  • Labour Agreement stream – This stream is for those skilled workers who are also a holder of Subclass 457 visas and are nominated by an employer through a labour agreement. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria of age, skills, English language and other criteria stated in the agreement and submit the form along with a health and character certificate.

Step by step application process: A guideline to apply for visa 186 have been discussed here:

  • Check if you meet all the requirements to apply for visa 186 – The applicants must meet general requirements as well as specific requirements of that stream under which they are applying for visa 186.
  • Your employer must lodge a nomination for you – you must be nominated by an approved employer of Australia under the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Once the nomination is approved, apply for the visa within six months from being nominated. 
  • Get all your paperwork done – you have to submit several documents along with an application form to prove the claims made by you.
  • Apply online for visa 186 – once you have prepared all the required documents, lodge your application online. Be ready with all of your documents and credit card to pay the fees.
  • Wait for the decision – it may take months for the DHA to review your application. The immigration department may ask for more information such as biometrics if needed. They will request it from you. Respond to their request as soon as possible to get your visa.
  • Receive your visa – Once the application is approved, you will receive your visa. And if it is refused, they will tell you the reason and advise you to take the next step.

Application processing time and fees of each stream:

The application processing time of 186 visa under each stream is different. Know the processing time of each stream here:

  • Temporary residence transition stream: 75% of applications are processed within 11 months and 90% of all the applications are processed within 16 months.
  • Direct entry stream: 75% of applications received in this stream are processed within 7 months and 90% of the applications are processed within 11 months. 
  • Labour agreement stream: Just like the direct entry stream, the labour agreement stream takes the same time. 75% of applications received under the labour agreement stream are processed within 7 months and 90% of the applications are processed within 11 months. 

All these three streams cost AU$4,045 as application fees for 186 visa