Employer Nomination Scheme: Three distinct streams
Supporting Permanent Residence (PR) is an effective way for employers to attract and retain skilled talent while strengthening workforce stability.
The Temporary Residence Transition, Direct Entry, and Labour Agreement streams of the 186 Visa provide flexibility for long-term labour needs to help businesses secure critical skills and maintain operational continuity.
Interstaff’s comparative analysis highlights key differences between each 186 Visa Stream.
ENS 186 Visa: Temporary Residence Transition Stream
For Transitioning Current Employees: A PR pathway for employees on a 482 Visa.
Eligibility:
- Two Years of Sponsored Work in Australia on a 482 Visa.
- Employer Nomination for a permanent position in same occupation as 482 Visa.
- Qualifications and Work Experience – Relevant to the occupation. Must hold required licensing.
- Age Limit: 45 years – some exemptions.
- English Proficiency: Competent English is required, via testing unless exempt.
- Health and Character Tests Apply
No Labour Market Testing Required: Streamlined process due to previous 482 visa sponsorship.
Stream Benefits:
- PR certainty for existing sponsored workers, allowing businesses to attract and retain global talent.
EN 186 Visa:
Direct Entry Stream
For Direct Permanent Residence: Suits skilled overseas talent who may not have previously worked in Australia.
Eligibility:
- Positive Skills Assessment to verify qualifications and experience.
- Employer Nomination for a position on the relevant skills occupation list.
- Qualifications and Work Experience – At least three years relevant to occupation.
- Age Limit: 45 years – limited exemptions.
- English Proficiency: Competent English required, via testing unless exempt.
- Health and Character Tests Apply
Labour Market Testing: Generally required to prove no suitable Australian workers.
Stream Benefits:
- Skilled workers engaged for PR directly without sponsorship or transition period.
- Suits businesses with skill shortages or operating in niche industries.
186 Visa:
Labour Agreement Stream
For Skill Shortages Requiring Flexibility: A PR pathway that provides concessions to the standard eligibility criteria.
Eligibility:
- Labour Agreement: Employer must have or establish a Labour Agreement.
- Employer Nomination for a position as per the Labour Agreement.
- Qualifications and Work Experience: As per the Labour Agreement.
- Age Limit: 45 years, unless Labour Agreement exemptions apply.
- English Language Proficiency: As per the Labour Agreement.
- Health and Character Tests Apply
Labour Market Testing may be required: To prove no Australian workers.
Stream Benefits:
- Flexible and responsive PR pathway via customised visa requirements.
- Several types of Labour Agreement available for roles not on standard occupation lists.
The 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Process
Under both the 186 TRT – Temporary Residence Transition and 186 DE – Direct Entry Streams, sponsoring a worker involves two separate applications: the Nomination and Visa applications.
Talk to our Registered Migration Agents for guidance on sponsored work PR pathways under the Employer Nomination Scheme.
1. Nomination
Allows Home Affairs to evaluate the genuineness, relevance, and terms of the role.
The financial and operational capacity of the business to nominate the position is also assessed.
2. Visa
Home Affairs assesses your worker’s qualifications, experience and eligibility to perform the nominated role and meet the visa requirements.
Permanent Residence Planning
Offering employees a clear pathway to PR helps businesses attract and retain skilled talent for hard-to-fill roles where local candidates are scarce or specialised expertise is required.
Interstaff assist businesses with Permanent Residence Planning as a strategic approach to building a stable and committed workforce.
STEP 1
Assess and Strategise:
Permanent Residence Eligibility
Interstaff helps businesses and employees understand suitable PR pathways and plan accordingly.
We support you by:
- Discussing your ongoing and future workforce needs
- Assessing eligibility and costs for PR pathways for existing or new employees
- Advising a migration strategy including sponsorship compliance advice to ensure ongoing PR eligibility for the candidate – for example, maintaining role consistency and ensuring salary levels meet regulatory thresholds
STEP 2
Apply and Comply:
186 Visa Application
We manage the PR application process on your business and employee’s behalf, providing support by:
- Advising on key application requirements for the Employer Nomination Scheme
- Managing all aspects of the application, including complex cases
- Keeping you and your employees informed at every stage of the process
STEP 3
Retain and Grow:
Permanent Residence Policies
Interstaff works with you to integrate PR policies into your broader workforce strategies.
Our support includes:
- Compliance advice during business or employment changes
- PR pathway mapping for temporary visa holders
- Temporary visa expiry tracking to plan future workforce needs
- Advice on building PR policies into your employee retention strategy
- Advice on matters impacting PR eligibility, such as income threshold changes
- Advice on developing audit-ready systems for immigration inspections
- Post-visa support for employees and their families – including Citizenship
- Ongoing training on immigration policy impacts
Talk to us to explore a migration strategy and discuss 186 Visa requirements.
What 186 Visa Applicants Should Know
If an employer is wishing to sponsor you for a 186 Visa, it is essential to understand your eligibility. Interstaff provide eligibility assessments to both individuals and employers.
We also advise on migration pathways after Permanent Residence is established, such as Australian citizenship.
Experience and Insights
Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 Visa
Explore more about how we work, our industry experience and insights.
Permanent Residence Planning
Industries
186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa FAQs
No – many businesses support transitions to Permanent Residence for a 186 Visa on a case-by-case basis. The business must have a genuine ongoing need for the position. The benefit of making Permanent Residence policies available to employees is that it ensures the possibilities are clear and upfront.