Subclass 186

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)

Permanent employer-sponsored visa — your direct route to Australian permanent residence through an approved employer.

What the ENS 186 lets you do

Live and work in Australia permanently from the day the visa is granted.
Include partner and dependent children as secondary applicants — all receive permanent residence.
Travel in and out of Australia for the duration of your travel facility (typically 5 years).
Access Medicare and other social services available to permanent residents.
Apply for Australian citizenship once the residency requirement is met.

Three streams

Direct Entry Stream — for skilled workers who have not held a sponsorship visa (or only briefly) and are nominated for an eligible position from outside Australia, or onshore where eligible.
Temporary Residence Transition Stream — for Subclass 482 / TSS holders who have worked for the nominating employer in the nominated occupation for the required period (currently 2 years).
Labour Agreement Stream — for workers nominated under a specific Labour Agreement negotiated between the employer and the Commonwealth (rare and industry-specific).

Employer / sponsor requirements

Lawfully operating Australian business with a genuine, full-time, ongoing need for the position.
Nominated position must align with an occupation eligible for the relevant stream.
Salary at or above the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the role, and at or above the relevant income threshold.
Compliance with Australian workplace laws, training obligations and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy.
Standard Business Sponsorship is not required for ENS — but the business must satisfy nomination criteria.

Applicant eligibility

Under 45 years of age at the time of nomination (with limited exemptions — e.g. specific medical practitioners, regional applicants, academic specialists).
Competent English — IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 6.0 in each band (or equivalent), unless exempt.
Direct Entry Stream — at least 3 years of relevant skilled work experience and a positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation.
Temporary Residence Transition Stream — at least 2 years working for the nominating employer in the nominated occupation in Australia (some flexibility for pandemic / extended periods).
Health and character requirements satisfied for all applicants 18 and over.

Why choose ENS over a temporary visa?

Permanent residence from grant — no provisional waiting period before PR.
Whole family transitions to PR together, including spouse and dependent children.
Strong employer-employee stability — no renewal cycles tied to short-term visa expiry.
Direct pathway to Australian citizenship after meeting the residence requirement.
Travel facility built in (typically 5 years on first grant) — Resident Return Visa later for ongoing travel.

Documents typically required

Valid passport, photos and identity evidence.
Skills assessment for Direct Entry (TRT has different evidentiary requirements).
Employment history evidence — references, payslips, tax/superannuation evidence for TRT.
English language test results within validity (typically 3 years).
Health examinations as required, police clearances for every country lived in 12+ months in the past 10 years.
Family member evidence — marriage / de facto / birth certificates.
Employer nomination documents — financial statements, ATO records, position description, AMSR evidence, organisational chart.

How StudyNet supports ENS 186 applications

Stream-selection strategy — Direct Entry vs Temporary Residence Transition based on your full work history.
Coordinated employer nomination and applicant visa preparation, lodged in parallel where possible.
Skills assessment guidance and assessing authority selection where required.
Salary review against AMSR and the income threshold.
Adverse-information mitigation, including past visa refusals, character issues or work-history gaps.
Post-grant compliance support for the employer and ongoing PR planning for the applicant.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information and refers to the Department of Home Affairs visa categories. It does not replace personalised migration advice. Please book a consultation for case-specific guidance.