Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

If you got a job offer in Australia, you may be able to live and work here indefinitely with a visa granted through the Employer Nomination Scheme. In essence, this means that an approved Australian employer can see that you’ve got skills that are of use to them, offers you a job and makes a statement to this effect in your visa application.

Visas granted under this scheme entitle their holders to reside permanently in Australia.

Then, you can:

  • Stay here indefinitely
  • Work and study here
  • Get Medicare (i.e. government-subsidised health services)
  • Apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
  • Sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence
  • Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after which, it is renewable on application)

You can apply for this from outside Australia, or from within Australia if you’re here on a temporary work visa. Employer nominated visas come in three types:

 

Temporary Residence Transition stream

If you’ve been living in Australia for at least three years on a temporary visa (subclass 457 or TSS subclass), in an eligible occupation, then you can apply for an Employer Nominated Visa (subclass 186). The employer who nominated your TSS visa will need to meet some additional criteria and if they do, can nominate your application for this permanent residency visa.

Direct Entry stream

This is for people who have never (or hardly ever) worked in Australia before, and for temporary residents who do not quality for the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Either way, if you’ve got an approved Australian employer who’ll nominate you, this could be your ticket to permanent residence in Australia.

Sound like you? Click here to get started.

Agreement stream

A “Labour Agreement” is a formal agreement between the Government and an approved Australian employer which bypasses the Direct Entry or Temporary Transition streams. This might occur when the employer has demand for a skill set or role which is not on the Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List. If you come here under a Labour Agreement, you may be able to apply for permanent residence under this scheme, with your employer’s nomination.