186 ENS Visa
The Subclass 186 ENS visa (Employer Nomination Scheme visa) is one of a number of permanent residency permits, with a prerequisite that the applicant must have been sponsored by a nominating employer.
Applications for the 186 visa can be made under three distinct streams: the Transition stream, the Direct Entry stream, and the 186 Agreement stream.
- Temporary Residence Transition: for 482 (or 457) visa holders who have worked full time for at least two years in the last three in their nominated occupation. Time with any approved sponsor counts, not just the nominating employer. A new skills assessment is usually not needed.
- Direct Entry: for applicants who have not completed the two years, or are applying from outside Australia. Requires a positive skills assessment and at least three years of relevant work experience.
- Labour Agreement: for employers with a labour agreement. The agreement sets the terms.
In order to be eligible:
- your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) for the Direct Entry stream, or the same occupation as your 482 (or 457) visa for the Transition stream
- you must have competent English, such as IELTS 6 in each component or the equivalent in another approved test
- you must be under 45 when you apply, for all streams, unless an exemption applies
The subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is intended to give employers in Australia the opportunity to bring suitably skilled workers into the country to take up highly skilled positions when they are unable to do so by relying solely upon the Australian labour market.
Guidance for Employers
Businesses intending to sponsor applicants for a 186 visa must:
- be actively and lawfully operating in Australia
- have a legitimate need to fill the position they intend the 186 applicant to fill
- be able to employ applicants in the sponsored position for a minimum of 24 months
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
What is a Subclass 186 Visa?
- Subclass 186 visas provide permanent residence for skilled employees who have been nominated for a specific role by their employer.
- The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is the name for the wider program that enables Australian employers to bring in skilled workers from abroad on 186 visas.
- Applications for 186 visas require the submission of sponsorship by the potential employer and an application from the foreign worker.
- Applications for a 186 visa can be submitted from inside or outside of Australia, though applicants already in Australia must either hold an existing valid visa or a bridging visa A, B, or C.
Eligible Positions
The position intended to be filled by the overseas worker must:
- be a full-time job lasting for a minimum of 24 months from the point the visa is granted
- pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold ($79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026) and no less than the annual market salary rate
- be in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) for the Direct Entry stream, or the same occupation as the worker’s 482 (or 457) visa for the Transition stream
- be taking up employment under conditions that are as favourable to the employee as would be offered to an Australian undertaking similar work for the same employer and in the same location
- prove (unless exempt) they have sufficient English language skills, either by being a citizen of certain majority English-speaking countries, or by holding one of the following qualifications (no older than three years):
- IELTS with a minimum score of 6 in each component, or
- PTE Academic with at least 47 in listening, 48 in reading, 51 in writing and 54 in speaking (tests taken from 7 August 2025), or
- an equivalent score in another approved English test
In addition, applicants must:
- have had their skills assessed and determined to be suitable by the appropriate skills-assessing authority
- have a minimum of three years’ experience in the occupation their visa application is based on
- be under 45 when they apply (unless an exemption applies)
- meet all relevant mandatory licensing, registration and professional membership requirements
- meet all standard health and good character requirements for an Australian visa
186 ENS VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
Stage 1: Nomination Application
Applications are first registered on behalf of your employer with Australia’s Department of Home Affairs (the DOHA). Your employer will be required to provide the DOHA with documents to support the application and pay a Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy for EACH subclass 186 nomination. The exact fee will depend on the turnover of the sponsoring business.
Note: In the event that the nomination is approved before the actual visa application, the prospective employee must submit their application within no more than six months of the nomination’s approval.
Stage 2: Visa Application
Separate to the nomination, the prospective employee must submit their visa application to the DOHA. This can be done at the same time as the nomination application or within six months of the nomination’s approval. Applications must still meet the eligibility criteria above even if the nomination has already been approved by the DOHA.
Once both the nomination and visa application have been approved by the DOHA, a permanent subclass 186 visa will be issued to the applicant.
Skills Assessment Application
NB: Before a visa application is made to the DOHA, applicants must submit a request to an appropriate assessment authority to have their skills, qualifications and/or work experience assessed.
Each occupation has a specific assessing authority that applicants must approach before their application for a 186 visa can be approved. These authorities are the only ones authorised by the DOHA to consider 186 applicants’ skills and experience for a sponsored role.
We can assist with an application for a skills assessment if you have not already submitted a request for one. We will help identify the correct authority for the role you intend to fill, specify what documents and certificates you require to be assessed, and lodge the application itself on your behalf. We charge an additional fee for this service – this is on top of the assessing authority’s own fees.
