Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa gives Australian employers a pathway to employ skilled workers permanently — and gives skilled workers a direct route to permanent residence. There are three streams — Direct Entry, Temporary Residence Transition and Labour Agreement — and we help both employers and applicants prepare nomination and visa applications that stand up to scrutiny.

What the employer and position must meet

For either stream, the sponsoring business must generally be actively and lawfully operating, financially able to employ you in the nominated position for at least two years, and free of adverse information. The position must be genuine and full-time, available for at least two years, with a salary that meets the required minimum and the annual market salary rate for the role. Employers also pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy for each nomination.

Direct Entry stream

The Direct Entry stream suits skilled workers who haven't necessarily worked in Australia on a sponsored visa. As the applicant you generally need to be under 45, hold a suitable skills assessment, have at least three years of relevant work experience, have at least competent English, and nominate an occupation on the applicable occupation list (currently the Core Skills Occupation List).

Temporary Residence Transition stream

The Temporary Residence Transition stream suits workers already sponsored in Australia. As the applicant you generally need to have held an eligible Subclass 482 (or earlier 457) visa and worked full-time in your nominated occupation for at least two of the last three years, be under 45, and have at least competent English. A formal skills assessment usually isn't required for this stream.

How the application works

The employer's nomination is lodged with the Department for the skilled position, and your visa application is lodged either at the same time or within the required period after the nomination is approved. Once both are approved, you're granted a permanent visa. We coordinate both sides so the applications align and are properly evidenced.