186 Visa Permanent Residency – 7 Expert Steps to ENS Approval
The 186 Visa Permanent Residency pathway—officially the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) subclass 186—allows skilled workers to obtain Australian permanent residence through nomination by an approved employer. If you meet the criteria and your employer completes the nomination correctly, the 186 can deliver direct PR with full work and travel rights.
What is the 186 Visa Permanent Residency pathway?
ENS 186 is a permanent residence visa for skilled workers sponsored by Australian employers. It has three streams:
- Temporary Residence Transition (TRT): for eligible holders of temporary employer visas (e.g., TSS 482) transitioning to PR with the same employer/occupation.
- Direct Entry (DE): for applicants who meet skills assessment/experience criteria and are nominated for an eligible occupation without needing a qualifying period on a temporary visa.
- Labour Agreement: for nominations under an approved labour agreement where terms differ from standard policy.
Core eligibility checklist
- Valid employer nomination for an eligible occupation
- Appropriate skills, qualifications and experience (DE usually requires a positive skills assessment)
- English language at the required level for your stream
- Age requirements (with limited exemptions)
- Meet health and character criteria
186 Visa Permanent Residency – 7 Expert Steps
1) Confirm the right stream & occupation
Map duties to the nominated ANZSCO occupation and choose TRT, Direct Entry or Labour Agreement. Stream choice drives evidence, age/English settings and skills assessment needs.
2) Prepare a complete employer nomination
The business must lodge a nomination showing a genuine position, market salary, and compliance with migration/workplace laws. Errors in the nomination can sink even perfect visa files.
3) Evidence your skills (and skills assessment if required)
For Direct Entry streams, most occupations need a positive skills assessment. Collect qualifications, transcripts and detailed work references aligned to your occupation.
4) Meet English, age and TRT service time
Ensure your English test meets the stream threshold and that you satisfy any TRT employment period with the sponsoring employer. Check any exemptions that may apply.
5) Lodge decision-ready applications
Aim to submit the nomination and visa with clearly named PDFs, an evidence index and consistent dates across contracts, payroll and references. Decision-ready files reduce back-and-forth.
6) Respond quickly to requests for information
If the Department asks for more documents, answer thoroughly and on time. Address each point with targeted evidence and cross-references to your index.
7) After grant: rights & next steps
Grant of the 186 Visa Permanent Residency provides PR rights: live and work anywhere, access Medicare, sponsor eligible family and later apply for citizenship if you meet residence rules.
Common 186 errors (and how to avoid them)
- Incorrect occupation mapping: duties don’t match ANZSCO → rewrite references to reflect real tasks and classification.
- Salary/comparator issues: failing the market salary rate → supply robust evidence and methodology.
- Missing skills assessment (DE): many occupations require it → plan early with the right assessing authority.
- Inconsistent timelines: payroll, contracts and references must align across nomination and visa.
Why choose Simon Mander for ENS 186
With 22+ years’ migration experience, I specialise in employer-sponsored PR including complex TRT and Direct Entry cases. I analyse the situation for both employer and I employee. I map evidence to legislation and in line with the Department’s policies, prepare nomination strategies, and resolve gaps before they become refusals. I’m a
Registered Migration Agent (MARA) and have been for 22 years.
Ready to secure your 186 Visa Permanent Residency?
Book a consultation.