Target Success Immigration & Education

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa

Employer Nomination Visa is a permanent residency visa for skilled workers that allows you to work and live in Australia. With the 186 visa, an applicant can work in Australia permanently, However, an applicant can apply for the visa from outside Australia, or within Australia. Also, the temporary visa holder can convert their temporary visas such as 457 visa or 482 visa into a permanent 186 visa.

The Visa allows you to have a permanent residency in Australia with no conditions, it can be the first step towards Australian citizenship. Visa holder can have their dependent family member with them. Visa holder can live and work wherever they want in Australia. However, travel facilities are allowed for 5 years to travel in and out of Australia, after 5 years you are required to have a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia.

186 visa involves a two-step process, First, The applicant required a nomination by an approved sponsored Australian employer, and after getting the nomination application can be lodged under the nominated stream. You must have the necessary skills to apply for the subclass 186 visa under the nominated occupation listed in CSOL (Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List).

Employer Nomination Visa Streams

The Employer Nomination Visa comes under the category of Employer-Sponsored visas, There are three streams to obtain the ENS visa, you can apply via Direct Entry Stream, Temporary Residence Transition Stream, or Labour Agreement Stream. The requirements are different depends on the stream you are eligible or applying for.

Direct Entry Stream:

The direct entry stream is for those applicants who don’t have a temporary Australian visa previously or didn’t work in Australia before. Temporary residents with 457 visa might be eligible to apply under the direct entry stream if they are not qualified for the Temporary residence transition stream. The application must be applied from outside Australia.

Temporary Residence Transition Stream:

The TRT stream is for those applicants who are currently living in Australia and previously holds the temporary 457 visa. The applicant must have worked for upto two years in the same occupation employer has sponsored them for, and now the employer offering the permanent position in that occupation. The employer must have lodged a valid nomination with the Home Affairs Department, and must not be subjected to a labour agreement.

Labour Agreement Stream:

The Labour Agreement Stream is for the applicant who is holding a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) and were sponsored by the employer through a labour agreement. You must meet the age, skills, and English language requirements mentioned in the agreement.

Eligibility Criteria for ENS 186 Visa

There is a range of basic criteria to be eligible for applying for the Employer Nomination Scheme visa Stated by the country.

Age Requirement:

To apply for a 186 visa the applicant must be under 45 years of age while lodging a visa application. However, there are some exemptions such as, for academic lecturers, researcher and scientists, or 444 visa holder or already employee for the sponsoring employer who has nominated the applicant.

Skills Requirement:

The applicant must have the skills listed in the skilled occupation list, including relevant work experience, Usually a minimum of three years of professional experience in a selected occupation to carry out the job. To prove the evidence of skills requirement you must have to submit a skill assessment or provide evidence of a relevant license, registration, or membership with a governing body. You must check the skill Occupation list before applying as the list only include all the eligible occupations.

Nomination Requirement:

Make sure to have a registered sponsoring employer before lodging the application, the sponsoring employer must fulfil the official requirements mentioned by the Australian government. This is to ensure that employer is operating lawfully. The visa will get rejected if the nominator has adverse information, or the nominator has withdrawn the application.

English Language Requirement:

To apply for the 186 visa, the applicant must have a minimum of competent English requirement. You need to meet certain scores in either of the English language test providers: IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, C1 Cambridge, or OET.

You don’t need to provide evidence for English language proficiency if you are: A citizen or permanent resident of, The United Kingdom, New Zealand, The United States of America, The Republic of Ireland, or Canada.

Health Requirement:

To ensure no extra burden on the Australian Healthcare system, the applicant and family members of the applicant must meet the health requirement by the registered healthcare provider. You have to carry out a health examination and the healthcare provider will submit the results to the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf.

Character Requirement:

You must have to provide evidence to ensure good character by submitting a police certificate, or any other documents that you don’t have any criminal record, or involved in any anti-social groups, or have the potential to engage in criminal activities.

Documents Checklist for 186 Visa

To apply for a 186 visa you have to provide a lot of documents as compared to a 482 visa, you must gather all your required documents as soon as possible. Below is the list of required documents checklist. By the time of lodging application, you may get a request to prove more documents by the Department of Home Affairs.

  • English Language proficiency certificate dated within the last three years.
  • Police certificates from your home country, or the country you are currently living in proving good character.
  • Form 80 for the character assessment
  • Skills Assessment for skill occupation or proof of industry body registration
  • Exemption documents of Skill Assessment
  • CV/ resume
  • Proof of National ID including passport, birth certificate, national identity card
  • Proof of the name change, if relevant
  • Marriage certificate, if relevant
  • Signed Australian values statement
  • Health assessment evidence required and should be submitted by your healthcare provider
  • If your age is over 45 years old you are required to provide age exemption documents.
  • Dependent or partner documents including national ID, English test results, health assessment results,  character documents.