Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Direct Entry Stream) Subclass 186

Have an eligible occupation

Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations.

Have relevant work experience

Unless exempt, most applicants need to have at least 3 years relevant work experience in their occupation.

Applicants who are exempt from the skills assessment requirement are also exempt from the work experience requirement.

Licensing, registration or membership

You must be licensed, registered or a member of a professional body if it is mandatory in the state or territory you intend to work in.

Have a positive skills assessment

Most applicants need to have a skills assessment that shows they have the skills to work in the nominated position. Learn more about skills assessments.

Exemption

You are exempt from having a skills assessment if you:

have been nominated as an academic (university lecturer or faculty head at Academic Level A, B, C, D or E) by a university in Australia, or
have been nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical specialist by an Australian government scientific agency, or
currently hold a Special Category (subclass 444) or New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (subclass 461) visa and have worked for the employer who nominated you, in the nominated position, for at least 2 years in the last 3 years prior to the date you applied for the visa

Be nominated

You must be nominated by an Australian employer whose business is actively and lawfully operating.

You must apply for the visa within 6 months of the nomination being approved.

Find out if your employer is eligible to nominate you.

We can’t grant you a visa if:

we are aware of adverse information about your nominator or any person associated with them, unless it is reasonable to disregard this information, or
the nomination is withdrawn, or
the position is no longer available

We can’t link a new nomination to your existing visa application. If this happens one possible option is to withdraw your first visa application and submit a new visa application in relation to the new nomination.

You might be eligible for a refund of the visa application charge depending on the circumstances.

Be this age

Usually, you must be under 45 years of age when you apply.

You are exempt from this criteria if any of the following applies to you:

you are nominated as an academic (university lecturer or faculty head at Academic Level B, C D or E) by a university in Australia
you are nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical (scientific) specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 by an Australian scientific government agency
you currently hold a Special Category (subclass 444) or New Zealand citizen’s family member (subclass 461) visa and have worked for the employer who nominated you, in the nominated position, for at least 2 years in the last 3 years immediately before you apply. The 2 years excludes periods of unpaid leave.

Meet our health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement. We might ask for health information about family not coming to Australia with you.

Meet our character requirement

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement. We might ask for character information about family not coming to Australia with you.

Sign the Australian values statement

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life obey Australian laws.

Have this level of English language

You must have at least competent English to be granted this stream of the visa.

Have paid back your debt to the Australian government

If you owe the Australian Government money, you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. Check if visa cancellation affects your eligibility.

You can be in or outside Australia when we decide on your visa application.

We will let you know our decision in writing.

If your visa application is approved

If we grant your visa, we will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions, if applicable

Keep a copy of the decision.

If your visa application is refused

If we refuse your visa, we will tell you:

why we refused the visa
whether you have a right to a review of the decision

We will not refund the application charge if we refuse your application.

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COST

COST

WITH THIS VISA

Have an eligible occupation

Have relevant work experience

Licensing, registration or membership

Have a positive skills assessment

Exemption

Be nominated

Be this age

Meet our health requirement

Meet our character requirement

Sign the Australian values statement

Have this level of English language

Have paid back your debt to the Australian government

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

Get your skills assessed

Organise English exams

Organise health exams

Get help with your application

Get the nomination Transaction Reference Number

Your rights and your employer’s obligations

Provide accurate information

Identity documents

Licencing, registration or membership

Skills and qualifications documents

Proof of your skills and qualifications

Skills assessment exemption documents

Age exemption documents

English language documents

Health documents

Character documents

Tell us you are getting help

Partner documents

Proof of Functional English

Dependants under 18 documents

Parental responsibility documents

Dependants over 18 documents

Proof of dependence

Proof of Functional English

Prepare your documents

For online transactions

Translate

Scan or photograph

Provide accurate information

Apply for the visa online in ImmiAccount

What will happen after you apply

Status updates

Travel after you apply

Health exams

Biometrics

Attach more information

Stay lawful

Pay the second instalment

Add family

Newborn children

Mistakes on your application

Help with your application

Tell us if things change

If your visa application is approved

If your visa application is refused

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Are My Visa Conditions?

Do You Have Any Further Questions?

We understand that you may have specific questions about your own unique situation, so if there is anything you need to know that is not addressed on this website, do not hesitate to contact us.

Why choose us?

At Carevisa Australia, we make sure that our clients are looked after. We will manage your visa case with the highest level of care, and guide you throughout every step of the process. We are here to help you in any way, and assist you with any Australian migration related queries you may have.