Businesses may sponsor foreign workers for permanent residence through the Subclass 186 visa (also known as the ENS visa).
The Employer Nomination Scheme (or Subclass 186 visa) is the permanent component of Australia's employer sponsored visas.
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
The ENS program is an employer sponsored permanent resident visa for skilled foreign workers. Eligibility is dependent on a number of factors including the occupation, age, and salary of the candidate. You can also review our FAQs for further information.
Target Market
- Established businesses in Australia
- Established business overseas seeking to enter Australia
- Employees with job offers from companies
Nomination requirements
- The 186 visa requires the nominator to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for the nominee to work as a paid employee under its direct control, and nominate an occupation on a specified list
Stream types
- Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Direct Entry stream
- Labour Agreement stream
Visa Requirements
- Various requirements depending on stream (see tabs above)
TRT Stream
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
The ENS visa (also referred to as the Subclass 186 visa) allows adequately skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, to reside and work in Australia permanently, as well as apply for Australian citizenship, if specific eligibility criteria is met. The key 186 visa requirement of this stream is to have worked with a sponsoring employer on a valid SID / TSS visa for at least 2 of the last 3 years.
In all cases, this is general information, and you should contact us or an immigration lawyer prior to making any decisions.
Nomination requirements
- the business must be actively and lawfully operating in Australia
- there must be a genuine need for the visa applicant in the nominated position under its direct control
- the business must have the capacity to employ the individual in that position for 2 years
- the position must be full time and available for at least 2 years from the time the visa is granted
- the position must have a salary that is at least (a) $73,150 per annum and (b) at least the annual market salary rate for the nominated occupation
- the position must be subject to conditions of employment that are no worse than those that apply (or would apply) to Australians performing equivalent work in the same location
Visa requirements
- must have been employed in their nominated occupation in Australia as the holder of a SID / TSS 482 visa for at least 2 out of the last 3 years
- be genuinely performing the tasks of the nominated position
- have competent English
- be under 45 years of age (unless exempt)
- meet any mandatory licensing, registration or professional membership requirements
- satisfy the relevant health and character criteria
Direct Entry
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
The ENS visa (also referred to as the Subclass 186 visa) allows adequately skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, to reside and work in Australia permanently, as well as apply for Australian citizenship, if specific eligibility criteria is met. The key 186 visa requirement of this stream is that if an applicant has a positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation, they can apply for direct permanent residence.
In all cases, this is general information, and you should contact us or an immigration lawyer prior to making any decisions.
Nomination requirements
- the business must be actively and lawfully operating in Australia
- there must be a genuine need for the visa applicant in the nominated position under its direct control
- the business must have the capacity to employ the individual in that position for 2 years
- the position must be full time and available for at least 2 years from the time the visa is granted
- the position must be an occupation included on the current Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) unless transitional provisions apply
- the position must have a salary that is at least (a) $73,150 per annum and (b) at least the annual market salary rate for the nominated occupation
- the position must be subject to conditions of employment that are no worse than those that apply (or would apply) to Australians performing equivalent work in the same location
Visa requirements
- have their skills assessed as suitable for the occupation by the relevant skills assessing authority
- have at least 3 years of post qualification experience in the relevant occupation
- have competent English
- be under 45 years of age
- meet any mandatory licensing, registration or professional membership requirements
- satisfy the relevant health and character criteria
Labour Agreements
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
The ENS visa (also referred to as the Subclass 186 visa) allows skilled workers who are nominated by their employer to reside and work in Australia permanently. The Labour Agreement stream may be applicable to a foreign worker who either currently or, in the future, will work for an employer who is party to a labour agreement.
Labour Agreement
- the Labour Agreement stream is for applicants who currently work, or will work for an employer who is a party to a labour agreement and sponsored by an employer through a work contract
- given this is directly negotiated within your industry with the Department, please contact your Hannan Tew representative for further information.
Documents
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
The actual documents you require for a successful ENS visa application (also referred to as the 186 visa) are dependent on your particular circumstances including (but not limited to) your family members, your health and character, your identity and your occupation. Your Hannan Tew advisor will provide you with a link to the Hannan Tew portal which will set out the specific documents required.
This page outlines the general document requirements, and further information can be found in our dedicated ENS visa checklist.
Sponsor requirements
- Evidence of genuine position (labour market testing, position description, organisational chart)
- Evidence of financial capacity to fill role (financial statements, tax records)
- Evidence of market rates (job advertisements, market salary data)
Identity
- Biographical pages of your current passports or travel documents
- Full quality passport sized photograph of yourself
Family relationships
- Passport bio data page for each family member
- Full quality passport sized photograph of each family member
- Birth certificate for each family member (translated)
- If in a:
- married relationship, a copy of your marriage certificate (translated);
- de facto relationship, evidence of at least 12 months of de facto relationship which address the assessing factors;
- If children are between 18 and 23, evidence of financial dependency;
- If including a child under 18 where a parent is not included, evidence of custody.
Occupations and skills
- Your up to date CV covering at least 5 years
- Educational qualification certificates
- Registration, licensing and professional membership certificate (as relevant)
- Employment references from previous employers (as relevant)
- Evidence of a positive skills assessment (if applying via Direct Entry)
English, health and character
- Documents evidencing your English capabilities: (i) IELTS / OEP / PTE/ CAE results or (ii) Passport biodata page
- An overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16
- Health assessments
Process
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
We’ll advise and guide you regarding your eligibility for the ENS visa (also referred to as the Subclass 186 visa) from assessing eligibility to lodgement stage. We use an online document / information collection tool so that all your files and information are stored in one single location. You can use the Hannan Tew Portal to track the status of your matter and have a complete overview of documents required and provided.
Gathering the documents
The first step is preparing all the documentation required for the application to ensure that the Department of Home Affairs (Department) has all the information available to correctly assess your eligibility for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (Subclass 186) visa (see documents tab).
All documents relevant to your ENS visa are uploaded online (scanned or photographed). Ensure all non-English documentation are translated into English.
Applying for the visa
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (Subclass 186) visa application is completed and submitted online via ImmiAccount, a portal managed by the Department. You will need to:
- Log-in or create an ImmiAccount on the Department’s website
- Complete the visa application form
- Attach relevant documents
- Pay the visa application charges and lodge the application.
Ensure that all family members accompanying the main visa applicant are also added to your visa application.
After application
The Department will send an acknowledgement letter (via email and/or the ImmiAccount portal messaging system) once your application has been submitted and received.
The standard processing times for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 visa as at March 2025, is as follows:
- 50% of applications: 13 months
- 90% of applications: 18 months
No updates on the application will be provided during the standard processing time. If more information is required, this will be requested via email. You can read more about what to expect after your visa is lodged at our blog.
Do not travel to Australia until the outcome of your visa application is received and you have been granted the visa (or you otherwise obtain another visa).
Be sure to advise the Department if there are any mistakes on your application, or if your personal circumstances change after you have applied.
Visa outcome
The Department will advise you of the outcome of your Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (Subclass 186) visa application in writing.
If your visa application is successful, you will be provided a PDF grant letter, which advises of:
- your visa grant number
- the date your visa starts and ends
- applicable visa conditions.
This visa is electronically linked to your passport, so you would not need a visa label or to attend any Embassy/Consulates. Retain an electronic copy of this grant letter for when you arrive, and whilst you live in Australia.
If you are refused a visa, you will be advised in writing:
- the reason(s) for the unsuccessful application and
- whether you have a right to review the decision
It is vital that you read and understand the refusal notification clearly to understand the timeframe and means of appeal. You can find more information about the appeal process at our Visa Refusals and Review page.
Client Dashboard
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) (ENS) visa
Preparing visa applications necessarily requires the collation of an abundance of data from both visa applicants and sponsoring organisations. We provide secure access to beautiful visualisations of this data to allow you to easily track your visa populations. You can customise fields, visualisation types, branding, colour schemes, placements and widgets to ensure you can easily sift through the data in a way that suits your business needs.
186 / ENS Visas
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I commence work before my ENS (Subclass 186) application is approved (also referred to as 186 visa)?
Unless you have an existing visa with work authorisation, you must not commence work with your employer until your ENS visa is approved. Most applicants will already hold an employer sponsored temporary visa which will permit them to continue working (with conditions).
I hold a current visa and am in Australia, what if it expires before my ENS (Subclass 186) visa is approved?
If you are in Australia and hold a substantive visa when we lodge your ENS visa application, in most cases you will be granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA). This BVA will allow you to remain in Australia during the processing of your ENS visa. Learn more in our separate article covering Bridging Visas in detail.
Please note that the BVA will not allow you to re-enter Australia if you depart during the processing of your ENS visa. Please contact us immediately if you have travel plans during the processing of your ENS visa.
Do I need health, character and / or English assessments?
You will require health examinations to process your visa. Hannan Tew will advise you of the relevant assessments once you have completed the information questionnaire.
Unless you hold a passport from the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland, you will need to demonstrate a “competent” level of English. This can only be evidenced by completing one of the following English tests with the minimum test scores:
- IELTS: At least 6 for each of the 4 components
- TOEFL iBT: At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking
- PTE Academic: At least 50 for each of the 4 components
- OET: At least B for each of the 4 test components
- Cambridge English: At least 169 in each of the 4 components
You will need to provide police clearances for all countries in which you have resided for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
Do I have any conditions once I have obtained my ENS visa?
No, the ENS visa is a permanent visa granted without conditions (apart from, in some cases, the condition to enter into Australia before a particular date).
How long is my ENS / Subclass 186 visa valid for?
This is a permanent visa so does not have an expiry date. However, the visa is granted with a 5 year travel facility. This means that unless you obtain citizenship, after the travel facility expiry you will require a further visa (such as a Resident Return visa (RRV)) to enter Australia. We have a useful article that covers Resident Return visas, and you can learn more at our dedicated RRV page.
Can I include my family in my ENS (Subclass 186) application?
Yes, you generally can include your spouse/partner and children in your visa application.
They will also receive an ENS Visa.
There are specific requirements for children over the age of 18 to demonstrate dependency. Children 23 years or above cannot be included except in very limited circumstances.
I have a dependent partner, can they work?
Yes, your partner will have full work authorisation in Australia which means they can work for any employer.
Can my children study?
Yes. However, different States / Territories in Australia have different requirements and fees may be applicable. We strongly recommend that you explore this with the education provider directly.
Does the 186 visa grant access to Medicare?
Yes, applying for permanent residence gives you access to Medicare.
Should I just book my health examinations and obtain police clearances?
The Department have appointed particular panel doctors who are authorised to conduct health examinations for Australian visa purposes.
If the health examinations are not carried out by these individuals, they will need to be redone.
The Department also require specific police clearances.
Please wait for instructions from your Hannan Tew team member to ensure that you don’t unnecessarily incur any costs or loss of time.
Do I still need health insurance once I've obtained my ENS visa?
Once you have obtained permanent residence, you no longer need to maintain adequate levels of health insurance in Australia (though you may still wish to do so to top up any gaps in Medicare).
What if I've lost my job after I've obtained my 186 visa?
If you hold a 186 visa, there are generally no immigration consequences and you are able to find a new employer at your leisure. This is because as a 186 visa holder you are a permanent resident with no conditions on your employment.
How much does this visa cost?
You can refer to our pricing guide for an estimate of fixed fee professional fees. You will also need to pay government fees for this visa application. Feel free to play around with our cost calculator, or contact a member of our team directly for a full breakdown of fees.
Disclaimer
The information contained here is offered for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or give rise to an attorney-client relationship between you and our firm. The information: (i) must be regarded as a practical guide for general information and not a process guide for determining the specific immigration requirements of the countries covered, (ii) should not be a substitute for a more indepth analysis of applicable facts and circumstances conducted by competent professionals, and (iii) does not represent an opinion from Hannan Tew or any of its agents with regard to the laws of any of the jurisdictions concerned. The information does not guarantee the outcome or approval of any particular immigration application.
What can we do for you?
With extensive experience representing the world’s largest corporations, SMEs, and start ups, our staff are well placed to assist with all issues in relation to the employer sponsored visa process, including: business sponsorship applications, nomination applications, compliance and sponsorship bars.
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