From 482 to Permanent Residence: How the Employer Nomination Scheme (186) Temporary Residence Transition Stream Works

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Information as at 3 November 2026. Source: Department of Home Affairs.

If you work in Australia on a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, or you held its predecessor the 457, and you want to stay permanently with the employer who sponsors you, the pathway is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream. This guide explains how it works, based on the Department of Home Affairs information.

What the visa is

The Temporary Residence Transition stream lets skilled workers nominated by their current employer live and work in Australia permanently. You usually need to hold a subclass 457, 482 or an eligible bridging visa when you apply. With the visa you can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, and enrol in Medicare.

The two-year rule

You must have worked in eligible sponsored employment for a total of 2 years in the 3 years before the date you apply. Eligible sponsored employment must be full-time, undertaken in Australia, undertaken while you hold a subclass 457, 482 or eligible bridging visa, and undertaken in an occupation you were granted the 457 or 482 visa to perform. If you held more than one 457 or 482 visa in those 3 years, sponsored employment can be counted in any occupation you were approved to work in. If you changed employers, sponsored employment can be counted from the date an approved nomination was lodged, if you started working with the new employer before the nomination was approved.

The employer and the nomination

Your employer must have been the last person to sponsor you to work full-time on your 457 or 482 visa, and you need a nomination from an Australian employer that the Department approved in the 6 months before you applied. The nominating business must be eligible. If your employer later submits a new nomination for you after you lodged, you may be able to withdraw your first application and lodge a new one in relation to the new nomination, and you might be eligible for a refund of the visa application charge depending on the circumstances.

Age, skills and registration

Usually you must be under 45 years of age when you apply. You are exempt if you are nominated as an academic by an Australian university, nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 by an Australian scientific government agency or university, or nominated as a medical practitioner who has worked in that occupation in a designated regional area for at least 2 years in the 3 years before you apply. You must have the skills and qualifications needed for the nominated occupation, and the Department might ask you for a skills assessment. If a licence, registration or professional membership is mandatory in the state or territory where you will work, you must hold it.

Cost

The visa application charge starts from aud 6,140, and concessions apply in limited circumstances, including a lower charge for eligible pacific island and timor-leste citizens. Skilled visa income thresholds are indexed each year, so check the current thresholds when you plan your application.

Processing order

Subclass 186 applications are covered by Ministerial Direction 122. Applications related to construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, and to Australia's law enforcement and defence interests, are processed first. The Direction changes the order of processing only. It does not change who is eligible.

How to prepare from day one

Keep a clear record of your full-time employment dates, your payslips and contracts, your 482 grant notice and the nomination approvals. Check the age rule early, because the under 45 test applies on the day you apply. If you are planning a change of employer, check how your sponsored employment will be counted before you do it.

If you are on a 482 and thinking about the 186, get in touch with our team for a consultation. We can check the two-year count, the nomination and your age against the rules and plan the timing with you.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only, based on the Department of Home Affairs page for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream and Ministerial Direction 122, current as at 16 October 2026. Rules, fees and income thresholds can change. It is not personal migration advice. Please consult a registered migration agent about your specific circumstances.