186 Visa Australia: 3 Streams, Costs & Processing Times (2026)

How Australia's subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme actually works: the three streams, the age and English rules, what it costs beyond the visa fee, and how long each stream is currently taking. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Employer-sponsored permanent residence— subclass 186
  2. 0:12 Three streams into the 186
  3. 0:30 TRT: 2 years' employment
  4. 0:43 Usual age limit: 45
  5. 0:55 English test exemption:
  6. 1:12 Direct Entry occupation list
  7. 1:23 Employer must pay at least the
  8. 1:35 Government charge, from 1 July 2026
  9. 1:49 Extra costs beyond the visa fee
  10. 2:09 Migratio data: median consult fee $220
  11. 2:24 Processing times, to 30 June 2026
  12. 2:42 Not first-in, first-served
  13. 3:03 Where to read more

Transcript

The subclass 186 gives permanent residence through an employer, with no points test. Here's how the three streams actually work.

There are three streams. Direct Entry, for skilled workers without two years with a sponsor. Temporary Residence Transition, for people already on a subclass 482 or 457. And Labour Agreement, for employers with their own agreement with the Department.

For the TRT stream, you need 2 years of eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years before you apply. Time with an earlier approved sponsor still counts, and changing employer doesn't reset the clock.

Most applicants must be under 45 when they apply. There are exemptions, for certain nominated academics, scientists and other narrow categories that differ by stream.

Here's a nuance many miss. On Direct Entry, citizens of the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland can skip the English test. On TRT, that exemption was removed on 16 November 2019 — everyone sits it.

For Direct Entry, your occupation has to be on the Core Skills Occupation List — 458 occupations, as at 12 August 2026.

Your employer also has to be an approved sponsor, offering a genuine job that's full-time for at least 2 years — and if it pays under $250,000 a year, at least the Annual Market Salary Rate.

The government charge, from 1 July 2026: $6,140 for the primary applicant, $3,070 for a partner, $1,535 for a child.

On top of that: a skills assessment — Engineers Australia charges $1,034, ACS $1,498. An English test, like IELTS Australia at $490. Health checks and police clearances vary. And there's no official fee schedule for migration agents.

For context, Migratio's own data — 686 quotes across 57 agents — puts the median initial consultation fee at $220, with the middle half between $150 and $275.

How long does it take? For the period ending 30 June 2026: Direct Entry ran about 10 months for half of applications, 14 months for 90 percent. TRT: 11 and 15 months. Labour Agreement: 8 and 10 months.

One thing people get wrong: 186 applications aren't strictly first-in, first-served. Since 19 September 2026, sector and location decide the queue first — construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, and onshore applicants, go first.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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