482 to 186 Visa: Is Permanent Residence Guaranteed After 2 Years?
How the subclass 482 to subclass 186 employer sponsorship pathway actually works: the 2-years-within-3-years rule, the income threshold, what the visa costs, and why sponsorship still isn't automatic. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 482 to 186: is it automatic?
- 0:12 186 Temporary Residence Transition
- 0:22 Your employer must choose to nominate you.
- 0:42 Core Skills Income Threshold
- 0:55 186 visa application charge
- 1:10 No official price list for agent fees
- 1:21 Why employers might not sponsor
- 1:31 Building a second track
- 1:44 The most common mistake:
- 1:55 Where to read more
Transcript
You're on a subclass 482, and your employer hints they might sponsor you for a subclass 186. It's not guaranteed.
The 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream needs 2 years of eligible sponsored employment, within the 3 years before you apply.
Even once you have that, your employer must choose to nominate you for the 186. It's their decision, not your right.
Here's what most people get wrong. Time with an earlier approved sponsor still counts. Changing employers doesn't, on its own, reset your 2 years.
Your salary also has to meet the Core Skills Income Threshold: 79,423 dollars a year from 1 July 2026, up from 76,515 the year before.
The visa itself has a charge, too. 6,140 dollars for you, 3,070 for an adult dependant, and 1,535 for a child, from 1 July 2026.
On top of that, your employer pays a nomination fee, and a labour agreement can add its own conditions. There's no official price list for what an agent can charge you.
So why might an employer say no? A downturn, a cheaper local hire, rising sponsorship costs, or an income threshold the role no longer meets.
That's why many people build a second track. Keep working toward your 2 years, and check your points for a subclass 189, 190 or 491 at the same time.
The most common mistake: assuming that after 2 years, permanent residence is automatic. It isn't. Your employer has to choose to nominate you.
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.
Short versions
- The 482→186 switching-employers myth (0:32)
- The salary line for 186 sponsorship (0:33)
- What a 186 visa actually costs (0:35)
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