Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
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What this visa is
The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) is a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by an Australian employer. There are three streams — Direct Entry (no prior sponsorship needed), Temporary Residence Transition (after holding a 482 with the same employer), and Labour Agreement — and the requirements differ for each.
Where applications go wrong
186 hinges on the employer doing their part: an approved nomination, a genuine position, and (for Direct Entry) a positive skills assessment for you. Most refusals come from employer-side errors — wrong stream chosen, weak nomination evidence, market salary failures. A migration agent prepares both the nomination and visa application together so they don’t fall over each other.