The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) is a permanent residency option for skilled workers who want to work in Australia. The process involves two steps: first, you must be nominated by an approved Australian employer. Once your nomination is approved, you can apply for the visa under the nominated stream, either from inside or outside Australia. Your visa application must match the nominated stream and occupation, and should be submitted within six months of your nomination being approved.

With this visa, you can

This is a permanent residence visa. It lets the visa holder and any family members who have also been granted this visa to:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Enrol in  Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
• Apply for Australian citizenship (if eligible)
• Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted.
  
  

Who can nominate a skilled worker for this visa?

An employer can nominate a skilled worker for this visa if:

• The business is actively and lawfully operating in Australia
• There is a genuine need for a paid employee to fill a skilled position
• The position offered is full-time, ongoing, and lasts at least two years
• The employee will be paid the market salary rate
• The business complies with Australian immigration and workplace laws
• There is no adverse information about the business or its associates
  
  

Eligibility

In order to be successful with an application for an ENS visa, a visa applicant must fulfil the following requirements:

• You must have a valid passport
• Your employer must lodge a nomination for your position, which must be in the same occupation as your 482 if applying in the Temporary Residence Transition stream (TRT)
• For the TRT stream, you must have worked with your employer on a full-time basis for at least two of the previous three years while holding a 482 SID visa
• For Direct Entry stream applicants (DE), you must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority and a minimum of three years relevant work experience
• You must have all the necessary qualifications and/or registration required for the occupation
• You must be under the age of 45, unless an exemption applies
• You must meet the relevant English language requirements
• You must meet the health and character requirements

This visa has three streams​

Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa application process 

The ENS and Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visas are closely connected, especially through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. With recent changes, SID holders in both the short- and medium-term streams can now apply for an ENS visa through the TRT stream after two years on a SID visa, making permanent residency more accessible.

The TRT pathway allows eligible SID holders to become permanent residents after their SID expires, provided they meet all requirements. Alternatively, the Direct Entry (DE) stream lets workers apply for the ENS visa without holding a SID visa, as long as they have a high skill level in a medium-term occupation recognised by the relevant assessing authority.

The ENS visa process involves two stages:

**Stage 1: Nomination**

The employer must lodge a nomination for the position within their business. The nomination must be approved before the visa is granted, but the visa application can be submitted before the nomination is finalised.

**Stage 2: Visa Application**

The visa application must be lodged after the nomination. Applicants need to provide evidence of their skills and experience to meet the requirements of the chosen stream.

Our registered migration lawyers at Professional Visa and Education Services can assist both applicants and employers to ensure your ENS application is accurate and complete, giving you the best chance of approval at every stage.