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The 186 visa, officially the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186), lets a skilled worker live and work in Australia permanently when an Australian employer nominates them for a genuine full-time role. It needs no points test and no state invitation. What it does need is an employer willing to sponsor you and a profile that meets the age, English and skill rules.
For Indian professionals, this is one of the most direct routes to Australian permanent residency. Many reach it after two years on a Subclass 482 visa. Others apply straight from India through the Direct Entry stream.
This guide explains the 2026 rules, costs, processing times and the exact steps, with notes for Indian applicants at each stage.
The Subclass 186 visa is a permanent visa. From the day it is granted, you are an Australian permanent resident, and so are the family members included in your application.
It is a two-part process. First, your employer lodges a nomination for the position. Second, you lodge the visa application. Both parts must be approved before the visa is granted.
With this visa you can:
The visa suits skilled workers who already have, or can secure, a job offer from an Australian business. If you have no employer, points-tested visas such as Subclass 189 or 190 are the usual alternative.
Several rules and costs moved in 2026. If you read a guide written before July 2026, the numbers in it are probably out of date.
Change | Before | Now | Effective from |
|---|---|---|---|
Visa application charge, main applicant | AUD 4,910 | AUD 6,140 | 1 July 2026 |
Additional applicant aged 18 or over | AUD 2,455 | AUD 3,070 | 1 July 2026 |
Additional applicant under 18 | AUD 1,230 | AUD 1,535 | 1 July 2026 |
Core Skills Income Threshold | AUD 76,515 | AUD 79,423 | 1 July 2026 |
Employer Sponsored planning level | 44,000 places (2025-26) | 58,040 places (2026-27) | Announced 20 May 2026 |
Processing priority order | Regional roles and accredited sponsors ranked high | Ministerial Direction 122: priority occupations first, then onshore applicants | 19 September 2026 |
Three points stand out for applicants.
The fee rose by 25%. A couple with one child now pays AUD 10,745 in visa charges, against AUD 8,595 before July 2026.
More places are available. Employer Sponsored visas now account for about 31% of the 185,000-place permanent Migration Program. That is a clear signal that Australia is steering permanent migration toward employer-backed applicants.
Priority now depends on occupation. Under Ministerial Direction 122, applications in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture and resources occupations are processed first. Applicants who lodge from inside Australia come next.
Two earlier changes still shape every application in 2026. Since 7 December 2024, the Direct Entry stream uses the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and TRT applicants need two years of sponsored work rather than three. And since 7 August 2025, English test scores are assessed on a revised scale with more accepted tests.
The 186 visa has three streams. All three lead to the same permanent visa. They differ in who qualifies and what evidence is needed.
This stream is for skilled workers who have not worked for their nominating employer on a temporary sponsored visa, or have done so only briefly. It is the stream most applicants outside Australia use.
You need:
This stream is for people already working in Australia on a Subclass 482 or the older Subclass 457 visa. It is the classic 482 to PR route.
You need at least two years of full-time sponsored employment in the three years before the nomination is lodged. Since December 2024, time with any approved sponsor counts, not only your current employer.
A skills assessment is not normally required in this stream, because you have already proven yourself in the role in Australia.
This stream applies when your employer has a labour agreement with the Australian Government. These agreements cover industries or regions with shortages that standard rules do not solve.
The agreement itself sets the age, English, skill and salary terms. Some agreements allow concessions, such as a higher age limit. You must currently work, or be about to work, for the employer that holds the agreement.
The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) is a visa that allows you to stay in the Australia permanently. When the visa is granted , the holder of visa ( with any of the family members included in the appli cation) is allowed to do the following:
Note that the five year travel limitation only precludes re entry into Australia once the five-year period has expired; after that, a Resident Return visa or other relevant visa will be required to re-enter Australia. It has no effect on those who have this visa and are currently in Australia (who are allowed to remain indefinitely).
To qualify for this visa, as an applicant, you must:
Eligible Family Members
You can include the following members in your visa application:
The visa application charge is paid when you lodge. It is not refunded if the application is refused.
Applicant | Charge from 1 July 2026 | Approx. in INR |
|---|---|---|
Main applicant | AUD 6,140 | INR 3,37,700 |
Each additional applicant aged 18 or over | AUD 3,070 | INR 1,68,850 |
Each additional applicant under 18 | AUD 1,535 | INR 84,425 |
INR figures are illustrative at AUD 1 = INR 55. The actual amount depends on the exchange rate and card charges on the day you pay.
A second instalment is charged for any adult applicant who cannot show functional English. This is payable only when the Department requests it, shortly before grant.
Budget for these other costs as well:
Here is a worked example. A software engineer from Pune applying with a spouse and one child pays AUD 10,745 in visa charges alone. That is roughly INR 5.9 lakh at the illustrative rate, before assessments, tests and medicals.
Stream | 50% of applications decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
Direct Entry | 13 months | 21 months |
Temporary Residence Transition | 14 months | 22 months |
Labour Agreement | 58 days | 12 months |
These numbers describe applications already decided. They are not a promise for yours. The Department updates its processing time tool every month.
From 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 122 sets the order in which officers pick up applications:
A nurse or civil engineer can therefore expect faster handling than an applicant in an occupation outside the priority group.
You cannot control the queue, but you can avoid adding to your own wait:
The process has two applications, one from the employer and one from you. They can be lodged together or one after the other.
If you apply from inside Australia on a valid visa, you usually receive a bridging visa. It lets you stay lawfully while the 186 visa is processed.
Most Indian applicants do not go straight to permanent residency. They follow a staged route.
From India. An Australian employer sponsors you on a Skills in Demand visa Subclass 482. You move, work for two years, and then your employer nominates you for the 186 visa through the TRT stream. No skills assessment is normally needed at that point.
From an Australian university. Graduates often move from a student visa to a Temporary Graduate visa Subclass 485, find a sponsoring employer, shift to a 482 visa, and then apply for the 186 visa after two years.
Straight to PR. If you already have three years of experience, a positive skills assessment and an employer ready to nominate you, Direct Entry skips the temporary stage entirely.
The two-year rule is now more flexible. Sponsored work with more than one approved employer counts toward the two years. Changing jobs on a 482 visa no longer resets your clock, as long as each employer is an approved sponsor.
An employer-sponsored application has two parties, two sets of documents and strict deadlines. GIEC Global works with both the applicant and the employer so the two applications support each other.
Our registered migration agents help you with:
Advice on Australian migration is given by a registered migration agent, and you can verify any agent’s registration number on the official OMARA register.
Yes, the Subclass 186 visa is a permanent residency (PR) visa, which means you can live, work, and stay in Australia permanently.
Yes, but it is recommended to stay with your employer for at least 2 years after getting the visa. Leaving early could raise questions about whether your job was genuine.
Yes, the Department of Home Affairs can cancel the visa if they find out the information was false or if you didn’t meet visa conditions, especially regarding employment.
Recent updates include shorter work experience requirements, more eligible occupations, and easier transitions for certain visa holders like 482 to 186. Always check the latest rules with a Regsitered MARA agent in Delhi.
Processing time for the 186 visa is usually between 5 to 10 months, depending on your stream and how complete your documents are.
Yes, you can leave your employer, but it is advised to stay at least 2 years. If you leave too soon, immigration may investigate whether the job offer was genuine.
The Subclass 186 visa application charge depends on the current visa pricing rules and the applicants included in the application. The Department of Home Affairs currently lists a base application charge of AUD 3,520 for Subclass 186, with additional applicant charges potentially applying for eligible family members. Other costs, such as skills assessment, English testing, health examinations and police checks, may also apply depending on your circumstances. Visa charges can change, so applicants should check the latest official pricing information before lodging an application.
Yes. Eligible family members can generally be included in a Subclass 186 visa application, subject to the applicable visa requirements. Additional applicant charges may apply for family members included in the application, depending on their age and circumstances.
The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) has three streams: Direct Entry Stream, Labour Agreement Stream, and Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
To be eligible for an Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, you generally need to be nominated by an eligible Australian employer, meet the age and English language requirements, and have the required skills, qualifications and work experience for the nominated position. Depending on the stream, you may also need a skills assessment and relevant work experience. You must also meet the applicable health and character requirements and satisfy any stream-specific criteria.
Yes. The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa is a permanent visa. It lets you live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, access Medicare, sponsor eligible family members and apply for citizenship once eligible.
The latest change took effect on 1 July 2026: the Core Skills Income Threshold rose from AUD 76,515 to AUD 79,499, and it applies to 186 applications lodged on or after that date. Visa application charges also increased from 1 July 2026.
The 186 is a permanent residency visa, while the 482 (Skills in Demand) is a temporary visa of up to 4 years that ties you to sponsored work. Many applicants use the 482 as a pathway to the 186, after 2 years of work with an approved sponsor.
It is demanding but achievable if you meet the criteria. You need a nominating Australian employer, an eligible occupation, usually to be under 45, at least Competent English, and a salary that meets the AUD 79,499 threshold or the market rate, whichever is higher. Direct Entry applicants also need a skills assessment and at least 3 years of experience.
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