Quick Guide on Australian 186 Visa — Direct Entry Scheme

australian visa

The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) allows all skilled workers worldwide to work & live in Australia permanently; if the Australian employer nominates the person. Well! It is quite challenging to get a 186 visa compared to other visas, but the PR (Permanent Residence) makes it work.

In the direct entry scheme of 186 visas, the person will be nominated by the local Australian employer only, and the occupation should be listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). The person and sponsor will meet several criteria by which the Australian immigration department will grant this visa type.

Eligibility Criteria

Some essential eligibility criteria to follow when applying for the 186 visas are as follows.

Be Skilled

The person should be skilled in the field listed on SOL (Skilled Occupation List), including work experience in the relevant profession of at least three years. One will be required to prove it by submitting a skills assessment, registration/membership with governing body and having a relevant licence.

Nominated by Australian Employer

The Australian employer will operate lawfully while nominating the person and must have detailed information about the person. In addition, the visa can be denied if the nomination is withdrawn.

Age

The person must be under the age of 45, but there are exemptions, including academic lecturers, researchers & scientists and already have a 444 visa or working for the employer who has nominated you.

Health & Character Requirements

One should meet the health & character requirements. One should take their full-body health examination and submit that report when required, and the same goes with the character. The person must have good character, do not have any criminal records; they will be asked to provide a police certificate and also complete a form and a statutory declaration.

Occupation on SOL

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) certainly changes and the person should check whether their occupation is listed or not in the 186 visa list because every profession is not listed in all visa types.

Meet Minimum English Standards

The person should be competent in English unless they are citizens of the UK, the USA, NZ, Canada and Ireland. The person should meet specific scores in IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc.

Required Documents

This visa subclass requires a lot of documents while processing visa applications; see below the list of required documents.

  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Good character certificate provided by police
  • Form 80 for character assessment
  • Statutory character declaration
  • Proof of registration of industry body or skills assessment for the occupation
  • Updated CV/Résumé
  • Skills assessment exemption documents
  • Proof of identity (like birth certificate, passport, national identity card, etc.)
  • Name change proof (if relevant)
  • Marriage certificate (if appropriate)
  • Signed Australian values statement
  • Good health reports (should be submitted by the healthcare provider)
  • Age exemption documents if over the age of 45 years
  • Partner/dependent documents include ID proof, health assessment results, character documents, English language test results, etc.

Steps

The person should follow the application process step-by-step as follows.

  • Check the eligibility for the 186 visas (all the boxes should be ticked).
  • The employer should sponsor the person under the direct entry stream and ask them for the Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
  • Complete all paperwork, including English language test results, relevant skills assessment and other eligibility criteria tests.
  • After being nominated, one should apply for the visa within six months via ImmiAccount, submit the application form, and then pay the visa fees.
  • The Australian immigration department will ask for more information like biometrics or any other data, they will request it, and one needs to respond quickly.
  • At last, one will be notified whether it is approved or refused; if refused, the department will give the reason and further information.

Visa Processing Duration

It takes 83 days to process 75% and up to six months to process 90% of the visa applications.

Summary

One can migrate anywhere in Australia through this 186 visa in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and other areas. Read and understand the information given above before applying for 186 visas. Even if one needs assistance regarding visas and education-related services, feel free to contact Asia Pacific Group (APG); their experts will assist better than anyone will.