Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is a permanent residency visa that requires an applicant to be nominated by an employer in an eligible skilled occupation. It is a commonly used pathway for Subclass 482 visa holders to obtain permanent residency and is made up of three different streams.

The Direct Entry (DE) stream allows skilled workers to live and work permanently in Australia with no requirement to have previously worked for the sponsoring employer (as is the case for the Temporary Residence Transition stream). To be eligible for a Subclass 186 in the Direct Entry stream, you must:

• have a positive skills assessment

• have at least 3 years of experience in the occupation

• have competent English (certain exemptions apply)

• satisfy any mandatory licensing, registration or professional membership requirements (if applicable to your occupation)

• meet mandatory health and character requirements (this applies to all members of the family unit also)

• be under 45 years of age (unless an exemption applies)

The Subclass 186 Direct Entry visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:

• live and work permanently in Australia

• study in Australia

• enrol in Medicare (Australia's scheme for health-related care and expenses)

• access certain social security (Centrelink) payments

• apply for Australian citizenship (subject to residency criteria)

• sponsor other people for permanent residence

• travel in and out of Australia for five years (with options to obtain further permission to travel)

If you are looking for pathways to Australian permanent residency, the Subclass 186 DE visa is definitely worth considering. Contact one of our Registered Migration Agents to assess the visa options available to you and get the process underway.

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is of a general nature only and does not constitute immigration advice. For more detailed and case-specific information or advice, please contact SCA Connect.