Direct Entry stream
This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by an employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
Labour Agreement stream
This visa lets skilled workers who are nominated by their employer live and work in Australia permanently. The Labour Agreement stream might be for you if you currently work, or will work, for an employer who is party to a labour agreement.
Temporary Residence Transition stream
This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
With this visa you can
- Stay in Australia permanently
- Work and study in Australia
- Enroll in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
- Sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
- travel to and from Australia for 5 years
- Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
How long you can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa. For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day you enter Australia, on this visa
Include family
You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:
- include family members in your application when you apply
- add family members to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa
Cost
The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.
Second instalment charge
You will need to pay an extra charge called a second instalment for any family member aged 18 years or older who:
- applies for the visa with you, and
- has less than Functional English
The second installment for family members who apply for the visa with you is AUD4,890.
Travel
From the date we grant this visa, you can travel to and from Australia for up to 5 years.
After that period, you will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
Processing times
Direct Entry stream
- 75% of applications: 83 days
- 90% of applications: 6 months
Labour Agreement stream
Unavailable due to low volume of applications
Temporary Residence Transition stream
- 75% of applications: 6 months
- 90% of applications: 10 months
We assess applications on a case by case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
- for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration program
Eligibility
- Have an eligible occupation: your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupation.
- Have relevant work experience
- Licensing, Registration or Membership
- Have a positive skill assessment
- You must be nominated by an Australian employer whose business is actively and lawfully operating.
- Usually, you must be under 45 years of age when you apply.
- If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive 457 or TSS visa issued under a labour agreement.
- Your employer must have sponsored you to work full-time on your subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa for at least 3 of the 4 years prior to nominating you for the subclass 186 visa.
- You must meet our health requirement.
- You must meet our character requirement.
- Signed Australian Value Statement
- You must have at least competent English to be granted this stream of the visa.
- Have paid back your debt to the Australian Government
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused