Work & Skilled Visas in Australia: Complete Guide + Get Matched With a Registered Work Visa Lawyer
Whether an employer wants to sponsor you or you want to apply on your own skills, this guide covers the 482 Skills in Demand, 186 Employer Nomination, 189 Skilled Independent and 190 State Nominated pathways, then connects you with a MARA-registered migration agent who can take your case forward.
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Australia's main work and skilled visa options fall into two groups. Employer-sponsored pathways, led by the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, require a job offer from an approved Australian business. Points-tested pathways, the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent and Subclass 190 State Nominated visas, do not require a sponsor but require a skills assessment, a competitive points score and an occupation on the right skilled occupation list. Most people end up combining pathways: starting on a 482, then moving to permanent residency through the 186 once they qualify.
Work and Skilled Visas Explained
Australia's temporary and permanent skilled migration system changed substantially over the past two years. The old Temporary Skill Shortage visa closed and was replaced by the Skills in Demand visa in December 2024, and the pathway from that visa to permanent residency was shortened in late 2025. Understanding which visa applies to your situation depends on whether you already have an Australian employer willing to sponsor you, and whether your occupation and points score can support an independent or state-nominated application.
Subclass 482: Skills in Demand Visa
The Subclass 482 is Australia's main employer-sponsored temporary work visa. An approved Australian business sponsors you to fill a role it cannot find a suitably skilled local worker for. The visa is issued for up to four years and gives full work rights with the sponsoring employer, plus Medicare access and the ability to include a partner and dependent children. The 482 now runs across three streams, and which one applies depends on your salary and occupation rather than a single fixed list.
Subclass 186: Employer Nomination Scheme
The Subclass 186 is the main direct pathway to permanent residency through an employer. Most applicants transition from a 482 visa into the 186 once they have worked for their sponsoring employer for the required period. A smaller number of highly experienced applicants may qualify through the Direct Entry stream without first holding a 482. Once granted, the 186 gives permanent residency immediately, with a pathway to citizenship after meeting the standard residence requirement.
Subclass 189: Skilled Independent Visa
The Subclass 189 does not require an employer or state sponsor at all. It is a points-tested permanent visa open to applicants whose occupation sits on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List, who hold a positive skills assessment and who score highly enough on the points test to receive an invitation through SkillSelect. Because there is no sponsor, applicants can live and work anywhere in Australia once granted.
Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated Visa
The Subclass 190 works the same way as the 189 but requires nomination by an Australian state or territory government, which usually commits the applicant to living in that state for a period after grant. In exchange, the nominating state adds bonus points to the applicant's score, and a broader range of occupations become available since the 190 draws on both the Medium and Long-Term list and the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List.
Eligibility Requirements
Each pathway has its own eligibility framework, but a few requirements run across all of them: a positive skills assessment or occupation match against the correct skilled occupation list, health and character checks, and English language proficiency, usually Competent English or higher. Employer-sponsored pathways add a genuine job offer and an approved sponsoring business, while points-tested pathways add the points test itself, currently requiring a minimum of 65 points to lodge an expression of interest, though most invitations in 2026 are going to applicants scoring well above that minimum.
| Requirement | 482 Skills in Demand | 186 ENS | 189 / 190 Points-Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor needed | Yes, employer | Yes, employer | No (190 needs state nomination) |
| Occupation list | CSOL (Core Skills) or none (Specialist) | Aligned to nominated role | MLTSSL (189) or MLTSSL/STSOL (190) |
| Points test | Not required | Not required | Required, 65+ to lodge EOI |
| Outcome | Temporary, up to 4 years | Permanent on grant | Permanent on grant |
Not sure how many points you have? Try the PR points calculator.
The Three Streams of the Subclass 482 Visa
Which 482 stream applies to you depends entirely on your salary and occupation, not on your job title alone.
Specialist Skills Stream
For high earners on at least AUD 146,717 a year from 1 July 2026. No fixed occupation list applies for most professional, managerial and technical roles. Processing can be as fast as seven days, and this stream leads directly to the 186 without needing to work through a full occupation list check.
Core Skills Stream
The most commonly used stream, covering occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List. Salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold, rising to AUD 79,499 from 1 July 2026, or the market rate for the role, whichever is higher. This stream is currently seeing longer processing, up to eight months in many cases.
Essential Skills Stream
Formerly the Labour Agreement stream, being rebranded through 2026. Built for critical shortage sectors such as aged care, disability support and some hospitality and agriculture roles, with salary and occupation terms set by the specific labour agreement in place rather than a standard threshold.
State or Regional Add-On
Applicants whose occupation or circumstances suit a regional area may also want to compare the 491 and 494 regional visas, which offer additional points and separate allocation to the standard 190 pathway.
Explore regional optionsHow to Get From a Work Visa to Permanent Residency
For most 482 visa holders, the standard route to permanent residency runs through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, via the Temporary Residence Transition stream. As of late 2025 this now requires only two years of full-time work with the sponsoring employer, reduced from three, which has meaningfully shortened the overall timeline for many applicants.
- Get sponsored on a 482 visa. Your employer becomes an approved Standard Business Sponsor and nominates you into the appropriate stream.
- Work in the nominated role for the required period. Generally two years for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, though this can vary by circumstance.
- Employer nominates you for the 186. The nomination confirms the role is ongoing and genuinely needs to be filled permanently.
- Lodge the 186 application. You provide updated evidence of your employment, health, character and English requirements.
- 186 visa is granted. You become a permanent resident of Australia, with a pathway to citizenship after meeting the residence requirement.
Work out your fastest path to permanent residency. Start your free assessment.
Costs and Processing Times
Government charges and processing times vary significantly across these pathways. For the 482 visa, the primary applicant charge depends on the stream, with the Specialist Skills stream sitting at a lower flat charge and Core Skills applicants typically paying more depending on the size of the sponsoring business and any Skilling Australians Fund levy the employer must pay separately. For the 189, 190 and 186 visas, the government charge is a single payment covering the permanent grant. Processing times differ just as much: Specialist Skills 482 applications can be decided in as little as seven days, while Core Skills 482 applications are currently taking up to eight months, and 189/190 visas typically take five to twelve months after an invitation is accepted, longer for high-volume occupations such as accounting and ICT.
| Pathway | Typical processing time (2026) |
|---|---|
| 482, Specialist Skills stream | As fast as 7 days |
| 482, Core Skills stream | Up to 8 months |
| 186, Temporary Residence Transition | 6 to 14 months after eligibility |
| 189 / 190, after invitation | 5 to 12 months |
For current government charges by stream and family size, the Department of Home Affairs publishes the full fee schedule on its website. Employers should also budget for the Skilling Australians Fund levy, which is separate from the visa application charge and must be paid by the sponsoring business, not the applicant.
Common Mistakes That Derail Work and Skilled Visa Applications
Assuming any employer can sponsor
Only businesses approved as Standard Business Sponsors can nominate a 482 or 186 applicant. Many willing employers have not gone through this approval step and assume it happens automatically.
Targeting the wrong occupation list
A positive skills assessment for an occupation that only sits on the Short-Term or Core Skills list cannot support a 189 application, which requires the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List specifically.
Confusing the 65-point minimum with an invitation
Sixty-five points is the floor to lodge an expression of interest, not the score that gets you invited. Most competitive occupations in 2026 need scores well above that to receive an invitation.
Underestimating salary thresholds
Salary must meet both the relevant income threshold and the market rate for the role and location, whichever is higher. Offers padded with non-cash benefits often do not count the way applicants expect.
Changing relationship status after invitation
If you claimed partner points at the time of invitation, a change in relationship status before lodging the visa application can affect whether those points remain valid.
Missing the 186 TRT window
Employers and applicants need to track the two-year employment milestone closely and lodge the 186 nomination while the 482 visa is still valid to avoid unnecessary complications.
Why Get Matched Through Us
AussieMigrationGuide is an independent information and referral platform. We are not a law firm and not a registered migration agency, and we never provide immigration advice ourselves. What we do is help you understand the work and skilled visa system in plain language, then connect you with a MARA-registered migration agent or immigration lawyer from our network who can review your occupation, salary and points position and represent you directly with the Department of Home Affairs. There is no cost to you to be matched, and no obligation to proceed.
How Our Matching Works
- Submit your free assessment. Tell us your occupation, whether you have an employer willing to sponsor you, and roughly where your points might sit.
- We review your situation. We look at which pathway, employer-sponsored or points-tested, and which specialist experience fits your case.
- We connect you with a MARA-registered agent or immigration lawyer. They contact you directly to review your occupation, skills assessment and salary position.
- You decide how to proceed. There is no obligation, and the advice you receive comes from the registered professional, not from us.
Disclosure: AussieMigrationGuide.com is an independent information and referral service. We are not a law firm, we are not a registered migration agent, and nothing on this page constitutes immigration advice. When you submit an assessment, we may refer your details to a MARA-registered migration agent or a qualified immigration lawyer in our network, who may pay us a referral fee for a qualified introduction. You can verify any agent's registration on the OMARA register before engaging them.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page provides general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. AussieMigrationGuide.com is an independent information and referral platform. We are not a law firm and not a registered migration agency. Visa requirements, salary thresholds, occupation lists and processing times change regularly. Always confirm current details on the Department of Home Affairs website before relying on them. If you are matched with a migration agent or immigration lawyer through this site, verify their registration on the OMARA register before engaging their services.