The Australian Government has made updates to the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa to align with the introduction of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa.
This post covers the main changes.
– Holders of the Skills In Demand (Subclass 482, SID) Visa (across Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement streams) now have a clear pathway to permanent residency under the Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream.
– This change replaces references to the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa with the SID visa.
– Previously, work experience requirements were tied to the employer nomination and only included time spent working for the same sponsor in the nominated position. If a nominee changed employers, their work experience “clock” would restart.
– Now, all full-time sponsored employment in Australia counts towards the work experience requirement for the Subclass 186 visa TRT stream, regardless of employer changes.
– Flexibility for specific occupations, such as medical practitioners and executives, remains unchanged. This recognises the unique nature of employment in these roles.
– For Subclass 186 TRT nominations, the nominated occupation must now match the exact 6-digit ANZSCO code of the occupation associated with the applicant’s most recent Subclass 457, TSS, or SID visa.
– Previously, the rule required only a match at the 4-digit unit group level. The updated rule allows greater flexibility and avoids issues caused by future changes to ANZSCO codes.
– References to the TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold) have been replaced with the Core Skills Income Threshold. This ensures salary requirements for the Subclass 186 visa remain consistent with those of the SID visa.
– A member of the primary applicant’s family unit is no longer required to be included in the employer nomination application to be granted a Subclass 186 visa. This simplifies the process for family members.
These amendments aim to modernise the Employer Nomination Scheme visa and make it more flexible, ensuring a smoother pathway to permanent residency for skilled workers and their families under the new SID visa framework.
If you hold a SID Visa and want to explore your eligibility for transitioning to Australian permanent residency through this pathway, book a consultation today. Our experienced migration agents in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and Brisbane are here to help you achieve the benefits of Australian permanent residency as soon as possible
