Permanent sponsorship visa
EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME (ENS) SUBCLASS 186 VISA
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is a permanent sponsorship program intended to assist Australian employers who are unable to meet their skilled Australian workforce needs from the local labour market. Below are the different streams in the subclass ENS 186 program.
FAMILY MEMBERS AND ENS PROGRAM
Members of the family unit can apply for a ENS subclass 186 visa at the same time as the primary 186 visa applicant or may be added before a decision had been made on the 186 visa application.
ENS SUBCLASS 186 DIRECT ENTRY (DE) STREAM
Occupation lists
The subclass 186 Direct Entry stream is based on eligible occupations listed on Migration (LIN 19/049: Specification of Occupations—Subclass 186 Visa) Instrument:
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Only occupations listed on the Medium and Long-term Strategic List (MLTSSL) on LIN 19/049 are eligible occupations for nomination for subclass 186 visa under the Direct Entry stream.
The subclass 186 Direct Entry stream is generally for applicants under 45 years old who are applying directly from overseas or while in Australia who do not meet the requirements of the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The applicant must have an occupation listed on the current LIN 19/049 and have suitable skills assessment, qualifications, skills and 3 years of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.
There are two stages for a subclass 186 under the DE stream:
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Stage 1 - Nomination application - An Australian employer will need to agree to sponsor you and will need to meet the requirements of the nomination application. (The FREE essential 186 visa fact sheet can provide more details on nomination requirements).
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Stage 2 - Visa application - The visa applicant will need to meet the requirements of the visa application. (The FREE essential 186 fact sheet can provide more details on visa requirements)
ENS SUBCLASS 186 TEMPORARY RESIDENCE TRANSITION (TRT) STREAM
There are two stages for a subclass 186 under the TRT stream:
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Stage 1 - Nomination application - The Australian employer (or related entity/business) who was the most recent nominator will need to agree to sponsor you and will need to meet the nomination application requirements. (The FREE essential 186 fact sheet can provide more details on nomination requirements).
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Stage 2 - Visa application - The subclass 457/482 visa holder will need to meet the visa application requirements. (The FREE essential 186 fact sheet can provide more details on visa requirements)
WHAT IS THE PROCESSING TIME?
The length of time for a decision varies from case to case and can depend on such factors as quantity of visa applications for that subclass, chronological order of lodgement, applicants risk assessment, case complexity and staffing number at the visa processing centre.
Immigration processing times are updated on a regular basis: http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about/access-accountability/service-standards/global-visa-citizenship-processing-times
IF THE ENS SUBCLASS 186 NOMINATION AND VISA ARE GRANTED
Should your ENS subclass 186 nomination and visa applications be approved, you will be granted a permanent visa which allows you to live and work in Australia for 5 years. You may be either in Australia or overseas when your visa is lodged and granted.
Contact Smart Australian Visas office for further information.