Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
186 Employer Nomination vs 494 Regional Employer Sponsored
An employer able to nominate for permanent residence directly uses the 186: the worker is permanent on grant, free of the employer thereafter, and the business carries one nomination and one levy. A regional employer whose worker or role does not meet the 186’s criteria, through the occupation, the experience, the skills assessment or the age, uses the 494: provisional for five years, tied to the employer, the occupation and the region, with the worker reaching permanent residence through the 191 after three years and the employer carrying the sponsorship obligations for the period. The 186 is the destination; the 494 is the regional road to it when the direct door is shut.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status for the worker
- Permanent on grant · Provisional, 5 years; 191 after 3 years at the required income
- Where
- Anywhere · Designated regional areas only
- Occupation
- The Core Skills Occupation List · The 494 regional list, broader
- Experience and assessment
- 3 years and a skills assessment for direct entry; neither for most in the transition stream · 3 years and a skills assessment for most
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 186 Employer Nomination | 494 Regional Employer Sponsored | |
|---|---|---|
| Status for the worker | Permanent on grant | Provisional, 5 years; 191 after 3 years at the required income |
| Where | Anywhere | Designated regional areas only |
| Occupation | The Core Skills Occupation List | The 494 regional list, broader |
| Experience and assessment | 3 years and a skills assessment for direct entry; neither for most in the transition stream | 3 years and a skills assessment for most |
| Regional certifying body | Not involved | Advice required |
| Charge | $6,140 primary applicant; the nomination charge and the levy | $6,140 primary applicant; the nomination charge and the levy |
| Employer obligations | End at grant in the main | Run for the sponsorship period |
| Watch out | An early departure after grant is read for genuineness | The worker’s 191 depends on income the employer sets |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
An employer able to nominate for permanent residence directly uses the 186: the worker is permanent on grant, free of the employer thereafter, and the business carries one nomination and one levy. A regional employer whose worker or role does not meet the 186’s criteria, through the occupation, the experience, the skills assessment or the age, uses the 494: provisional for five years, tied to the employer, the occupation and the region, with the worker reaching permanent residence through the 191 after three years and the employer carrying the sponsorship obligations for the period. The 186 is the destination; the 494 is the regional road to it when the direct door is shut.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
186 Employer Nomination or 494 Regional Employer Sponsored — which is better?
An employer able to nominate for permanent residence directly uses the 186: the worker is permanent on grant, free of the employer thereafter, and the business carries one nomination and one levy. A regional employer whose worker or role does not meet the 186’s criteria, through the occupation, the experience, the skills assessment or the age, uses the 494: provisional for five years, tied to the employer, the occupation and the region, with the worker reaching permanent residence through the 191 after three years and the employer carrying the sponsorship obligations for the period. The 186 is the destination; the 494 is the regional road to it when the direct door is shut.
What is the main difference between the 186 Employer Nomination and the 494 Regional Employer Sponsored?
Status for the worker: 186 Employer Nomination — Permanent on grant; 494 Regional Employer Sponsored — Provisional, 5 years; 191 after 3 years at the required income. Where: 186 Employer Nomination — Anywhere; 494 Regional Employer Sponsored — Designated regional areas only. Occupation: 186 Employer Nomination — The Core Skills Occupation List; 494 Regional Employer Sponsored — The 494 regional list, broader.
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