Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
482 first, then the 186 transition stream vs 186 Direct Entry from the start
An employer who wants a worker permanently can nominate the 186 Direct Entry stream at once, which needs a skills assessment, three years of relevant experience, the worker under 45 unless exempt, and months of processing before the worker can start; or nominate the 482 first, which needs no skills assessment for most occupations, no three years, no age limit, and is granted in a fraction of the time, with the 186 transition stream after two years in the position. Direct Entry suits the established professional who meets its criteria and can wait abroad; the 482 route suits the employer who needs the worker soon, the worker who is over 45 or short of the assessment, and the business that wants two years to be sure.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Time to start
- Months for the 482 · Longer; the 186 is a permanent visa with heavier evidence
- Skills assessment
- Not required for most occupations at the 482; not required in the transition stream · Required
- Experience
- As the occupation and the sponsor require · 3 years of relevant experience
- Age
- None at the 482; none under the transition stream’s own criteria in the ordinary case · Under 45 at application, with exemptions
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 482 first, then the 186 transition stream | 186 Direct Entry from the start | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Months for the 482 | Longer; the 186 is a permanent visa with heavier evidence |
| Skills assessment | Not required for most occupations at the 482; not required in the transition stream | Required |
| Experience | As the occupation and the sponsor require | 3 years of relevant experience |
| Age | None at the 482; none under the transition stream’s own criteria in the ordinary case | Under 45 at application, with exemptions |
| Charges | $4,015 for the 482, then $6,140 for the 186; two nominations and two levies | $6,140 once; one nomination and one levy |
| Certainty for the worker | Temporary first; permanent after 2 years if the job and the employer last | Permanent on grant |
| Watch out | A change of employer, position or long unpaid leave resets the 2 years | The skills assessment and the age limit decide it before anything else |
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 who wants a worker permanently can nominate the 186 Direct Entry stream at once, which needs a skills assessment, three years of relevant experience, the worker under 45 unless exempt, and months of processing before the worker can start; or nominate the 482 first, which needs no skills assessment for most occupations, no three years, no age limit, and is granted in a fraction of the time, with the 186 transition stream after two years in the position. Direct Entry suits the established professional who meets its criteria and can wait abroad; the 482 route suits the employer who needs the worker soon, the worker who is over 45 or short of the assessment, and the business that wants two years to be sure.
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
482 first, then the 186 transition stream or 186 Direct Entry from the start — which is better?
An employer who wants a worker permanently can nominate the 186 Direct Entry stream at once, which needs a skills assessment, three years of relevant experience, the worker under 45 unless exempt, and months of processing before the worker can start; or nominate the 482 first, which needs no skills assessment for most occupations, no three years, no age limit, and is granted in a fraction of the time, with the 186 transition stream after two years in the position. Direct Entry suits the established professional who meets its criteria and can wait abroad; the 482 route suits the employer who needs the worker soon, the worker who is over 45 or short of the assessment, and the business that wants two years to be sure.
What is the main difference between the 482 first, then the 186 transition stream and the 186 Direct Entry from the start?
Time to start: 482 first, then the 186 transition stream — Months for the 482; 186 Direct Entry from the start — Longer; the 186 is a permanent visa with heavier evidence. Skills assessment: 482 first, then the 186 transition stream — Not required for most occupations at the 482; not required in the transition stream; 186 Direct Entry from the start — Required. Experience: 482 first, then the 186 transition stream — As the occupation and the sponsor require; 186 Direct Entry from the start — 3 years of relevant experience.
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