For employers · 186 · Temporary Residence Transition
Nominating your 482 worker for permanent residence: the employer's side of the 186
Most 186 visas come from employers nominating a worker they already sponsor on a 482. The worker's side is about years, age and English; the employer's side is about the position, the salary, the charges and a two-year commitment. This guide covers the employer's side, checked against Home Affairs on 10 November 2026.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed on 10 November 2026 · Check the OMARA register
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Nomination charge
- A$540 (nil if regional)
- SAF levy (one-off)
- A$3,000 / A$5,000
- Worker's history
- 2 of the last 3 years sponsored
- Position
- Full-time, 2+ years available
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Is the worker ready?
- Holds a 482 (or 457) now, or an eligible bridging visa.
- Has at least 2 years of eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years before applying. Time with an earlier sponsor can count (see time with a previous sponsor).
- Is usually under 45 when applying, with limited exemptions, and has competent English.
- Holds any licence or registration the job legally requires.
Check these before you lodge: the nomination charge is not refunded just because the worker turns out to be ineligible.
What the nomination must show
- Your business is actively and lawfully operating, and you are the employer who sponsored the worker's temporary visa.
- The position is genuine, full-time and available for at least two years, in the same occupation the worker has been sponsored in.
- The salary is at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (A$79,423 for nominations from 1 July 2026) and the annual market salary rate, on terms no less favourable than for an Australian worker.
- No adverse information about the business that would stop the nomination (for example sanctions or serious non-compliance).
The rule: a 186 nomination is approved under reg 5.19 of the Migration Regulations 1994; for the Temporary Residence Transition stream the worker must also meet the 186 visa criteria, including the sponsored work period set out on this page.
The trap: counting time that may not count, such as a long period of unpaid leave or work in a different occupation, and lodging before the worker has reached the required period on the day the application is made. Only sponsored employment counts (from 29 November 2025, work for an approved sponsor).
What the decision maker looks at: payslips and payroll records against the dates on the 482, that the nominated occupation matches the one the worker has been doing, and that the salary meets the threshold and the market rate.
Worked example (illustrative only): a worker's 482 started on 1 March two years ago, but they took three months of unpaid leave last year. Lodging on 2 March this year risks a shortfall if that leave is not counted; lodging once the period is covered without it, with payroll records for the whole period, removes the doubt. See leave and the 186.
Employer costs
- Nomination charge: A$540, or nil if the position is located in regional Australia (Migration Regulations, regulation 5.37).
- Skilling Australians Fund levy (one-off for the 186): A$3,000 for turnover under A$10 million, A$5,000 for A$10 million or more.
- Neither charge may be recovered from the worker (see what a sponsor cannot recover). The worker's visa charge is separate and can be paid by either party.
Timing
The worker must lodge the visa within 6 months of your nomination being approved. Home Affairs' published processing times for the TRT stream (stamped 2 November 2026): 50% within 22 months, 90% within 24 months. While the 186 is processed the worker usually stays on their 482 or a bridging visa, so your 482 sponsorship obligations continue until the 186 is granted.
After the grant
Once the 186 is granted the worker is a permanent resident and your 482 sponsorship obligations for them end. The nomination was a commitment that the role is genuine and available for at least two years; the worker is free to change jobs, and you cannot claw back the levy or nomination charge if they do. If the Department later finds the nomination was not genuine, or information was false, it can take action against the employer and the worker.
Consultation for employers
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015, more than 10 years and hundreds of cases, OMARA-approved CPD presenter on employer sponsorship), can check the worker's eligibility and your nomination before you pay the charges. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60, credited in full if you engage the practice. No outcome is promised. Book an employer consultation → or start with the free sponsor eligibility check.
In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: ABN, what the business does, the role and salary, the candidate’s CV and current visa.
- Prefer no call? The sponsorship readiness check is done in writing, A$550.
Book an employer sponsorship consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
When can we nominate our 482 worker for the 186?
Under the Temporary Residence Transition stream, when the worker has at least 2 years of eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years before they apply, currently holds a 482 (or 457, or an eligible bridging visa), and you are the employer who sponsored that visa. The worker then has 6 months from your nomination approval to lodge the visa.
What does it cost the employer?
The 186 nomination charge is A$540 (nil for a Transition stream position in regional Australia, under regulation 5.37), and the one-off Skilling Australians Fund levy is A$3,000 if annual turnover is under A$10 million or A$5,000 otherwise (from 1 July 2026). Neither may be passed on to the worker.
Do we have sponsorship obligations after the 186 is granted?
The 186 is a permanent visa and the standard business sponsorship obligations attached to the 482 do not continue once the worker holds it. The nomination is, however, a commitment that the position is genuine, full-time and available for at least two years, and false or misleading information can have consequences for both employer and worker.
What if the worker leaves soon after getting PR?
The worker is a permanent resident and is free to change jobs. Home Affairs expects the nominated position to have been genuine and available for at least two years; if it emerges that the nomination was not genuine, or information was false, the Department can act. Employers cannot lawfully recover the levy or nomination charge from the worker if they leave.
Is the worker's age or English our problem?
It is the worker's criteria, but it decides whether a nomination is worth lodging: the TRT stream usually requires the worker to be under 45 at application and to have competent English, with limited exemptions. Check both before you pay the nomination charge.
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