An overview of Australia's main employer-sponsored skilled work visas, from temporary sponsored employment to permanent residence and regional pathways.
Route overview
482 / 186 / 494 employer-sponsored work visas
Typical timeline / duration: 482: up to four years in many streams; 186: permanent; 494: five years with a possible subclass 191 pathway after meeting regional conditions.
Important notes
Have an Australian employer willing and able to sponsor and nominate the position under the relevant programme.
Meet the nominated occupation, skills, English, health, character, and salary or income-threshold requirements for the selected stream.
Subclass 482 is temporary sponsored employment; subclass 186 is a permanent employer-nominated route; subclass 494 is a five-year regional employer-sponsored route.
Work is generally tied to the approved sponsor, nominated occupation, location, and visa conditions; changing employer or role may require a new nomination or visa step.
Subclass 482 Skills in Demand: temporary employer-sponsored work, generally up to four years, with stream-specific occupation and salary rules.
Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme: permanent residence through Direct Entry, Labour Agreement, or Temporary Residence Transition streams where the relevant requirements are met.
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional: five-year regional visa; employment must be in a designated regional area and a subclass 191 pathway may become available after the required period.
Sponsor approval, labour-market testing, occupation lists, income thresholds, English rules, and transition requirements should be checked against the current Home Affairs page.
Preparation checklist
Passport and identity documents
Employer sponsorship and nomination approval
Employment contract and nominated-position evidence
Skills assessment, qualifications, and English evidence
Salary and labour-market evidence where required
Health and police clearances
Each visa in this group
Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand
A temporary visa allowing an approved employer to sponsor a suitably skilled worker for a nominated position. Stay length, occupation rules, and salary threshold depend on the stream.
Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme
A permanent employer-nominated visa with Direct Entry, Labour Agreement, and Temporary Residence Transition streams. The correct stream depends on the applicant's current status, experience, and employer arrangements.
A five-year employer-sponsored visa for a nominated position in a designated regional area. It carries regional work conditions and may lead to subclass 191 permanent residence after the required period.
See the individual 482 page and the official 186 and 494 sources.