If you have been working in Australia for a while, chances are you have heard guys discuss the “186.” In migrations, it is the gold standard. Why? Because the 186 Visa Sydney pathway is not just any other temporary VISA—it’s your path forward to permanent residency.
We speak to people every day at Asia Pacific Group who are fed up with the ‘visa hop’. They want to move out to the suburbs, buy a house and not have to worry that the next policy change will upend their plans. If that’s you, your best option will probably be the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS).
What is the 186 Visa (ENS)?
Consider the ENS Visa Sydney as a partnership. It’s not a visa you simply apply for; it requires an Australian employer to “nominate” you. In other words, the government needs to see that a local business knows of no one in the region who can do your job, and they are happy for you to stick around permanently.
The Three Main Pathways
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT): This is the pathway most of our Sydney clients take. If you’ve toiled away for long enough on a 482 visa, then you can ‘transition’ to PR. Direct Entry: For people who might be overseas, or may not have worked long enough for their current employer, but who possess the skills and three years of experience.
Labour Agreement A bit niche, this one, for when an employer has a particular agreement with the government in place.
Why Visa 186 Sydney Process Can Be Complicated
Sydney is a competitive market. The Department of Home Affairs are aware of this, so they have a magnifying glass over Sydney-based applications. The tangible obstacles we observe holding people back, however, are more along the following lines:
The “Genuine Need” Test: Trying to get a job is not good enough. Your employer needs to show the Department that there’s a genuine business need for that role to be permanent. If you’re working for a small startup in Surry Hills or a family business out west, you’ve got to have a very strong business case to back this up.
Salary Benchmarking: Everything is more expensive in Sydney, even staff. You must have an employer who pays you the “market rate.” They will probably bat back the visa if they’re paying you under the sydney average for your job type.
The Skills Assessment What: For Direct Entry, you cannot just say you are good at your job. You need an official piece of paper from an assessing authority saying it is. We have seen many people fail here because they did not align their daily work to the precise Australian requirements.
The Perks of Getting Your PR
When that Visa 186 Sydney is finally approved, it take such a load off your shoulders. You get:
- Medicare: No longer pay through the nose for overpriced, overrated private health insurance.
- Stability: No more expiry dates. You can reside and work in any part of Australia.
- Family Safety: Your spouse and children are granted PR rights too.
- A Path to Citizenship: You can apply for an Australian passport after a few years of being on your 186.
How Asia Pacific Group Can Simplify It for You
We’ve seen the “DIY” disasters. People spend thousands of dollars on government fees, only to receive a refusal because they forget one document or because their employer failed to properly complete the nomination.
Working with us is more than just “filing forms.” We:
- Check your employer’s health: We review their business financials to ensure that they’re able to sponsor you.
- Audit your documents: We discover the work history or English gaps before the Department does.
- Manage the back-and-forth: When we receive a difficult question to your initiative from the Department (a “Request for Information”), we manage the response so you don’t have to freak out.
Tired of Visa Stress?
If you’re employed in Sydney and your boss is willing to sponsor you, do not delay. ENS Visa Sydney Rules for the ENS Visa Sydney vary from time to time and they are now, so it is better to apply right here and now.
Drop in for a discussion at Asia Pacific Group. We’ll have a seat, read your papers and tell you, honestly if you don’t have an excellent case. No filler, just real migration advice from people who do this for a living every day.
