Visa 186 Direct Entry Stream: PR Pathway for Skilled Workers

The Skilled Independent Visa, commonly known as Visa 186 is for skilled workers, allowing them to live and work in Australia on permanent basis. The skilled workers here are nominated by employer to fill the gap of highly skilled positions that the employer is unable to fill with local citizens in Australia.

There are three main Visa 186 streams – direct entry stream, labour agreements stream, and temporary residence transition stream. Each of them have different set of rules and requirements. You must check your eligibility and then, apply for one.

Most common visa 186 stream is direct entry stream, which is also one of the best PR pathways for skilled workers. Speaking of which, the following blog will highlight on visa 186 direct entry stream’s complexities and help you with understanding permanent residency pathway in Australia.

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa 186: Direct Entry Stream

The Employer Nomination Scheme or ENS is a subclass of visa 186, initially originated to allow Australian employers for selecting suitable migrants to fill highly skilled positions. The visa stream aims to help companies and business owners who are struggling to find qualified workers near them by nominating skilled workers from across the world.

What are the Requirements for Visa 186: Direct Entry Stream?

Enlighten yourself with the requirements for visa 186: direct entry stream – Have a Suitable Job

Ensure that your profession is listed on the list of eligible qualified professions.

Have an Appropriate Professional Experience

Most applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of work experience that is pertinent in their profession, unless they are exempted. Note that, if you are exempted from the skills assessment i.e., you did not fulfil the requirement, you will also be exempted from your work experience requirement.

Licensing, Registration or Membership

You must have license, registration or a membership of a professional body if you intend to work in the state or territory.

Have a Positive Skills Assessment

Skills assessment is an important requirement for every nominated applicant. You have to prove your skills to work for the position you are nominated for. Once you have your positive skills assessment, you can start with your direct entry visa process.

Must be Nominated

• An Australian employer whose business is actively and lawfully operating must nominate you.
• Ensure that you have applied for the visa within 6 months after your nomination is approved.

However, your visa will not be granted if:

• we found out about the adverse information of your nominator or any other person linked with them, unless there is a genuine reasoning to this information, or the nomination is cancelled or withdrawn, or
• the position is filled by someone else, i.e., it is no longer available

Meet our health requirement

One of the key visa requirements include health certificate, where you and your family members who have applied for the visa with you have to meet Australian health requirement. There are cases, where the authorities ask from the applicants about the health history of the family members who are not accompanying them. So, make sure you are prepared for this.

Meet our character requirement

You have to meet Australia’s character criteria too, along with family members who are applying for the visa with you. Note that, the members are 16 years old or above. There are cases, where the authorities ask from the applicants about the past of the family members who are not accompanying them. So, make sure you are prepared for this.

Have this level of English language

Lastly, you and your family members must have taken English proficiency test – PTE or IELTS to be eligible for this stream of the visa.

What is the Application Process of Visa 186: Direct Entry Stream?

Before Application

• Ensure you have your skills assessed
• Ensure you are prepared to sit for English proficiency exams – PTE or IELTS
• Ensure you have taken health exams
• Ensure you have your character certificate ready
• Look for a reliable and registered migration agent to help you with your application
• You must have your nomination Transaction Reference Number

Gather the Required Documents

Now, once you have prepared all the necessities, gather them to apply for the direct entry stream visa. Following is the list of documents that are important to apply for visa 186 direct entry system:

• Identity documents
• Licence or Membership proof
• Skills and qualifications documents
• English language documents
• Health documents
• Character documents

Apply for the Visa

Now that you have gathered all your documents, it is time to apply for the visa. The best way to apply a visa is to seek guidance form a registered migration agent. The migration agents play an important role in applying a visa therefore; you can never make a wrong decision about them.

Asia Pacific Group is one of the leading migration and education agency in Australia with an experience of over a decade and thousands of satisfied clients. With APG’s experts team you can rest assured that, your visa is well taken care of.

With the right expertise and knowledge, they will assess your profile, arrange all the required documents, update you with important information, and apply the visa on your behalf. The visa application process is complex but with an experienced and professional person everything falls in the right place.

Visa Outcome

Once your visa application is processed and approved, you will be granted visa 186 direct entry stream visa. You will be notified with –

• Your visa grant number
• The date your visa starts
• Your visa conditions

This information will help you understand your visa and what all you are allowed for. Make sure you have a few copies of your visa just in case you need them in future. On the other side, if you do not get your visa, you will be notified with –

• Why the visa was refused
• Whether you can request for a review of the decision

Final Words

By understanding the visa 186 direct entry stream, its requirements and process, you can easily apply for the visa without any difficulties. However, professional help can do it better. Get in touch with APG’s registered migration agents and get started with your 186 direct entry system visa process.