The minimum requirements of the transition stream of this Subclass 186 visa are set out below:
- Employer Requirements
- Position Requirements
- Visa Applicant Requirements
- Application Requirements
- How Long Does it Take?
Employer
The business seeking to employ you must:
- still be actively and lawfully operating in Australia
- genuinely need you to work in the nominated position under its direct control, and have the capacity to employ you in this position for at least two years
Position
The position to be filled must:
- be full-time and available for at least 2 years from the time your visa is granted
- be an occupation included on the current Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
Certain occupations on the MLTSSL will be subject to additional requirements (e.g. salary, type of business operated by employer, nature of position). Please contact us for further details based on your particular circumstances.
- have a salary that is:
- at least $53,900 per year (excluding any non-monetary benefits) AND
- at least the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for your nominated
The AMSR is the salary that an Australian earns (or would earn) for performing equivalent work on a full-time basis for a year in the same workplace at the same location.
You will be exempt from the AMSR requirement if your salary is more than $250,000 per year.
- be subject to conditions of employment (other than earnings) that are no worse than those that apply (or would apply) to Australians performing equivalent work in the same location.
Visa Applicant
As the visa applicant, you must:
- have held one of the following visas to work on a full-time basis in the nominated position (or a very closely related position) for the nominating employer in Australia for at least 3 years during the last 4 years:
- subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa OR
- subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in the Medium-term stream OR
- subclass 482 TSS visa in the Short-term stream, if on 18 April 2017 you held (or had applied for, and were subsequently granted) a subclass 457 visa
- be genuinely performing the tasks of your nominated occupation
- have competent English (e.g. IELTS of 6), or.
- hold a valid passport issued by the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland (and you are a citizen of that country)
- be under 45 years of age (unless exempt from this requirement)
- meet any mandatory licensing, registration or professional membership requirements
- satisfy the relevant health and character criteria
Application
Stage 1: Nomination Application
This application is lodged with the DHA on behalf of your employer, and relates to the skilled position that you have been offered, which must meet the requirements referred to above. Your employer is required to supply documents to the DHA in support of this application, the nature and extent of which will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of the business.
Employers must pay a one-off Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy for EACH subclass 186 nomination lodged with the DHA. The amount payable varies based on the employer’s annual turnover: For employers with an annual turnover of LESS THAN AU$10 million, the SAF levy is AU$3,000 per nomination. For employers with an annual turnover of AT LEAST AU$10 million, the SAF levy is AU$5,000 per nomination. The SAF levy must be paid upfront, at the time that the nomination is lodged. Please contact our office for further information regarding the SAF levy
Stage 2: Visa Application
Your visa application is lodged with the DHA either at the same time as the nomination application, or within six months of the DHA’s approval of the nomination. The main criterion is that you fulfil the above requirements, including the standard health and character checks.
Once the DHA has approved both applications, you will be granted a permanent visa. You may be in Australia or outside Australia when your visa is granted.
The time that it takes the DHA to process your application is dependent upon its processing time service standards, and may also vary due to a number of other factors, including the complexity of your case, perceived risk factors and processing priorities. Please contact us for current information regarding likely processing time frames for this type of application.
As you have no doubt gathered, Subclass 186 TRT applications are complex and full of pitfalls for the unwary.
We strongly recommend that you engage a competent and experienced Registered Migration Agent or Immigration Lawyer to ensure your application will be successful.