Employer Sponsored Visa Explained: Everything You Need to Know About 186, 494 and 482 Visas and PR Options

Introduction

You’re a skilled professional in Australia, and your employer wants to keep you longer – but what visa makes that possible?

In this guide, we’ll explain:

• What an employer-sponsored visa means
• The different types (482 (now, SID visa)/ 186 / 494 / 191)
• Eligibility, experience requirements, and PR (permanent residency) pathways
• How international students and skilled workers can transition to sponsorship
  

Why Employer Sponsored Visas Matter

Why are employer-sponsored visas important for workers and employers in Australia?

• Address skill shortages: Industries like health, hospitality, IT, construction, and trade often rely on overseas workers.
• Path to permanent residency: Many employer sponsorship visas offer pathways to PR under certain conditions.
• Retention of talent: Employers can secure long-term skilled staff rather than losing them as their temporary permits expire.
  

Employer Sponsored Visa as a Bridge to PR

A typical pathway (updated) looks like this:
Skills in Demand (SID, formerly 457) → 186 (ENS, permanent visa)
or
494 (regional, provisional) → 191 (permanent regional visa)

Types of Employer Sponsored Visas

What visas are available under employer sponsorship in Australia?

Eligibility for Employer Sponsored Visa

Are you eligible for an employer sponsored visa?
You must:

• Have an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) or other relevant lists.
• Be nominated by an approved employer.
• Meet English language, age (usually under 45), and skills criteria.
  

Work Experience Requirements

• Skills in Demand (SID, replacing 482): At least 1 year of full-time relevant skilled employment in the last 5 years.
• 186 visa:
  • Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream: At least 2 years with a sponsoring employer on a SID/482 visa.
  • Direct Entry stream: Generally 3 years’ relevant skilled experience (plus a positive skills assessment).
    

Applying for an Employer Sponsored Visa

How to apply for an employer sponsored visa in Australia?

Step 1: Employer Nomination

• The employer must prove genuine need (Labour Market Testing), financial capacity and meet salary standards (e.g. Annual Market Salary Rate).

Step 2: Visa Application

• Provide evidence of relevant qualifications and work experience, submit skills assessment (if required), English test, and health & character checks.

Step 3: Approval

• Visa granted once both nomination and visa application are approved.
  

Employer’s Role

Employers must:

• Prove labour shortages.
• Prove genuine need for the position and show financial capacity to support the positon
• Pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy.
• Ensure salary is at least the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) and meets the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT).
  

Rights & Obligations on an Employer Sponsored Visa

Requirements to be followed after receiving an employer-sponsored visa

• Work only in your nominated occupation.
• Stay with your sponsoring employer until eligible for PR.
• Sponsoring employer can be changed in the same occupation
• Live in regional areas if on a 494 visa.
• Bring dependents (spouse and children).
  

Do I Have to Stay With My Employer for 186?

• Before PR grant: You must stay with your sponsoring employer.
• After PR grant: No legal requirement to remain but leaving too soon may raise concerns about genuine intent.
  

Pathway to Permanent Residency

Can you apply for PR after 2 years in Australia on an employer sponsored visa?

Yes. Many Skills in Demand (SID, replacing 457) visa holders can transition to PR via the 186 visa after 2 years of working for their sponsoring employer (under the Temporary Residence Transition stream).

Regional visa holders (494) can apply for Subclass 191 after 3 years, provided they adhere to the conditions of their subclass 494 visa.

Temporary to Permanent Transition

• SID (replacing 482) → 186: Employer Nomination Scheme pathway.
• 494 → 191: Permanent regional pathway (requires meeting income threshold for 3 of the last 5 years).
  

Common Issues with Employer Sponsored Visas

Common challenges faced by applicants with Employer Sponsored Visa

• Employers unwilling to nominate due to costs or obligations.
• Skills assessment delays.
• Meeting English/age criteria.
  

What If You Change Jobs?

• On a SID visa, if your employment ends, you have 180 consecutive days, or up to 365 days in total during your visa period, to find another sponsor before your visa is at risk.
• On a 186 (PR), you’re free to change employers after grant, though leaving too soon may raise questions about genuine intent.
  

Employer Sponsored Visa by Occupation & Industry

• Healthcare workers (nurses, aged care, doctors).
• IT professionals (software engineers, analysts).
• Tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, welders).
• Regional workers, including those sponsored under DAMA agreements.
  

Occupations Outside Standard Lists

Through DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreements), regional employers can sponsor workers in occupations not usually on the standard skilled lists (e.g., aged care, farm workers, hospitality, trades). DAMA also allows concessions such as higher age limits (up to 55), lower English requirements, and work experience waivers.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the meaning of employer sponsored visa?
It’s a visa where an Australian employer sponsors a skilled worker to fill a role they can’t source locally.

What’s the difference between SID and 186 visas?
The Skills in Demand (SID) visa (replaced the old 457 in Nov 2024) is temporary and valid for up to 4 years.
The 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa is a permanent residency visa.

Can I apply for PR after 2 years on a sponsored visa?
Yes, through the 186 ENS pathway, if you’ve worked with your sponsoring employer for 2 years on a SID visa (Temporary Residence Transition stream).

How much work experience is required for a 186 visa?

• Direct Entry stream: Usually 3 years of relevant full-time skilled work experience plus a positive skills assessment.
• Temporary Residence Transition stream: 2 years with your sponsoring employer on a SID visa.

How much work experience is required for a SID visa?
At least 1 year of full-time relevant skilled employment in the last 5 years plus relevant qualifications of experience in lieu of it.

If I studied in a regional area, does that help?
Yes – it makes you eligible for the Second PHW (extension) and strengthens your points for PR.

Do I have to stay with my employer for 186 PR?
Yes, until your PR is granted. After grant, you’re not legally bound, though leaving too early may raise questions about genuine intent.

Can dependents be included?
Yes, spouses and children can be added.

What’s the age limit for employer sponsored visas?
Generally under 45, though exemptions and DAMA concessions (up to 55) apply.

Conclusion & Call to Action

Employer sponsored visas are one of the most reliable ways to work and live in Australia long-term. They benefit both skilled workers and employers by creating stability and clear PR opportunities.

👉 Ready to explore your employer sponsored visa options?

Start Your Employer Sponsored Visa Journey with Aussizz Group today.