186 Visa Requirements in 2026: TRT and Direct Entry Explained
By Matin Amirshahi, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1685110)
Published 17 Aug 2026
To meet the 186 visa requirements in 2026, you need an Australian employer willing to nominate you for a permanent role, and you must qualify under one of three streams. Most people use the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, which needs 2 years of full-time sponsored work on a 482 visa (or the old 457, a legacy visa closed to new applicants since 2018). The Direct Entry (DE) stream asks for a skills assessment and 3 years of work experience instead.
Both streams require Competent English, and you must usually be under 45 when you apply. The salary offered must be at least $79,423 a year, and the government fee is $6,140.
The 2-year rule: you can count full-time sponsored work across more than one employer and more than one 482 visa, as long as it adds up to 2 years within the 3 years before you apply. The nomination itself must come from your current sponsoring employer.
Which stream do you qualify under?
The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) has three streams:
- Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) — for people already working for their employer on a 482 or 457 visa. This is the standard path from a 482 to permanent residence.
- Direct Entry (DE) — for people applying without 2 years on a 482. It has extra requirements: a skills assessment and 3 years of relevant work experience.
- Labour Agreement (LA) — for workers sponsored under a formal agreement between their employer and the government. The agreement itself sets the requirements.
What are the TRT stream requirements?
You must currently hold a 482 visa (any stream), a 457 visa, or a bridging visa linked to one of them. You must also have a nomination from your employer that was approved in the 6 months before you apply.
The core requirement is the work history. You need 2 years of eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years immediately before you apply. That employment must be:
- Full time — part-time work does not count towards the 2 years.
- In Australia — work performed overseas generally does not count, with narrow exceptions.
- On the right visa — while you held a 457, a 482, or an eligible bridging visa linked to one.
- In your nominated occupation — the occupation your 482 was granted for.
Home Affairs allows more flexibility here than most people expect. If you have held more than one 457 or 482 in those 3 years, work in any occupation you were approved for counts. If you changed employers, time with the new employer counts from the date an approved nomination was lodged, even if you started working there before it was approved.
There is no separate occupation list test for the TRT stream. The nominated occupation simply has to be the one attached to your 482.
What are the Direct Entry requirements?
Direct Entry is for applicants who cannot yet meet the 2-year rule, and it asks for more evidence in return:
- An eligible occupation — your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (the list of occupations open to employer sponsorship).
- A positive skills assessment — from the assessing authority for your occupation. Academics nominated by a university, scientists nominated by an Australian government scientific agency, and some 444 or 461 visa holders with 2 years’ service with their nominating employer are exempt.
- At least 3 years of relevant work experience — in your occupation. If you are exempt from the skills assessment, you are exempt from this too.
- Competent English — the same standard as the TRT stream.
Who can apply over the age of 45?
You must usually be under 45 when you apply. Home Affairs recognises five exceptions:
- Academics (university lecturers or faculty heads) nominated by an Australian university.
- Scientists, researchers and technical specialists at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2, nominated by an Australian government scientific agency or a university.
- Medical practitioners who have worked in a designated regional area for at least 2 of the last 3 years on a 457 or 482, where the nominated position is also regional.
- TRT applicants whose earnings in each of the qualifying years were at least the Fair Work High Income Threshold, which is $190,100 from 1 July 2026.
- People who held, or had applied for, a 457 visa on 18 April 2017. For this group the age limit is 50, not 45.
What does your employer need to show?
The nomination is assessed on its own, before or alongside your visa application. Your employer must show that the business is actively and lawfully operating in Australia, that there is a genuine need for the position, and that the pay meets two floors: the Core Skills Income Threshold of $79,423, and the annual market salary rate (what an Australian worker would be paid for the same job). The $79,423 threshold applies to all 186 nominations lodged since 7 December 2024.
The employer also pays a $540 nomination fee (not charged for some regional nominations) and the Skilling Australians Fund levy: a one-off $3,000 for businesses with turnover under $10 million, or $5,000 for larger businesses. Home Affairs does not allow any of these sponsorship costs to be passed on to you.
What English level do you need?
Both the TRT and Direct Entry streams require Competent English: IELTS 6.0 in each component, or the equivalent score in another accepted test. Holding a valid passport from the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland also meets it. There has been no exemption from this requirement for the TRT stream since 16 November 2019.
How much does the 186 visa cost in 2026?
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | $6,140 |
| Each additional applicant 18 or over | $3,070 |
| Each additional applicant under 18 | $1,535 |
| Second instalment (each dependant 18+ without functional English) | $4,890 |
The main charge rose from $4,910 on 1 July 2026, part of a general increase across all subclasses. Every current charge and threshold is collected in our visa fees and thresholds reference.
Frequently asked questions
Does time on a bridging visa count towards the 2 years?
Yes, if the bridging visa is linked to your 457 or 482 and you kept working full time in your nominated occupation. This matters if your 482 expired while a new application was being processed.
Does the 3 years of work experience for Direct Entry have to be recognised by the assessing authority?
Not necessarily. Home Affairs assesses the 3-year requirement itself, against the nominated occupation. The experience does not need to have been counted by the skills assessing authority.
Can part-time work count towards Direct Entry’s 3 years of experience?
Yes, on a pro-rata basis. The TRT stream is stricter: its 2-year rule counts full-time sponsored work only.
How long does a 186 application take?
As at early August 2026, most Direct Entry applications are decided within 12 months and most TRT applications within 14. Current figures by stream are in our 186 processing time guide.
Not sure which stream fits your situation?
A 10-minute call is usually enough to tell whether the TRT 2-year rule, Direct Entry, or neither is the right path, and what your employer needs to prepare. Request a free eligibility call.
