186 visa - Temporary Transition Stream

The transition stream is designed for individuals who are already working in Australia under a  457 visa or 482 Temporary Skilled Shortage visa. If this is you, read below to see whether you are eligible to apply for permanent residency through the 186 visa - TRT stream.

Current Visa

One of the main requirements to be eligible for the 186 TRT stream visa is that you must be the holder of a SC 457 or SC 482 visa in any stream.

You could also be the holder of a Bridging Visa A, B or C if the last substantive visa you held was one of the above listed visas or if your Bridging Visa was granted on the basis of your application for the 186 visa.

Work experience and employer sponsorship

Another vital eligibility criteria for the SC 186 TRT stream visa is with respect to the number of years of work experience you must have and who can sponsor you. While being the holder of the 457 or 482 visa, you must have worked for a period of two years in the last three years before lodging your nomination for the SC 186 visa.

This two-years of work experience must be with the Australian employer who is nominating you for the 186 visa. This means that the same employer who nominated you for the SC 482 or SC 457 visa and for whom you have worked for two years must also nominate you for the 186 visa if you wish to apply under the Temporary Residence Transition stream.

It is important to note that the work experience must have been full-time for a period of 38 hours per week.

English Language Proficiency

You must demonstrate that you have competent English in order to qualify to apply for the SC 186 visa in the TRT stream. If you obtain a score of 6.0 for each of the four components in the IELTS exam or 50 for each band in the PTE exam, you will meet this requirement.

Age limit

Applicants for the 186 visa must be below the age of 45 years. However, certain occupations and visa holders are exempted from this requirement.

A positive factor of the SC 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream is that you do not need to undergo the tedious and time-consuming task of applying for a skill assessment. This stream does not require a positive skill assessment unlike the SC 186 Direct Entry stream.

Furthermore, 90% of the applications under this stream are processed in 11 months. You can include members of your family unit such as your spouse or de facto partner and your children in the same application so you can obtain PR together.

Once you become a permanent resident, you can have access to Medicare, work and live in Australia indefinitely, and apply for Australian citizenship and gain access to voting rights once you meet the eligibility requirements.

The 186 Transition Stream Visa is a streamlined option for skilled workers seeking to transition from temporary to permanent residency in Australia. It is suitable for individuals who already hold a SC 482 or SC 457 visa and have two years of work experience with the same employer.