On 25 November (last Saturday), the favourable new employer-sponsorship policy officially took effect. Here’s a short piece walking you through the employer-sponsored visa English-language score requirements.

First, when we say “employer sponsorship”, we are always referring to one particular subclass of employer-sponsored visa — the requirements differ across the various subclasses under the employer-sponsorship umbrella, so they cannot be spoken of in one sweeping statement.

Employer Sponsorship Includes

1. Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (TSS — Subclass 482)

TSS has three streams: Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) stream, Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) stream and Labour Agreement stream

2. Regional Employer Sponsorship

Applicants typically obtain a Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) provisional visa first, then transition to a Subclass 191 permanent visa once the relevant requirements are met

3. Permanent Residence — Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS — Subclass 186) includes

1. 186 DE (Direct Entry) is the direct-to-PR pathway under the employer-sponsorship umbrella — a one-step route to permanent residency

2. 186 TRT (Temporary Residence Transition) is the permanent-residency transition from a 482. After holding a 482 TSS and working for the nominating employer for 2 years, you can apply to transition to 186 TRT. The Labour Agreement stream is not covered in this article.

One of the major benefits of the 26 November employer-sponsorship reforms is that regardless of which 482 TSS stream you hold, you can transition to 186 TRT permanent residency.

Below we focus on the English-language requirements for 482 TSS and 186 ENS.

Language Requirements and Waivers for 482 TSS

– The language requirement sits under Schedule 2, meaning it is a condition of grant for the 482

– STSOL (short-term) occupations only require an IELTS overall of at least 5 with no band below 4.5 (or a PTE overall of at least 36 with no section below 30)

– MLTSSL (medium- and long-term) occupations require an IELTS score of at least 5 in each band (or at least 36 in each PTE section)

A TSS applicant may be eligible for a language waiver if they meet one of the following:

– Holding a passport from a specified country (Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States)

– Completion of 5 or more years of full-time study at secondary level or above taught in English

– The nominated occupation requires a licence, registration or membership, and the language level required for that application already meets the TSS minimum

– High-salary waiver (annual salary of AUD $96,400 or more, employed by a company that already operates a business overseas)

– Engaged in diplomatic or consular work, or working at the Australian Office in Taipei (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)

Language Requirements and Waivers for 186 ENS

– This is a Schedule 2 requirement, and it must be met at the time of lodgement

– Both 186 DE and 186 TRT require an IELTS score of at least 6 in each band, or at least 50 in each PTE section, and in the overwhelming majority of cases no language waiver is available.

Passport holders from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland are automatically deemed to meet the Competent English requirement (IELTS 6 in all four bands) and do not need to provide a test score

Lower language bar than 189 / 491 / 190

So whether it is 482 TSS or 186 ENS, most employer-sponsored applicants will still need to provide an English-language test score. It is simply that, compared with 189 / 190 / 491, the 482 has a lower threshold, and applicants do not need to chase four 7s or four 8s.

We have also worked with clients who initially could not reach four 6s to go straight to 186 DE — they applied for a 482 first as a bridge, so they at least held a visa and a job to stay in Australia, built up the work-experience requirement for 186 TRT, and continued preparing for the English test at the same time. If, during that period, both the language score and the skills assessment are ready, they can lodge a 186 DE at any time — effectively a faster path to permanent residency.

482 processing currently sits at around 1–3 months. With a wave of new applications likely after the 25 November reforms, processing may slow. Given how tough skilled-migration outcomes have been this financial year, employer sponsorship is a solid PR pathway. If you have relevant work experience and an employer willing to sponsor you, it is well worth considering employer sponsorship — contact us for a detailed assessment and further information!

Employer sponsorship — 11.25 new-policy explainer: Employer-sponsorship reforms legislated! All 482 holders officially confirmed eligible to transition to PR — just 2 years of work required!

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