In recent years, Australia’s 186 employer-sponsored visa quotas have remained steady with modest growth, and the number of occupations eligible to apply directly for permanent residence through employer sponsorship has increased to 456 occupations. The Department of Home Affairs has now announced policy adjustments for the 25-26 financial year, and the overall trend is very clear: against a backdrop of cuts to skilled-migration quotas, employer-sponsored visa category quotas as a whole remain stable.
Quotas for recent financial years through the current 186 employer-sponsored migration intake are as follows:
2021-22 financial year: 22000 places
2022-23 financial year: 35000 places
2023-24 financial year: 36825 places
2024-25 financial year: 44000 places
2025-26 financial year: 44000 places
Favourable policies for employer-sponsored visas
1.Expanded occupation list
2024In late 186, the 482 and work visa occupation list (CSOL) was expanded from 216 occupations to 456 occupations, covering a broader range of fields. Arts and commerce roles such as marketing, finance and human resources now also have the opportunity to apply directly for 186DE and obtain permanent residence in one step.
2.Lower work experience requirement
2024In late 482 work visa’s full-time work experience threshold has been reduced from the previous requirement of 2 years to 1 year of full-time work experience, and part-time or other non-full-time work experience can be converted to full-time equivalent on a pro-rata basis.
3.Lower English requirement
From 2025 9 13, the 482 visa’s PTE English test requirement has been reduced from PTE4 x 36 to Listening 33, Reading 36, Writing 29, Speaking 24 — making the visa far more accessible for applicants with weaker English.
Requirements for the employer-sponsored visa
186DE employer-sponsored visa
Application requirements
1.Age under 45
2.An employer willing to nominate you
3.IELTS 4 x 6 or an equivalent English test result
4.A skills assessment for the nominated occupation
5The nominated occupation appears on the CSOL occupation list
6,At least 3 years of relevant work experience
Program benefits
(1)Permanent residence granted directly,Full access to benefits,No restrictions on where you live
(2)One applicant brings the whole family to Australia.The family shares Australian benefits together
(3)Children can study in Australia.Spouse can work in Australia
(4)Free to live, work and study anywhere in Australia
Popular occupations
Accountant, auditor, developer programmer, analyst programmer, software engineer, structural engineer, electronics engineer, electrical engineering draftsperson, early-childhood teacher, civil engineering draftsperson — plus many newly added arts and commerce roles such as marketing, finance, human resources, public relations and project management.
Success stories
10 October 13 — 225213 ICT Sales Representative 186 nomination approved
10 October 25 — 351411 Cook, 186 visa approved
10 October 28221111 Accountant, 186 nomination approved
482 work visa
Application requirements
1.Age under 45
2.Sponsorship from an employer with approved sponsor status
3.IELTS 4 x 5 or an equivalent English test result
4.A skills assessment (required only for certain occupations)
5.The nominated occupation appears on the CSOL occupation list
6.At least 1 year of relevant work experience
Program benefits
(1)No upper age limit at the time of application (but when transitioning to 186 permanent residence you must be ≤ 45 years old)
(2)Lowest entry threshold,flexible application,fast processing
(3)Children can study in Australia,spouse can work in Australia
(4)Temporary work visa,is the gold-standard pathway to 186TRT permanent residence
Australia 482 visa — top occupations ranking | 2025 financial year data released
482 visa to 186TRT permanent residence requirements
Age no older than 45 years
English: IELTS of 4 x 6 (or equivalent)
Hold an SID visa and have worked for your employer for at least 2 years
482 visa period; the role held must be the same as the role nominated for the 186 visa application
The nomination application has been approved
Sponsorship from an employer is required
Hold the relevant skills certification for the nominated occupation; some occupations may also require a skills assessment
Success stories
10 October 15 — 312512: Mechanical Engineering Technician, 482 visa approved
10 October 16233214 Structural Engineer, 482 nomination approved
10 October 23423111 Aged /Disabled Care worker, 482 nomination approved
10 October 30431411 Hotel Service Manager, 482 visa approved
We recommend consulting an experienced agent to tailor a plan to your circumstances.
482 visas are an important pathway for skilled migration to Australia, but the policy details are intricate and require careful planning.
If you’d rather not absorb the added cost of a refusal, contact us for an assessment and consultation — we can tailor a plan to your needs!
Newstarsec Group introduction video
(filmed in 2021)
NSW / VIC / QLD / WA still have some transitional places left! WA’s first round was dominated by construction trades!
190 / 491 being processed across three time periods simultaneously — the backlog keeps shrinking! The latest 189 round’s acceptance rate only just cleared 50%!
When the child is an Australian PR or citizen, how long can the parents’ visitor visa actually be granted for? Can you choose the length yourself?
Migration information share group —
2025
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Code: 01 — Australia’s most popular skilled-migration programs 189 / 190 / 491
Code: 02 — Work-to-migration one-step employer-sponsored pathways 482 / 186 / 494
Code: 03 — Study first, then migrate: recommended majors and courses
Code: 04 — High-school / gaokao / undergraduate study pathways
Code: 05 — Must-know for international-student migrants: the 485 Temporary Graduate visa
Code: 06 — Sort this out straight after PR: parent migration and visas
Code: 07 — Master of Marriage: partner migration
Code: 08 — Pivoting to Hong Kong: QMAS and Top Talent Pass Scheme
Code: 09 — For parents / relatives / friends visiting Australia: the 600 visitor visa
Code: 10 — Weekly updates on visa grants / invitations / skills assessments — success stories
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