After three quiet years, there is no denying it — the 2022–23 financial year has brought a new wave of opportunity for Australia skilled migrationis back in the spotlight, andthe boom。

From the first round of Subclass 189 invitations issued this financial year, to the states launching an all-out talent race, waves of Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 invitations have gone out — to both onshore and offshore applicants. Many who had almost given up on Australian skilled migration found themselves hopeful again.

Yet as time passes, there is a group of applicants who may genuinely be left behind by the points-tested skilled migration system.

Some of them have expired English results — they have sat the test multiple times but can no longer achieve the 7s and 8s they once could;

Some of them have seen their age points drop sharply — irreversibly — or they are now married and can no longer claim single-status points;

As their total points continue to fall, the chances of pursuing the points-tested skilled migration pathway are fading fast, with some unable to even reach 50 points.

But Australia’s skilled migration pathway is not limited to the points-tested route. Employer-sponsored visas with 35,000 places in the quota,shorter processing times, a lower English threshold, and no points test, makeemployer-sponsored visas a genuinely solid option.

Employer Sponsorship

holds the largest allocation of granted visa places

From the 2022–23 financial year quota table, it is clear that the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa quota has grown significantly this year — rising from 22,000 last year to 35,000, giving employer-sponsored migration a larger quota than skilled independent migration, state-nominated migration, and other streamscombined. This reflects the substantial ongoing talent shortage in Australia’s labour market, and the considerable weight the Department of Home Affairs places on employer-sponsored visas.

Employer Sponsorship

delivers consistent and reliable processing and approval outcomes

Compared with the points-tested skilled migration pathway, many clients are unfamiliar with Australian employer-sponsored visas and are concerned about approval volumes, grant rates, and similar factors. Looking at the Department of Home Affairs’ most recently published 2021–22 Migration Programme report, employer-sponsored visa outcomes are highly stable across application numbers, approvals, and grant rates.

Across the whole of the 2021–22 financial year, employer-sponsored visas granted 26,103 places onshore and offshore combined — more than four times the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent figure, and more than three times the previous year’s standout Global Talent Independent (GTI) visa. The employer-sponsored grant rate has held steady above 97% for two consecutive years, fully matching the performance of other skilled migration streams.

Looking at the Department’s most recent data on “direct PR via Subclass 186 employer sponsorship”, IT, cooking, accounting, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and university lecturing all remain in the top ten, making them the clear leaders in the employer-sponsored visa space.

So, with Australia’s skilled migration boom and policy tailwinds continuing, which applicants are best suited for the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa?

Who is a good fit for the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme?

Low points-test score

The applicant is over 33 years of age, English results have been stuck at four 6s across multiple attempts, and a spouse is unable to contribute additional points — leaving the points-tested skilled migration score too low, with limited competitive advantage and dim prospects.

Not wanting to take the regional route via Subclass 491

This financial year, a reasonable number of Subclass 189/190 invitations have been issued — but for offshore applicants with lower scores, or those whose nominated occupation is restricted under state nomination, the most accessible pathway may still be the Subclass 491. However, the Subclass 491 requires three years of regional residence, and an annual income of at least AUD 59,300 to transition to permanent residency. Many offshore applicants with families are unwilling to pursue the regional route and prefer to secure Australian PR directly for themselves and their families in a single step.

Wanting a visa application that is “reliable” and “fast”

Although the points-tested skilled migration pathway is seeing positive developments, the scores required for popular occupations — such as IT, accounting, and engineering where applicants tend to cluster — are high. These same occupations are given priority processing under the employer-sponsored programme. Not only are approvals reliable, they are fast: applying offshore and receiving a decision offshore, from nomination lodgement to visa in hand, typically takes just 6 months — remarkably swift;

If you fall into any of these three categories, the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme — with its low threshold, fast processing, and generous quota — is well worth exploring:

Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme — visa requirements:

1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS four 6s;

3. A positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation;

4. At least 3 years of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation;

5. Sponsorship from a suitably qualified employer based in Australia;

If you are unsure whether the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is right for you, please contact us for a personalised assessment.

Recent Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme

Grant Success Stories

With Christmas approaching this month, we still had several groups of clients successfully receive their Australian PR — the greatest gift any applicant and their family could ask for.

Case 1:

Nominated occupation: ICT Security Specialist

Processing timeline: Nomination lodged late June 2022, nomination approved November 2022, visa granted 17 December 2022

Case 2:

Nominated occupation: Software
engineer

Processing timeline: Nomination lodged late March 2022, nomination approved November 2022, family of three visa granted 10 December 2022

Case 3:

Nominated occupation: ICT
Business Analyst

Processing timeline: Nomination lodged May 2022, nomination approved October 2022, visa granted 2 December 2022

Case 4:

Nominated occupation: Software engineer

Processing timeline: Nomination lodged April 2022, nomination approved September 2022, visa granted 25 November 2022

If you would like to learn more about the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa, please get in touch. We will design a tailored, one-step direct-PR employer-sponsored pathway for you and your family — your Plan B for the new financial year.

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Backlog down by 400,000 by year-end! Is the transition from temporary to permanent residency the centrepiece of immigration reform?Click “Original Link” — Migration Weekly — Video Edition

35,000-place quota, PR in as little as 6 months — who is the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme right for?

Think Tank: Only 25% of visas go to genuine skilled migrants — is a major overhaul of the points test coming?

Lower scores + more places — over 11,000 invitations already issued

Subclass 189 audit score 65! Accounting, engineering and IT applicants with 70 points may have a shot at Subclass 190!

Subclass 189 audit score 65! Accounting, engineering and IT applicants with 70 points may have a shot at Subclass 190!

Subclass 189 audit score 65! Accounting, engineering and IT applicants with 70 points may have a shot at Subclass 190!

Subclass 189 audit score 65! Accounting, engineering and IT applicants with 70 points may have a shot at Subclass 190!

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