Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) Stream: 2026 Guide
The 186 TRT stream is the pathway to permanent residence for workers already sponsored by their employer on a Subclass 482 visa. If you have worked full-time for your sponsoring employer in your nominated occupation for at least two years, you may be eligible to move from a temporary work visa to a permanent one with the same employer. The base application charge is approximately AUD $6,140 from 1 July 2026, and unlike the Direct Entry stream, a skills assessment is generally not required.
That is the headline. The detail, which is where applications succeed or stall, sits in the fine print of the two-year work requirement and the “approved sponsor” rule that tightened in late 2025.
This guide is for anyone currently on a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa, or an older Subclass 457, who is thinking about the transition to permanent residence with their sponsoring employer. We cover who qualifies, the work requirement, age and English, the salary rules, the cost, and the common pitfalls that catch applicants out.
What is the 186 TRT stream?
The Temporary Residence Transition stream of the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme lets an employer nominate a worker they already sponsor for permanent residence. It is designed for people who have already proven themselves in an Australian role on a temporary work visa.
The stream sits inside the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, which grants permanent residence when an approved Australian employer nominates you for a position on an ongoing basis. You can read the Department’s own overview on the Temporary Residence Transition stream page.
The core idea is continuity. You have been doing the job on a 482, the employer wants to keep you long term, and the TRT stream converts that arrangement into a permanent visa. That is a different logic from the Direct Entry stream, which we come back to below.
Who the TRT stream is for
The TRT stream is for workers already holding a Subclass 482 (or an older Subclass 457) visa who have been employed by their sponsoring employer. It is not a general skilled migration route, and it is not for people applying from outside an existing sponsorship relationship.
In practice, the typical applicant is someone who:
- Currently holds a Subclass 482 visa, or previously held a Subclass 457
- Has been working full-time for the same sponsoring employer
- Works in the occupation named in their nomination
- Wants permanent residence with that employer rather than a new one
If you came to Australia on the newer Skills in Demand visa, our overview of the Skills in Demand visa and how it works covers the temporary stage that usually precedes a TRT application. The 482 replaced the TSS from 7 December 2024, but the visa number was kept, so the 482 you hold and the 482 you may have first been granted are the same subclass for TRT purposes.
The two-year work requirement
Here is the requirement most people ask about first. To be nominated under the TRT stream, you must generally have worked full-time for your sponsoring employer in your nominated occupation for at least two years while holding your 482 or 457 visa.
This was reduced from three years to two years on 25 November 2023. That change opened the pathway to many workers who would otherwise have had a longer wait, and it remains one of the more significant recent shifts in employer-sponsored migration.
Two points matter here, and both are easy to get wrong.
First, the work has to be full-time and in the nominated occupation. Part-time periods, or time spent in a materially different role, generally do not count towards the two years.
Second, and this is the change that surprises people, the two years must be with an approved sponsor. The rule tightened in late 2025 so that periods where sponsorship had lapsed, or where a sponsorship application was still pending, generally do not count towards your two years. If your employer’s sponsorship approval expired and there was a gap before it was renewed, that gap can quietly push your eligibility date back.
We look at how to check this properly in the pitfalls section below, because sponsorship gaps are one of the most common reasons a TRT nomination is knocked back.
Age, English and the other core criteria
Beyond the work requirement, the TRT stream carries the standard Subclass 186 criteria. None of these are unusual for a permanent skilled visa, but each one has exceptions worth knowing.
Age. You must generally be under 45 at the time of application. Exemptions exist, for example for certain high-income earners, some occupations, and some applicants on 457 or 482 transitional arrangements. If you are close to 45, the timing of your lodgement can matter, so it is worth mapping your dates early.
English. Competent English is generally required, with exemptions for some applicants. Competent English is usually demonstrated through an approved English test, unless you fall within an exemption such as holding a passport from certain countries.
Health and character. As with other permanent visas, health and character requirements apply. Most applicants meet the health requirement, and the character requirement is assessed under the Migration Act.
Skills assessment. This is one of the genuine advantages of the TRT stream. A skills assessment is generally not required, unlike the Direct Entry stream where one usually is. Your two years of employment in the role does the work that a formal assessment does elsewhere.
The salary rules: CSIT and the market rate
Salary is where two separate tests have to be satisfied, and both must be met, not just one.
The first is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT). From 1 July 2026 the CSIT is AUD $79,499, as set out on the Department’s salary requirements page. Your guaranteed annual earnings generally need to meet or exceed this figure.
The second is the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR). This is what an equivalent Australian worker would be paid for the same role in the same location. The Department requires that your pay is at least the market rate, so that permanent sponsorship is not used to undercut local wages.
You have to satisfy both. Meeting the CSIT but paying below the market rate is not enough, and paying above the market rate but below the CSIT is not enough either. The CSIT rose from $76,515 on 1 July 2025 to $79,499 on 1 July 2026, so if your salary sits near the threshold, confirm the current figure before your employer lodges the nomination. Our detailed post on the Core Skills Income Threshold and how it applies in 2026 walks through how the threshold interacts with nomination timing.
How much the 186 TRT costs in 2026
The base application charge for the primary Subclass 186 applicant is approximately AUD $6,140 from 1 July 2026, up from around $4,890 in the previous year. You can confirm the current figure on the Department’s current visa pricing page.
A few cost points to plan for:
- Additional applicants included in the application attract their own charges, at reduced rates for secondary applicants and children.
- A 1.4% surcharge applies to credit card payments made online.
- The nomination stage, lodged by your employer, carries its own costs and obligations separate from your visa charge.
- You will also budget for health examinations, police certificates from relevant countries, and any English test.
Visa charges are reviewed each year, with most increases taking effect on 1 July. Always check the current visa pricing page before paying, as charges are reviewed each year.
How TRT differs from the Direct Entry stream
People often ask which Subclass 186 stream applies to them, and the honest answer is that it usually depends on whether there is an existing sponsorship relationship.
The TRT stream is for workers already sponsored on a 482 or 457 who have completed the two years of full-time work with their employer. No skills assessment is generally needed, because the employment history stands in for it.
The Direct Entry stream is for applicants who have not held a sponsored work visa, or who have not completed the required period on one. It generally does require a suitable skills assessment and, often, at least three years of relevant work experience.
If you are trying to work out which stream fits your circumstances, our companion guide to the Subclass 186 Direct Entry stream in 2026 sets out the other pathway in full. Many applicants who cannot yet meet the TRT work requirement look at Direct Entry as an alternative, and the two are worth comparing side by side before committing.
Common pitfalls that delay or sink a TRT application
Most refusals we see in this stream are not about whether the worker is skilled. They are about the paperwork behind the two-year requirement and the nomination. Here are the ones that come up most often.
- Sponsorship gaps. This is the big one since the late-2025 tightening. If your employer’s sponsorship approval lapsed at any point, or a renewal was pending, the affected period generally does not count towards your two years. Check the exact dates of your sponsor’s approval before you assume you have hit two years.
- Occupation and ANZSCO mismatch. Your role has to match the occupation named in your nomination. If your day-to-day duties have drifted away from the ANZSCO description, or you were effectively working a different job, that gap can undermine the application.
- Part-time or broken employment. The two years must be full-time work. Reduced hours, extended unpaid leave, or a period in a different role can interrupt the count in ways that are not obvious until you map the calendar.
- Salary below the market rate. Meeting the CSIT is not enough on its own. If the pay sits below the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and location, the nomination can fail on that ground alone.
- Age or English timing. Being on the wrong side of the age limit, or leaving the English test until late, can force a rushed lodgement. Both are easier to manage when you plan the dates early.
Because the nomination is lodged by your employer and the visa by you, the two sides need to line up. Our employer sponsorship service works with both the sponsoring business and the worker so that the nomination and the visa are consistent before anything is lodged.
Frequently asked questions
How long must I work on my 482 before applying for the 186 TRT?
Generally at least two years of full-time work for your sponsoring employer in your nominated occupation, while holding your 482 or 457 visa. This was reduced from three years on 25 November 2023. The two years must be with an approved sponsor, so any period where sponsorship lapsed or was pending generally does not count.
Do I need a skills assessment for the TRT stream?
Generally no. A skills assessment is usually not required for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, which is one of the main differences from the Direct Entry stream. Your two years of employment in the role stands in for a formal assessment. Exceptions can apply, so confirm your situation before lodging.
What is the age limit for the 186 TRT?
You must generally be under 45 at the time of application. Exemptions exist for certain high-income earners, some occupations, and some applicants on 457 or 482 transitional arrangements. If you are close to 45, the timing of your lodgement can matter, so get advice on your dates early.
Does my employer need to be an approved sponsor?
Yes. Your two years of qualifying work must be with an approved sponsor. Since the rule tightened in late 2025, periods where your employer’s sponsorship had lapsed or was still pending generally do not count towards your two years. Check the exact dates of your sponsor’s approval before assuming you are eligible.
What salary must my employer pay me?
Your guaranteed annual earnings generally need to meet both the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is AUD $79,499 from 1 July 2026 on the Department’s salary requirements page, and the Annual Market Salary Rate for your role and location. Both tests must be satisfied, not just one.
A realistic next step
If you are approaching two years on your 482, the realistic next step is to map your employment dates against your sponsor’s approval dates before your employer lodges anything. Confirm the work was full-time and in the nominated occupation, check that no sponsorship gap has quietly reset your clock, and check that your salary meets both the CSIT and the market rate. Then decide whether your circumstances are straightforward or whether the timing and the paperwork warrant professional help.
If you want a second opinion before your employer lodges the nomination, you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers and we will assess your eligibility and the dates on file.
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About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is admitted as an Australian Legal Practitioner and is a Registered Migration Agent, and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
Visa fees, thresholds and processing times in this article were current as of 3 July 2026. Always check immi.gov.au before lodging.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application.
