Employer-Sponsored Visas After Your Student Visa: 482, 186 and 494 Explained

Once you finish studying in Australia, an employer willing to sponsor you opens up a different set of pathways to those built around the points test. Three visas cover most of this territory: the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) for temporary sponsored work, the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) for permanent sponsored work, and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) for permanent-track sponsored work in regional Australia. This article walks through what each one actually requires, sourced directly from the Department of Home Affairs.

If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading our overview of PR pathways for international students first, and our guide to state nomination visas (190 and 491) if you’re weighing sponsorship against the points-test route.

TL;DR

• 482 (Skills in Demand) is temporary, up to 4 years, from AUD4,015, and needs an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List plus a salary meeting the Core Skills Income Threshold (AUD79,423 as of 1 July 2026).
• 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) is permanent from the start, from AUD6,140, with three streams – Direct Entry, Temporary Residence Transition (for 482/457 holders), and Labour Agreement.
• 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) is a 5-year provisional visa tied to a designated regional area, from AUD6,140, with a pathway to permanent residence via the subclass 191 visa after 3 years.

Subclass 482: Skills in Demand Visa

The 482 replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024 and is the most common entry point into employer sponsorship. It has three main streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement.

For the Core Skills stream, Home Affairs lists the requirements as: your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), you must be paid the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold, you need at least 1 year of relevant work experience, a relevant skills assessment if your occupation requires one, and you generally must work only for your sponsor. The Core Skills Income Threshold increased to AUD79,423 from 1 July 2026 (up from AUD76,515), and is indexed again each year.

The Specialist Skills stream is for occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, where the salary meets the higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold – AUD146,576 from 1 July 2026. This stream skips the CSOL requirement entirely, since eligibility runs on the salary threshold instead of an occupation list.

The visa costs from AUD4,015 for the main applicant and grants a stay of up to 4 years (5 years for Hong Kong passport holders). It doesn’t lead to permanent residence on its own, but time spent on a 482 counts toward the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the 186 visa below.

Subclass 186: Employer Nomination Scheme Visa

The 186 is a permanent visa from the point it’s granted – there’s no provisional stage. It has three streams:

• Direct Entry stream – your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations and you need at least Competent English, alongside employer nomination.
• Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream – for people who already hold a subclass 457, 482 or an eligible bridging visa. This usually requires at least 2 years of full-time work in eligible sponsored employment with your nominating employer.
• Labour Agreement stream – for workers nominated under an employer’s labour agreement with the Australian Government.

The Core Skills Income Threshold also applies to 186 nominations, so the same AUD79,423 figure from 1 July 2026 is the relevant benchmark unless the specific occupation’s market salary rate is higher. The visa costs from AUD6,140 for the main applicant. Home Affairs also publishes processing priorities under Ministerial Direction No. 119, which currently favour law enforcement, defence, healthcare, teaching and construction occupations for onshore applicants – worth checking if your occupation falls into one of these categories, since it affects how quickly your application is likely to be processed.

Subclass 494: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa

The 494 sits between the 482 and the 186 – it’s provisional rather than immediately permanent, but built specifically as a pathway to permanent residence for people willing to work in regional Australia. Home Affairs lists the requirements as: nomination by an approved regional work sponsor, an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, a suitable skills assessment, being under 45 years of age, and meeting English language proficiency standards.

It grants a stay of 5 years and costs from AUD6,140. Holders can live, work and study only in a designated regional area for that period – check the current list of designated regional areas directly on Home Affairs rather than relying on any fixed list, since regional boundaries are reviewed periodically. The income benchmark is the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which also increased to AUD79,423 from 1 July 2026.

After holding a 494 for 3 years and meeting its conditions, including an income requirement over that period, you can apply for the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence – Skilled Regional) visa without needing a fresh employer nomination.

Which one applies to you

If an employer wants to sponsor you but isn’t ready to commit to permanent sponsorship immediately, the 482 is usually the starting point. If you already hold a 482 (or the older 457) and have worked for your sponsor full-time for around 2 years, the 186 TRT stream is often the more direct route to permanent residence than reapplying from scratch. If your job or your employer is based outside Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, the 494 is worth comparing against the 186, since the income threshold is currently the same but the visa itself is provisional rather than immediately permanent. Which pathway suits you depends on your occupation, your employer’s willingness to sponsor, and your specific circumstances – this is exactly the kind of decision worth checking with a registered migration agent rather than guessing from general information.

IT and engineering graduates specifically should also see our PR pathway guide for IT and engineering graduates, which covers common ANZSCO codes, ACS and Engineers Australia skills assessment, and where these occupations pick up extra points.

Once your employer-sponsored visa leads to permanent residency, see our guide to Australian citizenship eligibility and how to apply for what comes next.

Where to get real help

Occupation lists, income thresholds and processing priorities are all reviewed and changed regularly – the Core Skills Income Threshold alone has increased twice in the last two years. Before you make decisions based on a specific occupation, employer, or visa stream, check the current position directly on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, and consider getting advice from a MARA-registered migration agent who can assess your specific circumstances. This article is general information only, not a substitute for that advice, and nothing here should be read as a promise or guarantee of any visa outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions