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Steps and documents

Before you start

  1. Read the official criteria for each stream

    The official page sets out the streams (Direct Entry and Temporary Residence Transition) and the occupation requirements for each. Read the official criteria for each stream; which one applies depends on individual facts, and a registered practitioner can advise on your circumstances.

  2. Check the employer nomination is in place

    Typically the approved employer lodges a nomination for the position as a separate step. Confirm where that stands, since the visa application generally cannot be finalised until the nomination is resolved.

Documents commonly requested

  1. Current passport and identity documents

    A clear colour scan of your passport photo page is generally the first document gathered. Your birth certificate and any name-change records (such as a marriage certificate or deed poll) are typically collected alongside it so your identity paperwork is consistent.

  2. Recent passport-style photographs

    Applications of this kind generally call for recent passport-sized photographs that meet standard specifications: plain background, face clearly visible, taken within the last six months.

  3. Nomination reference and employer details

    A record of the approved (or lodged) nomination — typically the transaction reference number, the nominating business's legal name and ABN, the nominated occupation and stream. Your employer can usually supply these details directly.

  4. Employer business evidence supporting the nomination

    The nominating business generally prepares its own supporting evidence, such as an Australian Business Register or ASIC extract, an organisation chart, and financial statements or an accountant's letter. Keeping copies of what your employer lodged helps keep your records complete.

  5. Employment contract or letter of offer for the nominated role

    A signed contract or offer letter typically shows the position title, guaranteed annual earnings, weekly hours and work location, matching the details in the nomination.

  6. Skills assessment and qualification documents

    A skills assessment outcome from the assessing authority relevant to your occupation is commonly required, together with certificates, degrees and academic transcripts for the qualifications it relied on.

  7. English language test results

    Results from a recognised English test (such as IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET or Cambridge C1 Advanced) taken within the accepted window are generally needed, unless you hold a passport from a country treated as evidence of English on its own.

  8. Employment references and work history evidence

    Reference letters on company letterhead typically state your role, duties, dates and hours. Payslips, tax records and an up-to-date CV are often gathered as supporting evidence of the experience claimed.

  9. Partner and dependent family member documents

    If family members are included, their passports and birth certificates are generally needed, plus evidence of your relationship such as a marriage certificate or records of a shared household for a de facto partner.

  10. Health examination records

    Health examinations are typically arranged through an approved panel clinic, with results linked by a HAP ID. Keep any referral letters and confirmation of completed examinations for yourself and any family members included.

  11. Police certificates

    Police clearance certificates are generally requested from Australia and from each country where you have spent a cumulative 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

  12. Certified translations of non-English documents

    Documents not in English are typically accompanied by a translation completed by an accredited translator, with the translator's credentials noted on the translation.

Lodging the application

  1. Lodge the visa application in your own ImmiAccount

    Deep-link to ImmiAccount to lodge it yourself.

After lodging

  1. Respond to any requests and track progress

    After lodgement, the Department may request further information. In general terms, monitor your ImmiAccount and respond within any timeframes given. A registered practitioner can advise on your circumstances.

Official page for subclass 186

About this checklist

Dated copy · captured

Entries may have changed since then: check the Home Affairs visa pages ↗ before relying on one.

Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs (official links); checklist wording platform-authored. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (official names and links).

YourVisaSite has arranged this copy for searching. No lawyer or registered migration agent has reviewed it, and it does not assess eligibility or choose a form, course or provider for you.

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