Commonwealth of Australia · Processing time
Subclass 186 processing times by stream
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
Home Affairs publishes separate subclass 186 processing percentiles for Direct Entry, Agreement and Transition. These are recent-decision indications, not a personal deadline or blended range.
Compare the three streams
| Stream | 50% processed | 90% processed |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Entry Pathway | 13 Months | 21 Months |
| Agreement Pathway | 58 Days | 12 Months |
| Transition Pathway | 14 Months | 22 Months |
The 50% figure means half of recently decided applications were processed within that time; the 90% figure means nine in ten. Neither is a personal forecast or maximum wait. Check the current official processing-time tool.
Home Affairs reports a high volume of applications in each captured group, which has impacted the timeframe for allocating and assessing applications. Check nomination and visa assessment-date updates on the ENS page.
Not sure which applies? Ask the nominating employer which stream it proposes. These are application routes, not faster-service choices.
Temporary Residence Transition
Check TRT if you hold a 457, 482 or eligible bridging visa. You generally need a total of two years of eligible full-time sponsored work in Australia during the three years before applying. Qualifying work can span sponsored visas or employers; the nominating employer must be your last 457/482 sponsor.
Confirm the eligible employment history and employer nomination before using a visa-decision statistic.
Home Affairs: Temporary Residence TransitionDirect Entry
Direct Entry requires an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List and usually three years of relevant experience and a positive skills assessment, unless exempt. Check the stream-specific exceptions. Assessment preparation is not the same clock as a Home Affairs visa decision.
Check the official stream page before treating this as an alternative to TRT.
Home Affairs: Direct EntryLabour Agreement
The employer must be party to an agreement covering the position. Its age, skills and English terms matter. If you are in Australia, this stream requires a substantive 457 or 482 visa issued under a labour agreement; do not assume any 482 visa is sufficient.
Do not obtain a skills assessment unless Home Affairs asks for one. Obtain the nomination reference from the employer; nomination approval is required before visa grant.
Home Affairs: Labour AgreementKeep preparation, nomination and the visa decision separate
Write down your stream, nomination reference and visa lodgement date. These checks can overlap; do not add them together to invent an arrival date.
- Before lodging: check stream evidence. Unless exempt, Direct Entry needs a suitable skills assessment obtained before the visa application. It must be no more than three years old at application, or within a shorter validity period set by the assessor; an assessment obtained for a subclass 485 visa is not accepted. Direct Entry assessment timing. For TRT, organise contracts, payslips and leave records for each period of eligible sponsored work. TRT document checklist.
- Nomination: get the reference from your employer. In TRT, you need the nomination Transaction Reference Number (TRN) to lodge the visa application, but do not have to wait for nomination approval. If it is already approved, the visa application must be within six months of that approval. TRT filing instructions.
- Visa application: lodge through ImmiAccount with the required evidence and payment; retain its reference separately from the nomination. Application steps.
- After lodging: follow ImmiAccount requests for health checks, biometrics or documents. A request is not a new fixed decision deadline. After you apply.
- If the nomination changes: check the application consequences. Home Affairs says a new TRT nomination cannot be linked to an existing visa application. If your employer withdraws the nomination, contact Home Affairs and consider advice on your pending application and visa status before making a new application. TRT nomination requirements.
- Before travel: check your visa status. Keep valid permission while waiting in Australia and check return rights before leaving. An expected decision date is not travel permission. Staying lawful and travelling while waiting.
In the tool, select the relevant option if available and enter your application date. Keep the displayed percentile labels with any result: a percentile is not a maximum wait. If your stream or application type is not listed, follow the stream-specific guidance and do not substitute another stream’s result.
Use the current tool, not a copied processing tableDoes priority change my stream’s processing time?
Priority order and observed processing times are different. Direction 119 took effect on 25 July 2026.
- Defined defence or law-enforcement cases: applicant in Australia.
- The corresponding defence or law-enforcement cases: applicant outside Australia.
- Defined construction, healthcare or teaching occupations: applicant in Australia.
- Other covered cases: applicant in Australia.
- Other covered cases: applicant outside Australia.
Current Home Affairs priority order
For nominations, location is tested at nomination lodgement; for visas, at visa lodgement. The direction defines occupations and exceptions. Family members applying together follow the primary applicant’s priority. A separate later family application, after the primary applicant has been granted a visa, is outside this direction.
Check Direction 119, especially sections 4, 6, 7 and 8. Do not assume that moving later changes the original location test.
Processing information can change. Re-check the Home Affairs tool before lodging and after responding to any request for information.
Official source
Home Affairs — Global visa processing times, subclass 186 stream snapshot
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/australia/subclass-186-ens. Last checked 11 September 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Frequently asked questions
Which subclass 186 stream should I use?+
Use the stream that matches your evidence and employer pathway. Direct Entry, Agreement and Transition have different eligibility and preparation requirements; the processing labels do not decide eligibility.
Are these subclass 186 processing labels a deadline?+
No. Home Affairs displays recent-decision percentiles by stream. They are not a personal deadline, maximum wait or guaranteed range.
What should I keep separate from the processing label?+
Keep stream selection, nomination, visa lodgement, requests for information and the decision as separate milestones. Check the current official tool after an evidence request or material change.
Does Direction 119 guarantee a faster subclass 186 decision?+
No. Direction 119 sets priority rules for covered cases; it does not replace stream eligibility or guarantee an individual processing outcome.
Next steps
Full visa guide
Eligibility, application steps, fees, and FAQs for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
All Australia processing times
Compare decision windows across every Australia visa route.
Government fees breakdown
Full itemised fee schedule for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.