This visa is a permanent residence visa for skilled workers. It allows you to work in Australia under one of three streams:

  • the Temporary Residence Transition stream
  • the Direct Entry stream
  • the Labour Agreement stream.

Eligibility

You must:

  • be nominated by an approved Australian employer
  • be under 45 years of age
  • meet the skills, qualifications and English language requirements
  • meet the other requirements of one of the streams of this visa.

Length of stay

  • Permanently
  • Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream

This stream may be available if your employer wishes to sponsor you for permanent residence.

You may be eligible under this stream if you hold either of the following:

  • Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) – in the medium-term stream unless transitional arrangements apply
  • Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) – not granted under labour agreement arrangements or
  • related associated Bridging visa

and have worked for your employer full-time in Australia on your TSS and/or subclass 457 visa(s) for at least:

  • three out of the previous four years (before the nomination is made) in the same position that they have nominated you for or
  • two out of the previous three years before the nomination is made, if transitional arrangements apply because you either held, or were an applicant for, a subclass 457 visa (which was subsequently granted) on 18 April 2017.

​Direct Entry (DE) stream

If you do not meet the requirements under the TRT stream (for example, because you have never, or only briefly worked in Australia), this stream may then be available if your employer still wishes to sponsor you for permanent residence.

​Labour Agreement (LA) stream

This stream may be available if your employer wishes to sponsor you for permanent residence and has entered into a labour agreement with the Department that provides for a permanent residence pathway.

Eligibility- All streams

​Who could get this visa

You might be able to get this visa if you:

  • have been nominated by an Australian employer and this nomination has been approved within the six months before you apply
  • are under the age of 45 at the time of application
  • at the time of application, have the required skills and qualifications for the position you have been nominated for – including holding (or being eligible for) any mandatory registration, licence or professional membership
  • at the time of lodgement, have appropriate English language skills
  • meet health and character requirements
  • meet the requirements of the stream in which you apply.

​Nomination

You can apply for this visa only after you have been nominated by your employer in Australia. You must lodge your application within six months of the nomination being approved. You must apply for the visa in the stream and occupation in which your employer nominated you, or your application could be refused.

​Age

Even if you are older than 45 years of age, you can still apply for this visa in certain circumstances

Important: you may also be able to apply for a visa under the TRT stream if you are over 45 years of age but under 50, if transitional arrangements apply because you either held, or were an applicant for, a subclass 457 visa (which was subsequently granted) on 18 April 2017.

​English language requirements

You can show that your English is adequate by providing evidence at the time of application –

​Skills, qualifications and experience

You must have the required skills and qualifications for the position you have been nominated for

Important: These requirements are different depending on the stream that you are nominated for.