482 vs 186 Visa: Temporary Sponsorship or Permanent Residence

The 482 is a temporary visa of up to 4 years that costs $4,015 for the main applicant, while the 186 is permanent from the day it is granted and costs $6,140, and a 482 holder can move to the 186 through the TRT stream after full-time sponsored work for 2 years in the last 3. Both need an employer’s nomination at a salary of at least $79,423, but the 186 adds an age limit (under 45 unless exempt) and competent English. The table below compares the two row by row for the worker and the employer, with the date each figure applies from.

482 vs 186: the one-line difference

The 482 is a temporary work visa tied to one sponsor and one occupation; the 186 is a permanent visa. For a 482 holder, the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream is the usual next step, and the 186 Direct Entry stream is the route for a worker who never held a 482.

482 vs 186: the comparison table

The rows below use the law in force on 24 September 2026; the TSS short-term and medium-term streams that some older comparisons still show closed on 6 December 2024 (Home Affairs news item 1272). For the 494 and labour agreements as well, see employer-sponsored visas compared.

The 186 needs the applicant to be under 45 at the time of application (Schedule 2 clause 186.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994), not “45 and under”, and the TRT needs 2 years of sponsored employment within 3, not 3 years on a 482 (clause 186.227).

When the 482 is the better choice

The 482 is the only one of the two available in five situations:

1. The worker is 45 or over with no exemption. The 186 is not available (clause 186.221); the 482 has no age requirement.
2. The worker has less than 2 years of sponsored employment and no Direct Entry route. The TRT count is not met, and Direct Entry needs a Core Skills Occupation List occupation, 3 years of experience and a positive skills assessment.
3. The worker’s English is below competent. The 482 needs IELTS 5.0 in each component or an equivalent; both 186 streams need competent English.
4. The employer needs the role filled for 1 to 4 years only. A 186 position must be full-time and ongoing for at least 2 years, under a contract that does not limit it to 2 years.
5. The occupation is outside the Core Skills Occupation List but in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 and pays $146,576 or more. The 482 Specialist Skills stream takes it; Direct Entry does not.

When the 186 is the better choice

The 186 is the stronger fit for both sides in five situations:

1. The worker meets the TRT or Direct Entry criteria. Permanent residence starts on the day of grant.
2. The employer wants a permanent position. The 186 nomination is for a full-time position ongoing for at least 2 years.
3. The employer wants to pay the levy once. The 186 levy is a one-off $3,000 or $5,000, instead of $1,200 or $1,800 for every year of a new 482 nomination. The employer’s full cost of each route is on the sponsor visa cost page.
4. The worker needs Medicare and freedom from condition 8607. A 186 holder can enrol in Medicare and is not tied to the sponsor’s business or occupation.
5. The family changes during processing. Family members can be added to a 186 application before the decision; on a 482 they join later as subsequent entrants.

Whether to keep a worker on a 482 or nominate for a 186 turns on the worker’s age on the lodgement day, the 2-in-3 count and the levy already paid for the 482, and an Australian migration lawyer who checks those dates and figures for both the employer and the worker before either lodges makes the chosen application more likely to succeed.

Can you hold one and apply for the other?

Yes, with conditions. The TRT requires the applicant to hold a 457, a 482 or a linked bridging visa (clause 186.226); Direct Entry does not require a 482 at all. A 186 application lodged in Australia while the 482 is valid brings a Bridging visa A that takes effect when the 482 ends, and the 482’s conditions, including condition 8607, keep applying until then (Home Affairs Bridging visa A page). A 482 cannot be extended, so an expiring 482 needs either a new 482 or a 186 application lodged before it ends.

Common mistakes

Seven mistakes about the move from the 482 to the 186, each set against the rule that decides it and its source:

1. Counting only time with the nominating employer, or assuming the time must be continuous. Any approved work sponsor counts, for 2 years in total within 3 (clause 186.227; Home Affairs news item 1273).
2. Having a former employer nominate. The TRT nomination must come from the most recent approved sponsor (Home Affairs TRT page).
3. Changing occupation for the 186. The nomination must be for the same occupation as the most recently approved nomination (TRT page).
4. Lodging the visa more than 6 months after nomination approval. The application must be made within that time (clause 186.223(5)).
5. Turning 45 before lodging. Age is tested at the time of application (clause 186.221).
6. Counting unpaid leave or part-time work. Both are excluded; the employment must be full-time (clause 186.227(1)).
7. The employer recovering the levy or nomination fee from the worker. This is prohibited: the employer must pay all costs of sponsoring and nominating and cannot transfer them to the visa holder (Home Affairs cost of sponsoring page, which covers 482 and 186 nominations).

Supplementary: moving from the 482 to the 186

The move is a nomination by the most recent sponsor followed by the worker’s visa application within 6 months, and both sides pay their own charges. The timing, documents and costs of the transition from 482 to 186 are set out step by step.