Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 — document translation guide
The Subclass 186 visa is a permanent employer-sponsored visa for skilled workers nominated by an Australian employer. Certified translations may be required for documents not in English. For the latest requirements, always check homeaffairs.gov.au.
Who Is the Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 Generally For?
The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) is a permanent visa that allows Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for permanent residence. The Subclass 186 has three streams: Direct Entry stream — for skilled workers who have not previously worked for the sponsoring employer in Australia on a Subclass 457 or 482. Applicants must have their skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority and must be nominated for an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. The position must be full-time and ongoing.
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream — for current or former Subclass 457 or 482 holders who have worked for their sponsor in the nominated occupation for at least 2 of the last 3 years. No skills assessment is required under this stream. Labour Agreement stream — for workers sponsored under a Labour Agreement.
Age requirement: applicants must generally be under 45 years of age at time of invitation or application (some exemptions apply). English: applicants must meet competent English requirements (IELTS 6.0 overall or equivalent in each component). When are certified translations required? Qualification certificates, academic transcripts, employment letters, and police clearance certificates not in English must be accompanied by a NAATI-certified translation.
Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 — Document Checklist
Documents commonly used for Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 applications. Not every document applies to every applicant — always verify on homeaffairs.gov.au.
Processing Times
Processing times for this visa are published by the Department of Home Affairs and are updated regularly. Always check the official DHA tool before planning your application.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A few of the issues we most often see with documents prepared for visa applications.
Submitting uncertified or self-translated documents — Australian authorities generally require NAATI-certified translations for documents not in English.
Providing incomplete translations that omit stamps, seals or marginal notes from the original document.
Using documents that have expired or been superseded (for example, an old passport bio page).
Submitting low-quality scans or photos where text is partially unreadable.
Mismatched names across documents without a supporting change-of-name certificate or statutory declaration.
Missing pages — translators can only certify what they can clearly see.
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Back to Employer-Sponsored Visas
Parent category overview.
Employer-Sponsored Visas — Document Checklist
Documents commonly translated for this category.
Birth Certificate Translation
Marriage Certificate Translation
Form 54 — Family Composition
Other Visas in Employer-Sponsored Visas
Subclass 482 — TSS
Temporary employer-sponsored skilled visa.
Subclass 494 — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional
Regional employer-sponsored visa.
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