482 to 186 permanent residence: building your employment record

Create a record that follows the worker

Keep visa grants, nomination records, employment contracts, duties, hours, payslips and dates of leave or job changes. Record each employer’s legal entity and the occupation approved. A single CV is unlikely to capture every detail relevant to the later assessment.

Home Affairs currently describes the TRT employment requirement as two years of eligible sponsored employment in the three years before application, subject to the detailed rules. The official guidance explains which visa periods, occupations and employer-change circumstances can count.

Do not count every period automatically

Time in Australia, time working for a business and eligible sponsored employment are different concepts. Unpaid leave, part-time arrangements, occupation changes and bridging visa periods need careful analysis. Employment before or around a nomination change should not be counted without checking the relevant requirements.

Prepare a dated calculation with supporting records. If there have been several employers, obtain evidence while it is still accessible. Waiting until a former business closes can make the assessment substantially harder.

Reassess all PR criteria before planning lodgement

Employment duration is only one part of the 186 pathway. Age, English, health, character, nomination requirements and any relevant exemption must also be assessed. The employer must be prepared and able to support the permanent nomination.

For illustration, a worker approaching an employment milestone may still need to resolve an age issue or obtain employer support. Emigrate Lawyers can review the complete pathway and identify preparation tasks early. A forecast eligibility date is conditional on the facts and rules that apply when the application is made.

Common questions