From Visa 482, Which Visas Can You Move To?
Most visa 482 holders aim for permanent residence via the visa 186 TRT — working 2 years with the same employer, who then nominates them for the 186. This is the most travelled pathway and offers high certainty if all conditions are met.
But not everyone can take that route, and not everyone wants to depend on a single employer for 2 years.
186 Direct Entry — straight to PR without TRT
If you already have a valid skills assessment and enough work experience to meet the requirements of 186 Direct Entry (typically 3 years of experience in the relevant occupation), you can lodge a 186 DE directly without waiting 2 years for the TRT.
Advantage: you do not need to depend on the same employer. Any eligible employer can sponsor you under DE.
Disadvantage: a skills assessment is required (not everyone has one), and the occupation must be on the eligible occupations list for 186 DE.
189 Skilled Independent — no sponsor needed
The visa 189 lets you become an Australian permanent resident without a sponsor — but it requires:
- A valid skills assessment
- A high enough score in the points test (SkillSelect)
- An Expression of Interest (EOI) and an invitation
- An occupation on the MLTSSL or the relevant lists for the 189
The strength of this pathway: it is fully independent, with no employer sponsor or state nomination needed. The weakness: high competition, often high cut-off scores, and no guaranteed pathway like the 186 TRT.
A visa 482 holder can still lodge an EOI for the 189 while working — the two pathways are not mutually exclusive.
190 and 491 — state or regional nomination
Similar to the 189 but with the added element of nomination from a state (190) or from a state, region or eligible relative in a region (491).
Some states have programs that prioritise people already working in that state — meaning if you hold a visa 482 in a particular state, you may have some priority when applying for a 190 or 491 with that state.
The 491 is a temporary (5-year) visa, after which you must live and work in an eligible region to progress to the 191 permanent visa.
Partner visa (820/801 or 309/100)
If you have a partner who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, you may be able to lodge a partner visa — entirely independent of the visa 482 and with no employer sponsor needed.
This pathway has nothing to do with skills or occupation. But it requires a genuine relationship and thorough supporting evidence.
The period after losing your job
If you lose your job or resign, you have 180 days to arrange your next step — find a new sponsor, move to another visa, or leave Australia. This is an important window to weigh the options above.
There is no single right or wrong path
Choosing a path depends on many factors: occupation, experience, score, relationship status and long-term plans in Australia. Each pathway has its own conditions and a different level of risk.
If you are weighing options beyond the 186 TRT, your specific situation is best analysed by a registered migration agent (MARA) before you decide.