Visa 186 Direct Entry Offshore: Processing and Wait Times

Visa 186 Direct Entry for applicants overseas

The Visa 186 Direct Entry (DE) stream does not require the applicant to be in Australia at the time of lodging or at the time the visa is granted. This means an applicant living and working overseas can be nominated by an Australian employer and lodge a 186 DE application offshore.

The offshore DE stream suits cases where the applicant:

Has never worked in Australia on a 457 or 482 visa.
Has skills assessed by the relevant authority (for example, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS).
Has an Australian employer willing to sponsor directly without requiring a trial period in Australia first.

Prerequisites before lodging

An offshore applicant needs to complete several important steps before lodging the visa application:

Skills assessment: this is a mandatory requirement for most occupations in the DE stream. Depending on the occupation, the assessing authority may be Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS, TRA, ANMAC or another specialist body. A skills assessment can take 3 to 6 months or longer, so it should be started early, in parallel with the search for an employer.

English: the applicant must meet the English requirement under the rules. “Vocational English”, roughly equivalent to IELTS 5.0 (with a minimum of 4.5 in each band) or equivalent, is often accepted. Some occupations require “competent English” (IELTS 6.0).

An approved nomination: before lodging the visa application, the employer’s nomination must be approved by the DHA (or, depending on the case, the nomination and visa application may be lodged at the same time).

Real processing times

Processing time for a Visa 186 DE offshore is one of the most common questions applicants ask. According to DHA published data:

75% of applications are processed in around 10–22 months (depending on the period and the occupation).
90% of applications can stretch to 30 months or more in some periods.

Factors affecting processing time:

Occupation: some occupations are processed faster because of skill shortages.
Nationality: applicants from some countries may need extra time for background checks.
A complete application: an application missing documents or needing further information will be delayed considerably.
Health and police checks: results must be supplied and remain valid throughout processing.

Are offshore applications prioritised differently?

As a matter of policy, the DHA does not publicly prioritise onshore over offshore applications by a fixed rule. However, some practical realities are worth noting:

Onshore applications are usually processed in the same queue as offshore ones within the same stream.
People in Australia on a bridging visa may feel pressure about their status, but this does not affect the processing order.
In some financial years the DHA may focus on clearing a backlog from a particular stream, affecting both onshore and offshore.

The reality of waiting overseas

While waiting for the Visa 186 to be granted, offshore applicants face some practical challenges:

No right to work in Australia: unless they hold another valid visa (for example a visitor or student visa), the applicant cannot enter Australia to work during the wait.
Keeping current employment: maintaining stable work during the wait matters both financially and for demonstrating continued career development.
Changes at the sponsoring employer: if the sponsoring company restructures or no longer has a recruitment need, the nomination may be withdrawn — a particular risk for offshore applicants.

Practical advice for offshore applicants

Start the skills assessment as early as possible, before signing a contract with an employer.
Have an English result with enough validity remaining (IELTS/PTE/OET are valid for 3 years).
Stay in regular contact with the sponsoring employer to make sure they do not withdraw the nomination.
Provide contact details and timely updates when the DHA requests further documents.
Consider engaging an experienced migration agent to track progress and respond to the DHA on time.

Lodging a 186 DE offshore is entirely feasible and many people have succeeded. But patience and careful preparation are key, especially when the wait can stretch beyond a year.