Australia Names 6 Conditions for Skilled Workers Seeking Permanent Residence

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined six conditions skilled workers must satisfy to apply for the ENS visa subclass 186 under the Direct Entry stream
• Applicants must be under 45 years of age at the time of lodgement and hold a positive skills assessment before submitting their application
• A qualifying Australian employer must nominate the worker for a role on the Core Skills Occupation List before any application can be lodged

Australia's Department of Home Affairs has set out the six conditions that skilled workers must fulfil to be considered for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa subclass 186 under the Direct Entry stream, a permanent residency pathway for qualified migrants seeking to live and work in Australia.

The requirements were published on the department's official immigration portal and apply to applications lodged in 2026.

Six conditions for ENS visa eligibility

According to the Department of Home Affairs, applicants must satisfy all six of the following criteria. First, they must be under 45 years of age on the date their application is submitted, unless an exemption applies.

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Second, a qualifying Australian employer must nominate them for an occupation that appears on the Core Skills Occupation List. Third, applicants must possess at least three years of relevant work experience, unless they fall within an exempt category.

Fourth, a positive skills assessment must be obtained before the application is lodged, not concurrently. Fifth, applicants must meet the minimum English language proficiency standards set by the department. Sixth, they must satisfy both health and character requirements.

Employer nomination is mandatory

The Direct Entry stream is employer-driven by design, which means skilled workers cannot lodge an application independently.

A prospective applicant must first secure a nomination from an eligible Australian employer for a position listed on the Core Skills Occupation List. That nomination must be in place before any application is submitted.

The skills assessment requirement carries particular weight under this stream. Unlike certain other visa categories that allow assessments to run alongside an application, Direct Entry stream candidates must have a confirmed positive skills assessment already in hand at the point of lodgement, unless a specific exemption covers their situation.

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The age threshold of 45 is assessed strictly at the moment of lodgement. Applicants who are 45 or older when they submit their application will generally be ineligible unless a defined exemption applies to their circumstances.

The English language condition requires applicants to demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency. The specific test scores and accepted qualifications are detailed separately on the department's immigration portal.

Australia lists rules for foreign students seeking visas

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Australia had explained the eligibility conditions that foreign nationals must satisfy to obtain a Student visa.

The details are listed on the Department of Home Affairs' official website and apply to all prospective international students seeking to study in Australia.

Source: YEN.com.gh