Other than putting your life on hold to wait for a visa to gain entry into Australia, what happens when you are already in Australia, and you want to convert the visa that you have – and time is running out!

The fact that you’re reading this indicates that you probably already know that we’re talking about the ENS and 457 visa streams.

ENS or Employer Nominated Scheme visa (subclass 186) is for skilled workers wanting to work in Australia, permanently. Temporary Work (skilled) visa (subclass 457) is a temporary visa for skilled migrants to work in their nominated occupation for their approved sponsor for up to four years.

Employees who have been working in their nominated occupation, for their approved sponsor, on a 457 visa for minimum two years are eligible to apply for 186 visa under the temporary residence transition stream, which has two stages. This pathway to permanent residency is one of the most common and has numerous benefits.

Many employees on a 457 visa want to convert to a permanent residency visa, because being on the 457 visa is unstable – with certain conditions. For example, 457 holders can only work in their nominated occupation for their sponsor. And, should a 457 holder cease working for their sponsor, they would need to find another sponsor (they need to lodge a new nomination and must be approved before you can start) within 90 days. Otherwise, the options are to either apply for a different visa or depart Australia.

A great deal of stress can arise from this uncertainty as the employee is left to wonder what might happen if their employment ceases, what will happen to their family, and how to effectively plan for the future while in visa limbo.

Becoming a permanent resident also releases the employee from being reliant on the employer that sponsored him/her to come over in the first place, and gives the employee job freedom.

The conversion process is quite complex with regards to the migration regulations for this stream – cue the help of your registered migration agent. The registered migration agent, other than helping with the complexities of the process, can reduce the application time-frame significantly.

In short, a visa application is not something you want to risk with a DIY approach. Australian immigration law is confusing and constantly changing, and it’s becoming more difficult to obtain working visas.

If you are looking to have a stress-free and quick application process, there is no better route to follow than to go through a registered migration agent Melbourne with sound knowledge. After all, you have enough to worry about already – don’t you?