Switching Sponsors and Securing PR: How We Helped a Mechanical Engineering Technician Stay on Track for Permanent Residency

We were contacted by a skilled mechanical engineering technician working in Australia on a 482 visa. He had been sponsored by an engineering company for 3 years but was offered a better opportunity with another employer in the same occupation.

He wasn’t sure if switching employers would affect his visa or future eligibility for permanent residency under the Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. That’s where we stepped in.

We quickly lodged a 482 nomination transfer application for the new employer and successfully linked his existing 482 visa to the new sponsorship. This allowed him to start working with the new company without disruption.

Thanks to recent policy changes, applicants are no longer required to work for the same employer for two full years to be eligible for a 186 TRT visa. Instead, as long as they’ve worked in the same occupation for at least two years on a 482 visa and they have transferred the nomination to the current employer, they can qualify—regardless of whether that time was split between different employers.

In this case, the applicant had worked 1.5 years with his previous sponsor and half year with the new one—meeting the two-year requirement. We prepared and lodged his 186 TRT application with the support of his current sponsor.

This case highlights how timely advice and a clear understanding of recent policy updates can open the door to permanent residency—even when circumstances change.

If you’re on a 482 visa and considering a job change or planning your pathway to PR, get in touch with us at AustraliaMigrate. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.