Yes—in many cases, you can still apply for a Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) visa even if your occupation is no longer on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). The 186 TRT stream does not have its own occupation list. Instead, occupation eligibility is tied to the occupation connected with your most recently held Subclass 457 or 482 visa.
That is the direct answer, but it is not the whole test. The occupation must still be listed in ANZSCO, the 186 nomination must generally use the same occupation, and the employer lodging the 186 nomination must be the approved sponsor who most recently identified you in an approved temporary skilled nomination. Your visa history, work history and any sponsor change must also line up.
This guide explains the current position as at 29 July 2026 for workers and employers considering the 186 TRT pathway.
Why removal from the CSOL does not automatically block a 186 TRT visa
The CSOL is mainly used to decide whether an occupation can be nominated under the Core Skills stream of the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and under the Direct Entry stream of the Subclass 186 visa. It is not a separate occupation list for the 186 TRT stream.
The Department of Home Affairs expressly states that the 186 TRT stream has no occupation list. It says occupation eligibility is based on the occupation from the applicant’s most recently held temporary skilled visa. You can confirm this on the Department’s skilled occupation list page.
The practical result is that an occupation can disappear from the CSOL after a 482 visa is granted without automatically destroying the worker’s TRT pathway. The key question becomes whether the worker and employer meet the separate TRT rules at the time of the nomination and visa application.
The four occupation and sponsorship checks that matter
1. The 186 TRT occupation must match the most recently held temporary skilled visa
For a TRT nomination, the occupation must be the same occupation in relation to which the worker’s most recently held Subclass 457, 482 Temporary Skill Shortage or 482 Skills in Demand visa was granted.
This is why the job title on a contract is not enough. Home Affairs will look at the actual occupation and duties. If the worker’s role has changed in substance—for example, from a technical role to a management role—the occupation may no longer be the same even if the employer uses a similar title.
2. The occupation must still exist in ANZSCO
The occupation does not have to be on the CSOL for TRT, but it must be listed in ANZSCO. ANZSCO is the official occupation classification system used by the migration program.
Occupation codes can also change when a newer ANZSCO version is adopted. Home Affairs says applicants should choose the code that matches the current tasks and responsibilities where an occupation has been reclassified or split. A code change does not always mean the occupation itself has changed, but it should be checked carefully.
3. The 186 nominating employer must be the worker’s most recent approved sponsor
Under regulation 5.19, the employer lodging the 186 TRT nomination must have been the standard business sponsor, or party to a work agreement, that most recently identified the worker in an approved temporary skilled nomination. The employer must also be actively and lawfully operating in Australia.
This becomes important after a sponsor change. An earlier employer will not usually be able to lodge the TRT nomination after another employer has become the worker’s most recent approved sponsor.
4. The worker must meet the two-year visa and employment rules
For most applicants, the current rules require the worker to have held eligible 457, 482 TSS, 482 SID or associated bridging visas for a total of at least two years during the three years immediately before applying.
During the same three-year period, the worker must generally have completed at least two years of full-time sponsored employment in Australia in the occupation for which the temporary skilled visa or visas were granted. Unpaid leave is excluded from the calculation.
The legislation does not say that all two years must be with one employer. Sponsored employment with more than one approved work sponsor may be counted where the occupation and other requirements remain aligned. However, gaps between sponsors, unpaid leave, part-time periods and work performed outside Australia can affect the calculation.
What if you change employers after your occupation leaves the CSOL?
This is where two different questions are often mixed together:
- TRT question: Does the 186 TRT stream require the occupation to be on the CSOL? Generally, no.
- New 482 nomination question: Can a new employer nominate the worker under the current 482 rules? That depends on the stream and the rules in force when the new nomination is lodged.
A Core Skills stream nomination normally requires the occupation to be on the current CSOL. If the occupation has been removed, a new Core Skills nomination may not be available. Depending on the occupation, salary and employer, a Specialist Skills stream or labour agreement pathway might be possible, but these are separate eligibility tests.
Do not assume that a worker has “transferred” their existing 482 visa merely because they have accepted a new job. The new employer normally needs an approved nomination and the worker may need a new visa. Home Affairs states that a SID visa holder who loses their job has up to 180 days to find a new employer or make arrangements to leave, and that the new employer needs to submit a nomination.
If the sponsor change is approved in the same occupation, earlier qualifying employment may still count toward the TRT work period. The latest approved sponsor would generally need to be the employer lodging the eventual 186 TRT nomination.
Practical examples
Example 1: The occupation is removed, but the worker stays with the same sponsor
A worker received a 482 visa in an eligible occupation. The occupation is later removed from the CSOL. The worker remains in the same occupation with the same approved sponsor and completes the required sponsored work.
The CSOL removal alone does not prevent a 186 TRT nomination. The employer and worker still need to satisfy the same-occupation rule, the two-year requirements, age and English criteria, and all other nomination and visa criteria.
Example 2: The worker wants to move to a new employer
The worker’s occupation is no longer on the CSOL and the proposed new role does not qualify for another SID stream or a labour agreement. The new employer may be unable to obtain the temporary skilled nomination needed to take over sponsorship.
The fact that the occupation may remain acceptable for 186 TRT does not make the new 482 nomination valid. The worker should check the sponsor-change pathway before leaving the current employer.
Example 3: A same-occupation sponsor change is approved
A worker spends 14 months in the nominated occupation with one approved sponsor and then 12 months in the same occupation with a second approved sponsor. Both periods fall within the three years before the 186 application, and there are no disqualifying gaps or unpaid-leave issues.
The periods may be capable of being combined for the TRT employment requirement. The second employer, as the most recent approved sponsor, would generally need to lodge the 186 nomination.
Example 4: The duties have changed to a different occupation
A worker was granted a 482 visa for one occupation but is now performing duties that fit a different ANZSCO occupation. A 186 nomination using the new occupation may fail the rule requiring the occupation to match the most recently held 457 or 482 visa.
The correct occupation should be resolved before lodgement. Using a convenient title or code that does not match the actual duties can create nomination, visa and sponsorship-compliance risks.
Evidence employers and workers should check before lodging
A strong TRT assessment should be built from the visa and employment record, not from memory. Useful documents include:
- all 457 and 482 visa grant notices from the relevant three-year period;
- temporary skilled nomination approval notices, including any change of sponsor;
- employment contracts and position descriptions showing the actual duties;
- payslips, payroll summaries, tax records and superannuation evidence;
- leave reports identifying unpaid leave and other work interruptions;
- evidence showing the dates employment started and ended with each sponsor;
- current licensing, registration or professional membership, where required; and
- evidence that the 186 position is genuine, full-time and available for at least two years.
Employers should also confirm that the position meets market salary requirements, the business can employ the worker for at least two years, and there is no relevant adverse information or employment-law compliance issue.
For a broader overview of the streams and employer requirements, see VisaTasker’s Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme guide.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing TRT with Direct Entry: Direct Entry has a separate occupation-list and skills-assessment framework. The no-list rule discussed here is for TRT.
- Assuming the old 482 grant solves a new sponsor change: A new temporary nomination is assessed under the rules applying when it is lodged.
- Counting unpaid leave: Unpaid leave is expressly excluded from the two-year employment calculation.
- Counting work in a different occupation: Work must align with the occupation connected to the eligible temporary skilled visa or visas.
- Using the wrong employer for the 186 nomination: The nominator must generally be the worker’s most recent approved sponsor.
- Checking only the occupation rule: Age, English, health, character, licensing, nomination approval and genuine-position requirements still apply.
Frequently asked questions
Does my occupation need to be on the CSOL for a 186 TRT visa?
No. Home Affairs states that the 186 TRT stream has no occupation list. The occupation is instead based on the occupation from the applicant’s most recently held temporary skilled visa, and it must be listed in ANZSCO.
Does changing employers restart the two-year TRT clock?
Not automatically. Qualifying sponsored employment with more than one approved sponsor may be added together if it falls within the relevant three-year period and remains in the eligible occupation. Breaks, unpaid leave and other non-qualifying periods must be removed from the calculation.
Can my old sponsor nominate me after I move to a new approved sponsor?
Usually not. The TRT nominator must generally be the sponsor that most recently identified you in an approved temporary skilled nomination.
Do I need a skills assessment for the 186 TRT stream?
A skills assessment is generally not required at the time of a TRT application. However, Home Affairs can require an applicant to demonstrate that they have the skills needed to perform the occupation.
Does this rule also apply to the 186 Direct Entry stream?
No. Direct Entry has different occupation, skills-assessment and work-experience requirements. An occupation that is acceptable for TRT may not be available for Direct Entry.
Key takeaway
An occupation falling off the CSOL does not, by itself, close the 186 TRT pathway. The decisive checks are the occupation attached to the most recently held temporary skilled visa, the worker’s most recent approved sponsor, the qualifying visa and employment periods, and the remaining employer and visa criteria.
The risk is highest where the worker is changing employer, changing occupation, relying on interrupted work periods or assuming that a new 482 nomination will be approved under old rules. Those facts should be checked before any resignation, nomination or visa application.
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