Subclass 187 Visa Closed | Transitional RSMS Advice
Subclass 187 visa lawyers for eligible transitional workers.
Strategic legal advice for the restricted Subclass 187 Temporary Residence Transition pathway—including transitional 457 and 482 status, regional employer nomination, sponsored work history and permanent residence evidence.
Reviewed by Madhab Kharel, Principal Lawyer — 23 September 2026. Home Affairs confirms that Subclass 187 is closed to new applications, with the Temporary Residence Transition stream remaining available only to eligible transitional 457 and transitional 482 workers. See the current regional visa guidance.
A legacy pathway with exact cut-off rules
Eligibility starts with dates. Only a narrow transitional cohort can make a new application through the TRT stream.
Current Subclass 187 visa status
The 187 is not open to ordinary new applicants.
New Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa applications generally closed on 16 November 2019. A narrow exception remains for the Temporary Residence Transition stream where the primary applicant is a defined transitional 457 or transitional 482 worker.
- Direct Entry is closed to ordinary new applications.
- The current exception is limited to the TRT stream and defined transitional workers.
- A recent Subclass 482 visa alone does not establish Subclass 187 eligibility.
- The regional employer nomination and visa application each have separate criteria.
- There is no points test, SkillSelect invitation or expression of interest.
Who may still qualify
Transitional status is a defined legal category.
Held a Subclass 457 visa on or after 18 April 2017.
The current regulations define a transitional 457 worker by reference to having held a Subclass 457 visa at any time on or after 18 April 2017. Later visa history and all remaining TRT criteria still require assessment.
Check my 457 history →Held or had applied for the relevant 482 visa by 20 March 2019.
This category is tied to the Medium-term stream on 20 March 2019: the person held that visa then, or had applied by that date and the visa was later granted. Most recent 482 holders do not meet this definition.
Check my 482 cut-off date →Meeting a transitional-worker definition only opens the door to assessment. It does not remove the nomination, sponsored employment, age, English, health, character or other visa requirements.
What a grant can provide
Permanent residence, from the date of grant.
Live and work permanently
Remain in Australia indefinitely as a permanent resident.
Five-year travel facility
Travel to and enter Australia during the initial travel-facility period.
Include eligible family
Add eligible members of the family unit to a combined application.
Citizenship pathway
Apply later if the separate residence and eligibility requirements are met.
Subclass 187 visa streams
One limited current route. One historical route.
The post-closure exception is confined to the Temporary Residence Transition stream for defined transitional workers.
Temporary Residence Transition
The only Subclass 187 stream available for a new application after closure, and only for an eligible transitional 457 or transitional 482 worker.
- Transitional-worker definition must be met first
- Generally requires at least two years holding the relevant 457 or 482 visas within the previous three years
- Generally requires at least two years of qualifying full-time sponsored employment within that period
- The occupation generally needs to align at the four-digit ANZSCO unit-group level
Direct Entry
The general deadline for primary Direct Entry applications was before 16 November 2019. This stream may still matter to an already-lodged historical case, but it is not an ordinary new pathway.
- Do not lodge a new Direct Entry application on the assumption the old criteria still create access
- Historical applications must be assessed against the law and facts applying to them
- Existing refusals or review matters may require urgent deadline advice
- Current applicants should compare the 494, 186 and 482 pathways instead
| Stream | New application status | Who it concerns | Primary focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRT | Restricted exception remains. | Defined transitional 457 and transitional 482 workers. | Cut-off status, sponsored work history, regional employer nomination and visa criteria. |
| Direct Entry | Closed to new primary applications. | Historical applications lodged before the closure deadline. | Historical law, lodged evidence, decision issues and any review rights. |
Dates are evidence
A credible 187 strategy starts with a complete timeline.
We map visa grants, applications, employers, sponsorships, occupations, work locations, full-time periods, unpaid leave and role changes before deciding whether a current TRT application is legally available.
Subclass 187 TRT requirements
Eligibility is tested on the worker and the employer.
The current route depends on a valid regional nomination and a visa application that independently satisfies the TRT criteria. Strong evidence on one side does not repair an ineligible other side.
Worker-side requirements
- Meet the definition of a transitional 457 worker or transitional 482 worker.
- Generally hold the relevant 457 or 482 visas for at least two years in the three years before nomination.
- Generally complete at least two years of qualifying full-time sponsored work in that three-year period.
- Usually be under 45 when applying unless a prescribed exemption applies.
- Meet competent English unless a prescribed exemption applies.
- Meet licensing or registration, health, character and any requested skills requirements.
Employer nomination requirements
- Usually be the worker’s most recent standard business sponsor or relevant work-agreement party.
- Be actively and lawfully operating and demonstrate a genuine need for the position.
- Nominate a full-time position in regional Australia that will be available for at least two years.
- Show the role aligns with the relevant four-digit ANZSCO unit group and genuine duties.
- Demonstrate business capacity to employ the worker and pay the annual market salary rate.
- Meet applicable salary, employment-condition, charge and nomination requirements.
The visa application generally must be made within six months after the associated nomination is approved. Timing strategy should be confirmed before either application is lodged.
Regional Australia for Subclass 187
The work location must fall within the official postcode definition.
Check the exact work postcode—not the state or a marketing label.
Regional eligibility is postcode-based. Major regional centres can include Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong and Hobart, together with other designated areas.
Check official Subclass 187 regional postcodes →Prove where the nominated work will actually be performed.
The contract, position description, payroll records, organisational structure and business-location evidence should consistently support the nominated regional workplace and genuine operational need.
Review the proposed regional position →Permanent visa · genuine employment intentions
Permanent residence does not make the nomination story irrelevant.
Subclass 187 is a permanent visa with a five-year travel facility from grant. However, the applications are based on genuine representations about commencing and continuing in the nominated regional employment.
Common Subclass 187 risks
Legacy pathways fail on details that looked harmless.
An eligibility audit should resolve the threshold issue first, then test the entire nomination and visa record for internal consistency.
Not actually transitional
The applicant holds a 482 visa but does not satisfy the historical cut-off definition required for 187 access.
Insufficient qualifying time
Visa-held time, sponsored work, unpaid leave or changed hours do not produce the required period.
Occupation misalignment
The current role and most recent sponsored occupation do not align at the required ANZSCO unit-group level.
Wrong nominating employer
The nominator is not the relevant most recent sponsor or work-agreement party under the TRT rules.
Regional postcode problem
The actual work location is outside the applicable official postcode definition or is poorly evidenced.
Weak business evidence
Genuine need, salary, financial capacity, duties or the two-year position are not convincingly supported.
Subclass 187 application process
One matter. Five controlled stages.
We resolve the legacy cut-off rules before significant nomination work begins, then align the employer and worker evidence through lodgement and decision.
Transitional audit
Confirm the 18 April 2017 or 20 March 2019 history and identify the legal access point.
Three-year timeline
Map visas, sponsorship, full-time work, occupation, location, leave and any employer changes.
Regional nomination
Prepare the genuine role, business capacity, salary, duties, postcode and employment evidence.
Visa application
Prepare and lodge within the applicable timing window, including age, English, health and character evidence.
Representation
Manage updates, Department requests, changing circumstances and decision-stage advice.
How Emigrate Lawyers helps
Legacy-visa analysis with a current migration strategy.
We test whether the 187 remains legally available, prepare the regional nomination and visa evidence where it does, or redirect the case to a realistic current pathway where it does not.
Speak with a 187 visa lawyer →Transitional-worker opinion
Written analysis of historical 457 or 482 records against the current transitional definitions.
Employment-period calculation
Review visa-held time, sponsored full-time work, unpaid leave, employer changes and bridging periods.
Occupation and postcode review
Map the role to the relevant ANZSCO unit group and verify the actual regional work location.
Employer nomination evidence
Structure evidence addressing genuine need, salary, business capacity, role availability and direct control.
Visa evidence and submissions
Prepare age, English, licensing, health, character, family and any requested skills evidence.
Refusals and alternatives
Advise on historical decisions, review deadlines and current 494, 186 or 482 options.
Current alternatives to Subclass 187
If 187 is unavailable, build the right pathway now.
Most skilled workers considering regional employer sponsorship today need a current visa strategy rather than a new 187 application.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (494)
Consider the current regional provisional employer-sponsored pathway and its separate permanent residence route.
Read Subclass 494 advice →Employer Nomination Scheme visa (186)
Assess a current employer-sponsored permanent residence pathway outside the legacy 187 program.
Read Subclass 186 advice →Skills in Demand visa (482)
Review temporary skilled employer sponsorship and how it may fit a longer-term workforce strategy.
Read Subclass 482 advice →Sponsorship and nomination refusals
Get urgent legal advice about a refused nomination, visa application or available review pathway.
Review refusal options →Home Affairs—Subclass 187
Review the Department’s current Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa and stream information.
Visit Home Affairs →Official 187 regional postcodes
Check the Department’s postcode list for the location of the nominated employment.
Check regional postcodes →Subclass 187 visa FAQs
Start with the threshold question.
These answers are general. The exact result depends on the historical visa record, sponsored work, nominating employer, occupation, regional location and evidence.
Ask an immigration lawyer →Is the Subclass 187 visa still open?
Who is a transitional 457 worker for Subclass 187?
Who is a transitional 482 worker for Subclass 187?
Can a recent Subclass 482 visa holder apply for a 187 visa?
Is the Subclass 187 Direct Entry stream open?
What is the age limit for the Subclass 187 TRT stream?
What English level is required for a Subclass 187 visa?
How much sponsored work is required for Subclass 187 TRT?
Do I need a skills assessment for Subclass 187 TRT?
What counts as regional Australia for Subclass 187?
Can my partner and children be included in a Subclass 187 application?
Is the Subclass 187 visa permanent?
Must I remain with the nominating employer for two years after grant?
Resolve the cut-off rules first
Find out whether Subclass 187 is legally available before preparing a nomination.
Why Choose Emigrate Lawyers?
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