Raul Senise

The current published processing time for a 186DE is anywhere between 3 to 13 months, so you may still have a long wait ahead. Yes you can lodge a 482 but this will be costly for the employer/sponsor and there are risks which need to be managed.

A 482 to a partner visa is possible, although you will need to continue to abide by the conditions of the 482 until the Partner visa is granted, which can take a long time base on current published processing times.

Yes it is possible depending on your occupation. Holding a subclass 482 visa does not stop you lodging an EOI for another visa such as a 189. 189 visas are taking about 3 months to process. The three years on the 482 visa, is only if you are looking to apply for a 186 visa under the TRT pathway.

Most Agents will not have a set fee, as the costs will depend on the specifics of the case such as: type of relationship, length of relationship, are there children, previous relationships, health issues, character issues, previous visa history, etc. Much of the information on the forms are personal and specific details you will have to provide. You do not get fined, but the application can be refused. If you are missing documents, the Department can request them, but they don't have to. If you provide incorrect information, this could be an issue if it is considered that you have provided false of misleading information. Many have done it themselves and many have used Agents. There is no one size fits all approach. As with any service or profession, one would use an Agent to use their experience, expertise and knowledge to navigate the process correctly and efficiently.

If you are in Australia, NSW requires that you be in Australia for at least 6 months. The States can change their sponsorship requirements at will.

In order to give proper advice, any Agent will need to see the results of the Police Clearance to assess against the Character requirements of the visa you are hoping to apply for.

Be mindful that the new Government has announced that it is abolishing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and replacing it with a new federal administrative review body. The establishment and transition to the new system may slow processing further.

It is odd that this would be requested before the visa is granted.

The number of exemptions are small. Not all exemptions are occupation based.

In most cases but not all. The subclass 186 has a number of different age exemptions. There are also age exemptions for subclass 186 visas under Labour Agreements.

Small Engine Mechanic may be appropriate 321214 depending on the specific duties

They would need to negotiate the labour agreement first.

Tourist visas, especially from high risk counties have high refusal rates at the moment. A family sponsored family sponsored tourist visa would require a bond be paid by the sponsoring family, which is forfeited if the applicant does not depart by their visa expiry date.

If your wife is pregnant she won't be able to do the medicals required for the PR to be finalised, so the point is moot.

You can't just apply for 189 or a 190 as you have to be invited to apply. Residency requirements for State sponsorship are specific to each State and can change regularly.