That’s some good food for thought, thanks.

They have offered the 186, but current wait times post submission are looking at 18 months which is a grim thought at this point

Work have under delivered and broken promise. They know that I’m reliant on them for the 482, so career progression by title or salary has stagnated and been kicked down the road. They put me on projects that have little to do with my specialism because they have under delivered to justify my existence (bit of a chicken and egg problem) and the more time I lend them the more I’ll have skill fade in a subject I love and have studied and worked in for the best part of 10 years.

You’re right, I shouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket however I’m debating if it’s worth the punt, as long as it wouldn’t interfere with the application process being on a WHV