The Subclass 189 is the crown jewel of Australian skilled migration: a points-tested permanent residency visa that arrives with no strings attached. No employer sponsor. No state nomination. No conditions on where you live or work.
From the day you land, you and your family enjoy Medicare, public schooling at resident rates, unrestricted work rights and the four-year clock toward Australian citizenship. Since 1996, our former senior immigration officials have guided thousands of skilled professionals and trades people through the points system, and this guide shares the insights that win invitations.
The Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) is Australia’s premier route for skilled workers. It is points-tested, entirely independent; no employer, family member or state government needs to back you, and it grants permanent residency on arrival.
As a 189 holder you can:
The official criteria are published by the Department of Home Affairs: Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189). What the official page cannot tell you is how to make your case competitive. That is where three decades of insider experience count.
To enter the 189 pool you must:
Points are earned for age (up to 30 at ages 25–32), English ability (Proficient +10, Superior +20), skilled employment (up to 15 for 8+ years overseas, or up to 20 for years worked in Australia), qualifications (Doctorate 20, Bachelor 15, Diploma or trade qualification 10), plus bonuses for Australian study, a professional year, community language credentials, and partner factors, or 10 points if you are single.
Reaching 65 points opens the door, but Australia invites only the strongest candidates in each round. Check your own score against the official Home Affairs points calculator, then let us show you where you can legitimately gain more.
The 189 journey has six stages, and the order matters:
One weak document can undo months of waiting. We audit every file before it is lodged, so your case enters the pool at full strength.
Planning a 189 application means knowing the real numbers, not last year’s folklore:
Budget also for your skills assessment fee, English testing, health examinations and police certificates. We map the full cost timeline for you before you commit a single dollar.
Your skills assessment: Australian standards are frequently higher than those at home. A British teacher, electrician or engineer may need additional evidence or conversion steps to be assessed at full value. Presenting the assessment correctly at the outset protects every point you claim later.
Your evidence: the Department grants points only for employment it can verify. Missing payslips, closed employers and undocumented years sink otherwise excellent cases. We rebuild and corroborate work histories so your file tells the complete story of your career.
Your timing: when two candidates tie, the earlier submission wins the invitation. Lodging your EOI the day you reach a competitive score can save months, sometimes years, of waiting.
Your fallback strategy: the strongest applicants prepare parallel routes. Five extra points through state nomination (190) or fifteen through the regional 491 can transform a borderline case into an invitation.
Discuss your eligibility and explore your options with a dedicated migration specialist.
Certified passports for every applicant, birth certificates, national identity cards where held, marriage or divorce certificates, and evidence of any name changes. Every document must be consistent. A mismatched date of birth between documents is one of the most common causes of delay.
Your positive skills assessment, qualification certificates and academic transcripts, detailed employment references on company letterhead stating duties and hours, payslips, tax records and employment contracts covering every year of experience you claim. The Department only awards points for employment it can verify.
IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET or Cambridge C1/C2 results within their validity window, or a passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand for Competent English. Higher scores earn real points: Proficient adds 10, Superior adds 20.
Immigration medical examinations with a panel physician for every applicant, including dependants not migrating. Book only when instructed. Examinations have a validity window, and premature bookings waste money.
Police certificates from every country where you have spent 12 months or more in the last ten years since turning 16, plus military service records where applicable. Some countries take months to issue certificates. We sequence these early so they never hold up your grant.
Yes. The 189 grants permanent residency from the day it is issued. There is no provisional stage: you arrive with full PR rights, Medicare access and the citizenship clock already running.
Absolutely. Unlike the 190 and 491 visas, the 189 carries no state obligations. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or a beach town in Queensland: the choice is entirely yours, and you can change your mind at any time.
65 points makes you eligible, but invitations are competitive. Most professional occupations were recently invited at between 75 and 95 points, while in-demand trades received invitations from 65 points. We assess your realistic score before you invest in the process.
From first skills assessment to grant, most clients complete the journey in 12–18 months. The Department of Home Affairs publishes a median processing time of around six months from lodgement, and strong cases in priority occupations often move faster.
From 1 July 2026 the government charge is AUD 6,135 for the primary applicant, AUD 3,070 for a partner and AUD 1,540 per child, plus skills assessment, English testing, health and police check costs. We provide a complete cost map before you commit.
Yes. Your partner and dependent children are included in one application and receive the same permanent residency. A skilled partner under 45 with competent English can even add points to your score.
You have options: five extra points through state nomination (190), fifteen through the regional 491, or an employer-sponsored route with no points test at all. Our free assessment identifies your strongest pathway.
No. The 189 is completely independent: no employer, sponsor or nomination is required. Your skills, experience and points do the talking.
Yes. Time spent in Australia as a 189 holder counts toward the four-year residence requirement for citizenship, and dual citizenship is permitted.
Whether you have questions or need guidance on your Australian immigration path, our specialists are ready to listen and advise. Contact us today.