AustraliaWork and qualifications

Skilled Independent visa in Australia

A permanent visa for skilled workers whom the Australian Department of Home Affairs invites to apply following the selection of expressions of interest in the SkillSelect system. The visa requires no employer sponsor and no state nomination: the holder lives and works anywhere in the country.

Work

You work and live anywhere in Australia, with no tie to an employer or a state.

The visa grants permanent residence straight away.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

Who can apply

The visa sits inside SkillSelect: the invitation comes from the Department of Home Affairs directly, with no employer sponsor and no state nomination.

The main route — the points-tested stream

The occupation is on the list of eligible occupations for this visa
There is a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, obtained no more than 3 years before the invitation
English at no lower than competent English at the time of the invitation
Age under 45 at the time of the invitation
At least 65 points scored on the points test; the actual cut-off score in a particular invitation round may be higher
An expression of interest (EOI) has been lodged in SkillSelect and an invitation received from the Department

The alternative route — through a regional visa

At the time of lodgement you hold (or your last substantive visa was) a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491 or a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) subclass 494
You have held that visa for at least 3 years
The remaining criteria — invitation, skills assessment, points, age, English — apply exactly as for the main stream

Other streams of this visa

A separate stream for eligible New Zealand citizens
A separate stream for eligible holders of a Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport — the conditions of both streams are published on separate pages of the visa

Documents to gather

What has to be evidenced by documents

Passport pages with the photograph, personal details and the dates of issue and expiry
A national identity card, if you have one
Change-of-name documents — a marriage or divorce certificate, if applicable
A skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority
Evidence of English at no lower than competent English
Evidence of the points claimed in the EOI: employer references and contracts, payslips, tax documents, education documents
An Australian Federal Police certificate, if you have spent 12 months or more in Australia over the last 10 years since turning 16
Police certificates from every country where you have spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years since turning 16
Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment) and form 1221 (Additional personal particulars information)
Documents on your partner and children if you apply with family — a marriage certificate, evidence of a de facto relationship of no less than 12 months, children's birth certificates
Translations of documents that are not in English, made by a NAATI-accredited translator if the translation is done in Australia

How the process runs

1
Lodge an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
An EOI is not a visa application and is free to lodge. You state your occupation, your points and your claim to a subclass 189 visa.
2
Wait for an invitation
up to 2 years from lodging the EOI
The Department ranks expressions by points and invites through SkillSelect. A single EOI is invited no more than 2 times.
3
Gather the documents
You evidence the skills assessment, the level of English, and the points for work experience and education — everything claimed in the EOI.
4
Lodge the visa application through ImmiAccount
within 60 calendar days of the invitation
The deadline cannot be extended. You attach the documents and pay the visa charge — an unpaid application is not assessed.
5
Complete the checks
At the Department's request you undergo a medical examination, provide biometrics and supply further documents.
6
Receive the decision
If the decision is positive you become a permanent resident of Australia from the day the visa is granted — or from the day you enter the country, if you were outside it when the visa was granted.

Who you can bring with you

What happens with the family

Partner (spouse or de facto) and children — “members of the family unit”

They can be included in the application at lodgement or added later, before the visa is decided, through form 1436 in ImmiAccount. Applicants aged 16 and over undergo the same health and character checks as the main applicant; family members who are not going to Australia still undergo the character check and, on request, the health check.

Partner as a co-applicant for points

If the partner applies together with the applicant, is under 45, has competent English and a skills assessment for an occupation from the same list, the applicant gains 10 points on the points test. The same 10 points are awarded if the applicant is not in a relationship or if the partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident; if the partner has only competent English without the other criteria — 5 points.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

The travel facility on a permanent visa lasts 5 years. To keep entering afterwards you obtain a Resident Return visa (subclass 155): you need to have spent 2 of the last 5 years in Australia as a permanent resident.

The 189 visa is permanent and is not renewed. It has a separate travel facility component lasting 5 years from the date the visa is granted. To enter Australia as a permanent resident once those 5 years expire, you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Skilled Independent visa	Skilled Nominated visa	Visa 491
Grounds	An invitation from the Department of Home Affairs following selection in SkillSelect	A nomination by a state or territory plus an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs	A state nomination or sponsorship by a relative in a designated regional area
Work	You work and live anywhere in Australia, with no tie to an employer or a state	You work and live in Australia as a permanent resident	You work in a designated regional area
Residence	The travel facility on a permanent visa lasts 5 years	The travel facility lasts 5 years	You live in a designated regional area for the whole period the visa is valid

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

You apply for citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence in Australia, the last 12 months of them on a permanent visa. Absences may not exceed 12 months over the 4 years and 90 days over the final year.

Frequently asked questions about Skilled Independent visa

Who can apply for the Skilled Independent visa?

The applicant must have an occupation from the list of eligible occupations for the visa, hold a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, receive an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs through SkillSelect, score at least 65 points on the points test and have at least competent English at the time of the invitation. Age at the time of the invitation — under 45.

How many points do you need for an invitation?

The minimum threshold is 65 points on the points test; without it an expression is not invited. But scoring exactly 65 points does not guarantee an invitation — the Department invites by ranking expressions in SkillSelect, and the final cut-off score in a particular round may be above 65.

How long is the wait for an invitation and how much time is there to apply after it?

An invitation may arrive within 2 years of lodging the expression of interest (EOI). After the invitation you have 60 calendar days to lodge the visa application — the deadline cannot be extended. The Department invites a single EOI no more than 2 times; if the applicant does not lodge a visa after the second invitation, the EOI is removed from SkillSelect.

What happens with family members on lodgement?

A partner and children — members of the family unit — can be included in the application at lodgement or added later, before the visa is decided, through form 1436 in ImmiAccount. Applicants aged 16 and over undergo the same health and character checks as the main applicant.

What does the 189 visa cost and are there additional payments?

The official website does not publish the exact amount as text — the cost is worked out by the Visa Pricing Estimator from the visa code. A separate charge applies for each family member who applies together with the applicant. Applicants aged 18 and over without functional English are additionally issued a second instalment if the visa decision is positive — the invoice is sent only after the decision. From 1 July 2026 a reduced visa cost applies to citizens of a number of Pacific states and Timor-Leste.

How long is the visa valid and what do you do after 5 years?

The 189 visa is permanent — resident status is not limited in time. But the visa has a separate travel facility component lasting 5 years from the date of grant. To enter Australia as a permanent resident once those 5 years expire, you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).

How does the 189 visa differ from the regional worker visas (491 and 494)?

The 189 visa ties you to no region — the holder lives and works anywhere in Australia and receives permanent status straight away. An applicant who at the time of lodgement holds (or whose last substantive visa was) a regional Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491 or Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) subclass 494 and has held it for at least 3 years can also apply for the 189, provided the general criteria on points, skills assessment, English and age are met.

Other ways to move to Australia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Australia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.