Subclass 189 visa: Skilled Independent

189 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its 189 points-tested stream page:

• Be invited to apply. An expression of interest (EOI) is lodged in SkillSelect, and only invited people can apply.
• Suitable skills assessment. A skills assessment for the nominated occupation, obtained in the 3 years before the invitation.
• Age. Under 45 when invited to apply.
• Points. A score of at least 65 on the points test.
• English. At least competent English at the time of invitation.
• Occupation. On the relevant skilled occupation list for the 189.
• Health. The applicant and family members applying must meet the health requirement.
• Character. The applicant and family members 16 and over must meet the character requirement.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government has been paid back, or there is an arrangement to pay it back.
• Australian values. Applicants 18 and over sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.
• Immigration history. A past visa cancellation or refusal may affect eligibility.
• Current visa (if in Australia). A substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa. Holders of a 491 or 494 visa (or whose last substantive visa was one) must have held it for at least 3 years.

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' 189 page, the visa lets the holder:

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study anywhere in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme
• attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible
• sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years from grant
• become an Australian citizen, if eligible

After 5 years, a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) is needed to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. Home Affairs notes that newly arrived residents may need to wait before they can get some government payments.

Family members

Home Affairs lets the main applicant include members of the family unit, such as a partner and dependent children, in the application. They can be included at lodgement, or added after lodgement but before a decision (189 page).

Family members who apply must meet the health and character requirements. Home Affairs' Visa Pricing table lists these charges for the 189:

A second instalment of AUD 4,885 applies to each applicant 18 or over who is assessed as not having functional English. For any other applicant it is nil. Home Affairs asks for it only if it is going to grant the visa. Other costs, such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics, are not included.

189 visa points table

These are the points values on Home Affairs' 189 points table page.

Employment points are capped. Overseas and Australian skilled employment together can give a maximum of 20 points. Employment counts only if it was in the nominated occupation or a closely related one, for at least 20 hours a week.

The 189 has no nomination points, because it has no nominator.

The points test pass mark is 65. Home Affairs ranks EOIs in SkillSelect and invites the highest-ranked ones. The invitation states the points score that must be met, which can be higher than 65.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of Home Affairs' 189 page.

Before you apply

1. Check the occupation is on the skilled occupation list for the 189.
2. Get a suitable skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
3. Check the points score and the other eligibility criteria. English test results count towards both.
4. Lodge an EOI in SkillSelect. It is free and is not a visa application. It can be lodged in or outside Australia.
5. Home Affairs invites the highest-ranked EOIs in each round, subject to places for the occupation. An EOI can receive an invitation up to 2 years after it is lodged.

Home Affairs says it prefers health checks to be done before applying.

Apply

1. After an invitation, the application is lodged online in ImmiAccount (through the 'Apply for visa' button in SkillSelect), with documents attached and the charge paid.
2. The application must be lodged within 60 calendar days of the invitation. Home Affairs cannot extend this time.

After you apply

1. Home Affairs may ask for health examinations, biometrics (fingerprints and photo) or more information.
2. Family members can be added before a decision. Changes in circumstances must be reported.
3. Home Affairs tells the applicant its decision in writing. It does not refund the charge if the visa is refused.

Applying in or outside Australia

Home Affairs says applicants can be in or outside Australia when they apply and when it decides the application, but not in immigration clearance. People applying in Australia must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa (189 page).

How the 189 works

Home Affairs describes these steps on its 189 points-tested stream page:

1. An expression of interest (EOI) is lodged in SkillSelect, with a points score from the official points table.
2. Home Affairs invites EOIs to apply in invitation rounds. It publishes the results of each round on its invitation rounds page.
3. An invited person lodges a visa application, which Home Affairs then decides.

Who the 189 is designed for

Home Affairs describes the 189 as a permanent visa for invited workers with skills Australia needs, who are not sponsored by an employer or family member and not nominated by a state or territory.

Points that relate to regional Australia

Home Affairs gives 5 points to people who completed their study in a designated regional area and meet the Australian study requirement. See its designated regional areas page and the regional pages on this site.

189 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times on its global visa processing times page.

Compare: 189, 190 and 491