No employer, no state and no regional address. If your job is on the list and your points are strong, the skilled independent visa subclass 189 makes your whole family permanent residents.
The skilled independent visa subclass 189 rewards people whose skills, English and experience already add up. These two lists show where you sit today.
Somewhere in between? The Migration often plans the 189 alongside a 190 or 491, so your time in SkillSelect works on more than one front.
Meeting the minimum lets you into SkillSelect. These four things decide how soon an invitation reaches you.
Home Affairs invites the top-ranked EOIs in each occupation. Your score is compared with others in your field, so the number that matters is the one invited for your job in recent rounds.
Partner skills, a Professional Year, a NAATI credential or regional study can each add 5 to 10 points. Many applicants qualify for one of these and leave it off their EOI.
Your invitation lists the score you must prove. When every claim already has its evidence, the 60-day window is for lodging, not for collecting papers.
Rounds are held periodically, and your EOI is ranked on the day. Keeping it current, with every new point added, puts you in the strongest position each time.
The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is permanent from the day it is granted. There is no provisional stage and no second visa to apply for later.
Choose your city, your job and your employer. Move from Sydney to Brisbane, or start your own business, whenever you like.
Include family members when you lodge, or add them before the decision. Everyone granted becomes a permanent resident with full work and study rights.
Join Medicare and send your children to public school. You can study in a Commonwealth-supported university place, and eligible adults can join the Adult Migrant English Program.
Travel in and out as often as you like for 5 years, then renew with a Resident Return visa. Along the way, you can sponsor eligible relatives and, once you meet the residence requirement, apply for citizenship.
The minimum is 65 points. The score that gets invited changes from round to round and from job to job.
After each round, Home Affairs lists the lowest score invited for each job on the SkillSelect invitation rounds page. The 2025–26 year had three rounds: 21 August 2025 (6,887 invitations), 13 November 2025 (10,000) and 4 June 2026 (10,000). Follow each result in the 189 invitation rounds guide, or read whether 80 or 85 points is enough.
The Migration reads your score into one of three bands:
Your score matches recent invitations for your job.
One or two claims below would move you into range.
A 190 or 491 EOI works alongside your 189 EOI while you build.
| Points claim | Points | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| English: Proficient / Superior | 10 / 20 | Superior: IELTS 8 each, or PTE 69/70/85/88 for tests from 7 Aug 2025 (Home Affairs) |
| Australian skilled employment | Up to 20 | Employment points are capped at 20 in total |
| Overseas skilled employment | Up to 15 | Counts within the 20-point employment cap |
| Doctorate / Bachelor degree | 20 / 15 | Highest qualification only |
| Specialist education | 10 | Australian research Master's or Doctorate in a relevant field |
| Professional Year | 5 | Accounting, ICT or engineering |
| Credentialled community language | 5 | NAATI credential |
| Australian study / regional study | 5 / 5 | Regional study needs a regional campus and address |
| Partner | 5 or 10 | Skilled partner 10; partner with competent English 5; single or partner is a citizen or PR 10 |
| Age | Up to 30 | 25 to 32 years = 30 points; 33 to 39 = 25; 40 to 44 = 15 |
All three are points-tested skilled visas, and all three start with an EOI in SkillSelect. The difference is who backs you and where you live.
The 189 gives the most freedom, while the 190 and 491 add points. An EOI can cover more than one of these visas, so you can stay in line for all three at once. Compare the details in 189 vs 190 visa, or explore the 190 visa and the 491 visa.
Check your occupation against the list and apply to its assessing authority. Your assessment must be valid on the day you are invited.
A higher English band is often the quickest gain. Work through every claim in the points table above.
There is no charge to lodge an EOI, and it stays live for up to 2 years. If you hold a 485, read the guide on applying for a 189 while on a 485 or see the 485 visa page.
Gather identity, employment, qualification and police documents in advance. Home Affairs prefers health checks before you apply. Use the 189 visa document checklist.
Once invited, you have 60 calendar days to apply and show the score in your invitation. After lodging, the Migration keeps your file current until the decision, including new family members, passports or addresses.
| Requirement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Listed on the skilled occupation list for the 189 Points-Tested stream |
| Skills assessment | From your occupation's assessing authority, within 3 years before invitation or the shorter period it states |
| Invitation | An EOI in SkillSelect, followed by an invitation to apply |
| Age | Under 45 when invited |
| Points | 65 or more, plus the score stated in your invitation, proven with evidence |
| English | At least competent English at invitation |
| Health and character | Met by you and every family member applying with you |
| Visa status in Australia | A substantive visa, or a Bridging A, B or C visa, on the day you apply |
| 491 or 494 holders | Held that visa for at least 3 years before applying |
| Immigration history | Past visa decisions are considered, so the Migration agent reviews them upfront |
| Australian Values Statement | Signed by every applicant aged 18 or over |
| Government debts | Repaid, or a repayment arranged |
These criteria apply to the Points-Tested stream, which is the 189 stream open to new applicants.
Charges are from the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator, as at October 2026. A second charge applies only to an adult with less than functional English, and Home Affairs asks for it just before grant. Since 1 July 2026, eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens pay less.
Your budget also covers the skills assessment, English test, health checks, police checks and translations. The Migration sets out every figure for your family before you start.
Home Affairs processing time data for the Points-Tested stream, updated 29 September 2026. Complete files move most smoothly, so The Migration lodges with every document attached. For other skilled visas, see the latest skilled visa processing times.
The Migration's registered agents handle the whole skilled pathway, from the first points check to the grant.
Partner points, a Professional Year, a NAATI credential, regional study and the next English band are checked one by one. Only claims you can prove go into your EOI.
Work points count from the date your assessing body says you became skilled, at 20 or more hours a week. The Migration lines up your EOI, references, payslips and tax records, so every claim is ready to prove.
Your points change on set dates. The plan shows when each gain lands, and when your EOI should be updated.
Past visa decisions, study gaps and your current visa end date are reviewed before your EOI goes in. If you hold a 485 or student visa, your next visa is planned early, because an EOI does not come with a bridging visa.
A calculator gives a first estimate. The invitation score must then be proven with evidence that matches your skills assessment, and that is where a registered agent adds the most value. Applicants can still lodge themselves if they prefer.
A MARA-registered agent checks your occupation, skills assessment, English, every points claim, your EOI and your current visa. You leave with a written plan and a quote for any next step.
Yes. An EOI can be submitted for more than one skilled visa, and each invitation is for a specific visa. Read how many EOIs can be submitted.
Yes, once invited. Applicants in Australia need a substantive visa, or a Bridging A, B or C visa, on the day they lodge. The Migration plans the timing around your 485 end date.
Yes, after holding the 491 or 494 for at least 3 years. Many 491 holders compare this with the 191 permanent residence visa.
Yes. Partners and dependent children can be added after lodgement and before the decision. Each must meet the health and character requirements.
Once they meet the residence requirement, which generally includes 4 years of lawful residence with at least 12 months as a permanent resident. Permanent residence starts on grant for applicants in Australia, or on first entry for those overseas.
Your points, your occupation and your evidence decide your 189. A MARA-registered agent reviews all three in one session and gives you a written plan and quote before you go ahead.
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