Australia Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): points test, invitations and how to apply

The short answer

The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is a permanent Australian visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer, a state or a family member. You must be invited through SkillSelect, be under 45 when invited, have a positive skills assessment in an eligible occupation, have at least competent English and score at least 65 points. Invitations go to the highest-ranked candidates, so competitive scores are usually well above 65, and you have 60 days from the invitation to lodge your application.

Australia's Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is one of the most sought after migration routes in the world. It gives permanent residence from the day it is granted, without needing an employer, a state government or a relative to sponsor you. That independence is exactly why it is competitive. This guide explains how the points test works, how invitations are issued, how skills assessments, health and character checks fit in, and how to prepare a strong application. It also covers realistic ways to raise your score and the alternatives worth considering if an invitation does not arrive. Because invitation patterns shift each program year, treat any score you hear about as a snapshot and check the latest round results.

What the 189 visa gives you

As a permanent resident on a subclass 189 visa you can:

• live, work and study anywhere in Australia, for any employer;
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health scheme;
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence;
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the grant date (after that you need a resident return visa to re-enter as a permanent resident);
• apply for Australian citizenship once you meet the residence requirements.

Who can apply

To be eligible for the points-tested stream, you must:

1. be invited to apply through SkillSelect;
2. be under 45 years of age when you are invited;
3. have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation;
4. nominate an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list;
5. have at least competent English;
6. score at least 65 points on the points test;
7. meet health and character requirements.

The New Zealand stream of the 189 visa is closed to new primary applications.

How the system works: EOI, ranking and invitations

Expression of interest

You start by lodging an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. It is free. You enter your occupation, skills assessment, English results, education, work experience and other claims. SkillSelect calculates your points. The EOI stays valid for 2 years.

Invitation rounds

The Department of Home Affairs holds invitation rounds through the program year (July to June). In each round it invites the highest-ranked EOIs, often by occupation, until it reaches the number of invitations it plans to issue. Ties are broken by the date you reached your points score: earlier is better.

Recent rounds show the pattern:

After the invitation

You have 60 calendar days from the invitation to lodge a complete visa application. The Department says it cannot extend this period. For an invitation dated 15 October 2026, the last day to lodge is 14 December 2026.

The points table

These are the main points available. Check the official Home Affairs points table before relying on any figure.

Age (at invitation)

English language

Skilled employment (in the last 10 years)

Combined employment points are capped at 20.

Education

Other points

A worked example

A 75 point EOI meets the pass mark easily, but in a competitive occupation it may still wait. Raising English to superior level would add another 10 points.

Step by step: applying for the 189 visa

Step 1: Choose your occupation and check the list

Find your occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list and identify the assessing authority, such as Engineers Australia or the Australian Computer Society.

Step 2: Get your skills assessment

Apply to the assessing authority with your qualifications and employment evidence. The assessment can also decide how many years of your experience count as skilled.

Step 3: Take an English test

Book an accepted test. Many applicants retake the test to reach proficient or superior levels, which can add 10 or 20 points.

Step 4: Lodge your EOI in SkillSelect

Enter every claim accurately. You can only claim points you can prove at the time of invitation.

Step 5: Improve your score while you wait

Update your EOI when your circumstances change: more experience, a better English score, a partner's skills assessment or a NAATI credential.

Step 6: Receive an invitation and lodge within 60 days

Gather evidence, identity documents, police certificates and translations. Lodge in ImmiAccount and pay the charges.

Step 7: Complete health and character checks

Book health examinations when asked and provide police certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since age 16.

Step 8: Receive your grant

The grant letter sets your permanent residence conditions and your initial entry date if you are outside Australia.

Costs to budget for

Charges are reviewed each year, usually from 1 July, so confirm the current figures before budgeting.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Claiming points you cannot prove. If you claim points in your EOI but cannot show them at invitation, the application can be refused, and false claims can lead to bans.
2. Letting tests or assessments expire. English results and skills assessments have validity periods.
3. Miscounting experience. Only experience the assessing authority treats as skilled counts.
4. Missing the 60 day deadline. No extensions are available.
5. Ignoring the age date. Age counts at invitation, so an EOI submitted shortly before your birthday may lose points or eligibility if the invitation comes later.

Alternatives if a 189 invitation does not come

Life after the grant

Permanent residents usually become eligible for Australian citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence in Australia, including at least 1 year as a permanent resident, with limits on time spent outside Australia. Citizenship applicants must also pass the citizenship test and meet character requirements. Until then, keep your travel facility valid: if you plan to live abroad for a while after the first 5 years, you will need a resident return visa to come back as a permanent resident.

Skills assessments explained

A skills assessment is an independent check that your qualifications and, often, your work experience match the standard of your nominated occupation in Australia. Each occupation has a designated assessing authority, for example:

Assessing authorities often decide that only part of your experience is "skilled", for example counting from a date after your degree. Your points for experience must follow that decision. Read your outcome letter carefully before you claim employment points.

Evidence checklist

Health and character requirements

Every applicant, including family members who are not migrating in some cases, must meet Australia's health requirement. The Department arranges health examinations with approved panel physicians. A condition is not an automatic refusal, but conditions likely to result in significant costs to Australian health care or community services can lead to refusal unless a waiver is available.

All applicants aged 16 and over must meet the character requirement. You provide police certificates and declare any criminal history honestly. Failing to declare information can be treated more seriously than the information itself.

If you are already in Australia

If you lodge a valid 189 application while in Australia, you are usually granted a bridging visa, which keeps you lawful when your current visa ends while your application is processed. The bridging visa's conditions usually match your previous visa's work rights. If you plan to travel while waiting, check whether you need a separate bridging visa that allows travel, because leaving Australia on the wrong bridging visa can end it.

Partner points in detail

Partner points reward a partner who could also have applied as a skilled migrant:

• 10 points if your partner is under 45, has a positive skills assessment in an occupation on the same list as yours and has competent English;
• 10 points if you are single, or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• 5 points if your partner has competent English only.

Only one of these applies. Couples sometimes compare which partner has the stronger EOI and lodge with that person as the main applicant.

Using registered migration agents

You can apply for a 189 visa yourself, and many people do. If you want help, in Australia only registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners may give immigration assistance for a fee. You can check an agent's registration on the official register before you pay anything. Be cautious of anyone who promises an invitation or guarantees a grant: no agent can control invitation rounds, which depend on the Department's planning levels, occupation ceilings and the scores of other candidates in the pool.

How to raise a points score

Candidates waiting in the pool often look for realistic ways to add points. The most common are improving an English result from proficient to superior (up to 10 more points), completing another year of skilled employment so experience reaches the next band, gaining a NAATI credentialled community language qualification (5 points), and adding partner points where a partner can obtain a skills assessment and competent English. Each claim must be true and provable on the day you are invited, so update your EOI only when the evidence is already in hand.

Australia subclass 189 at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is 65 points enough for a 189 visa?

65 is the legal pass mark, but invitations go to the highest-ranked expressions of interest in each occupation. In recent rounds most occupations needed considerably more than 65 points, so 65 rarely leads to an invitation on its own.

What happens if I turn 45 after I am invited?

Age is assessed at the time of invitation. If you were under 45 when invited, turning 45 before you lodge or before the decision does not stop you, provided you lodge within the 60 day window.

How long does an expression of interest last in SkillSelect?

An EOI stays in SkillSelect for 2 years. You can update it as your points change, for example after a better English score or another year of experience.

Can I include my family?

Yes. You can include your partner and dependent children, and in some cases other dependent family members, in the same application. Each pays a visa charge.

How much does the 189 visa cost?

The government charges a base application fee for the main applicant plus additional charges for each family member, and a second instalment for adult family members without functional English. Fees are reviewed each year, usually from 1 July, so use the Home Affairs visa pricing estimator for the current figure.

Sources

1. Department of Home Affairs: Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), Points-tested stream (checked November 6, 2026)
2. Department of Home Affairs: SkillSelect (checked November 6, 2026)
3. Department of Home Affairs: Points table for Skilled Independent visa (checked November 6, 2026)
4. Department of Home Affairs: Skilled occupation list (checked November 6, 2026)
5. Department of Home Affairs: Visa pricing estimator (checked November 6, 2026)
6. Visaplan: SkillSelect invitation round of 15 October 2026 (checked November 6, 2026)

Cite this page: Nika Kapanadze and Henrik Larsen, "Australia Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): points test, invitations and how to apply", Immigrantset, last checked November 6, 2026, https://immigrantset.com/visas/australia-skilled-independent-visa-189/