189 Visa

The 189 visa is a points-tested permanent visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an Australian employer

The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa allows skilled people to migrate to Australia permanently.

189 Visa holders can:

• be in or outside Australia when making the application

• work and study anywhere in Australia

• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence

• apply for Australian Citizenship (If eligible)

The Benefits of Obtaining a Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 Visa

For those who are interested in moving permanently to Australia in order to start a new life, the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 offers a number of excellent benefits. Unlike some other visas which require a new resident to move to the particular state or territory which sponsored them, the 189 Visa gives you total freedom to live, work and study anywhere you choose in Australia.

You can also sponsor relatives to come with you, access free schooling for your children and obtain home loans, Medicare and Centrelink social security. And whereas many visas require you to have an existing offer of employment, with the Skilled Migration 189 Visa you can legally move to Australia based entirely on your skills and your ability to meet the necessary points threshold.

Why Choose Australian Skilled Migration to Get Your Permanent Skilled Migration Visa to Australia?

Here at Australian Skilled Migration, we have over 50 years of experience in the Australian recruitment industry. In 2004 our founder began to realise the importance of being able to recruit from overseas, and by 2010 ASM was founded. We are passionate about being the most trusted and respected international recruiter and migration partner for those looking to move to and work in Australia, and our highly trained and experienced team work tirelessly to maintain an unrivalled rate of success for our clients.

The Skilled Independent Subclass 189 visa is a points-tested permanent visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an Australian employer, family member or nominated by a state or territory.

With this visa, you can:

1. Stay in Australia permanently
2. Work and study in Australia
3. Enrol in Australia’s public healthcare system, Medicare
4. Sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
5. Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
6. If eligible, become an Australian citizen

How long you can stay:

This is a permanent visa, allowing you to remain in Australia indefinitely. However, the visa includes a travel component that expires 5 years from the date it is granted.

You will become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency begins on the date:

1. The visa is granted if you are in Australia
2. You enter Australia on this visa if you are outside the country at the time of grant

Include Family:

You can include members of your family unit in your visa application. You have the option to:

1. Include them when you submit your visa application
2. Add them after you have lodged your application, but before we make a decision on your visa
3. Family members who are part of the application must meet health and character requirements.

If your partner or dependent children are not included in the application, you must provide a reason (e.g., they are already Australian citizens or permanent residents).

Apply from:

You can be either in or outside Australia when you apply for this visa and when we make a decision on your application, but you cannot be in immigration clearance.

If you are applying from within Australia, you must hold either a substantive visa or a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, subclass 020 Bridging B visa, or subclass 030 Bridging C visa. Otherwise, your application will not be processed.

Have this Visa

If you are in Australia when you submit your application, you need to have one of the following:

– A substantive visa

– Bridging Visa A (BVA) – subclass 010

– Bridging Visa B (BVB) – subclass 020

– Bridging Visa C (BVC) – subclass 030

If you currently possess, or previously held, either of the following substantive visas:

– Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)

– Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494)

You must have held that visa for a minimum of three years at the time of your application.

Be invited to apply

You can only apply for this visa if you receive an invitation from us. Please review the details before proceeding with your application.

To start, submit an expression of interest (EOI) indicating your desire to apply for the visa.

Once your EOI is submitted, you’ll be ranked alongside other prospective applicants and may receive an invitation to apply for the visa.

Invitations are issued regularly via SkillSelect.

Have a suitable Skills Assessment

To ensure your application is valid, you must confirm that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of your invitation.

Delegates of the Minister will now accept a skills assessment for your nominated skilled occupation obtained within the 60 days prior to the invitation.

This change follows the decision in Thapa v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCCA 686 (Thapa). The Minister will implement the Migration Regulations 1994 in line with this decision but reserves the right to argue in court that Thapa was incorrectly decided.

You will need to include a copy of your skills assessment with your application.

For medical and legal practitioners, we also accept the following as valid proof of skills assessment:

– Full, unconditional, or general medical registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

– Conditional specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, which allows practice solely in your specialty without further training or supervision.

– Admission to practice law in the relevant state or territory.

Your skills assessment must have been conducted within the three years leading up to your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter duration, that timeframe must still be valid.

If your skills were assessed based on a qualification obtained in Australia while you held a student visa, the qualification must be from a course registered on CRICOS.

Be this age

You must be under 45 years old when we invite you to apply for the visa.

If you turn 45 after receiving our invitation, you can still proceed with your application.

However, if you turn 45 after submitting your expression of interest (EOI) but before we invite you to apply, you will not receive an invitation.

Be able to score 65 points or more

This visa operates on a points-based system.

When you submit your expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, you’ll receive an indicative points score based on your claims. If you score below 65 points, you will not be invited to apply for this visa.

If you are invited to apply, the invitation will specify the minimum points you must achieve during the assessment of your application (this score may exceed 65 points, depending on your EOI claims).

When submitting your application, be sure to provide evidence supporting your claims.

To estimate your potential points, please use the points calculator.

Have this level of English Language

At the time of your invitation, you must demonstrate at least competent English proficiency.

Meet the Skills Requirement

Your occupation must be included in the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) in the Points-Tested stream.

Meet our health Requirement

You and any family members applying for the visa with you must meet our health requirements.

If requested, family members who are not accompanying you to Australia may also need to fulfill these health requirements.

Meet our Character Requirement

You and any family members aged 16 years and older applying for the visa with you must meet our character requirements.

Additionally, family members who are not accompanying you to Australia must also comply with these character requirements.

Have paid back your debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members (including those not applying for the visa with you) owe money to the Australian Government, you must have either paid it back or made arrangements to do so.

Sign the Australian values statement

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

• Read or have the Life in Australia booklet explained to you, and
• Confirm your commitment to respecting the Australian way of life and obeying Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

We will take your immigration history into account when assessing your application. This means you may be ineligible for this visa if you have had a visa canceled or refused.

In certain circumstances, you may still be able to apply for a permanent visa even if you have experienced a visa cancellation or application refusal. Please refer to the “Limitations on applications in Australia” (129KB PDF) for more details.

If you are applying for a visa from outside Australia, please see “Can I go to Australia” for guidance.

For assistance with your visa application, refer to “Who can help with your visa application.”