Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Subclass 189 is a permanent visa to live and work anywhere in Australia. It has more than one stream, and the streams do not share criteria — so the first useful question is which one is in play, not whether you meet a general test.
It sets out, concisely, what the Department states about this visa and where each point comes from. It is an overview, not the law: it names requirements rather than explaining how to satisfy them, and it does not tell you whether you qualify — that depends on your circumstances, and it is what an appointment is for.
What the official page says
Each row below links the official page it comes from.
- Official title — Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
- How the Department describes it — A visa for invited workers, eligible New Zealand citizens and eligible Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport holders with skills Australia needs, to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
- Stay — Permanent.
The streams, and why they are not interchangeable
The main official page distinguishes more than one stream, and each has its own criteria. Only the Points-tested stream is described below, because that is the stream page that was read. Nothing here should be read across to the other two.
- Points-tested stream — No sponsor and no nominator. An invitation to apply is required, and the Department states you must be under 45 to be invited. Permanent stay.
- New Zealand stream — Named on the main page as a separate stream with its own criteria. Those criteria were not part of this read and are not reproduced here — the main page links its own stream page.
- Hong Kong stream — Named on the main page as a separate stream with its own criteria, likewise not reproduced here. The main page links its own stream page.
No sponsor, no nominator — but an invitation
On the Points-tested stream the Department states there is no sponsor and no nominator, which is what separates this visa from the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), where nomination is central, and from the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), which is nominated by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative. What the Points-tested stream does require is an INVITATION, and the Department states you must be under 45 to be invited. How an invitation comes about is set out on the official page and is not described here.
Where the requirements and the application are published
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Department of Home Affairs — The page that governs: its requirements, its streams, its conditions, its cost and its Apply link.
- Skilled Independent visa — Points-tested stream — The stream page this page's Points-tested content comes from.
- Visa Pricing Estimator — The Department's own tool for what an application costs, including family members. This page states no figure.
- Global visa processing times — A live tool, linked by the official skilled pages themselves. Nothing is quoted from it here: it shows recently decided applications, is a guide only, and is not specific to your application.
- Who can help with your application — Worth reading before you pay anybody for immigration assistance.
What to have ready
Preparation examples, not a checklist of requirements. The official page sets out what is actually required, and what a particular application needs depends on the circumstances.
- Your passport, and passports for anyone you would include in an application
- Which stream you are considering — the criteria differ and this is the first thing to settle
- Your date of birth, because the Points-tested stream states an age limit for being invited
- Your occupation, and any skills assessment you already hold, with its date
- Your qualifications and the evidence behind them
- A record of your skilled work history with dates and employers
- Any English language test result you hold, with its date and test type
- Any invitation correspondence you have received, with its date
- Any previous visa refusal or cancellation, with its reference number
The main official page distinguishes a Points-tested stream, a New Zealand stream and a Hong Kong stream. They do not share criteria. Only the Points-tested stream's requirements are described on this page, because that is the stream page that was read; for the other two the main page is where their own requirements are set out. Official subclass 189 page — Department of Home Affairs
No. The Department's Points-tested stream page states there is no sponsor and no nominator for this stream. What it does require is an invitation to apply. How an invitation arises is on the official page and is not described here. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-independent-189/points-tested
For the Points-tested stream the Department states you must be under 45 to be invited. That is stated as a condition of being invited. Whether any exception applies, and how age interacts with the points test, is on the official page. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-independent-189/points-tested
Yes. The Department describes subclass 189 as permitting permanent living and working anywhere in Australia, and the Points-tested stream page describes the stay as permanent. Official subclass 189 page — Department of Home Affairs
No fee is stated here, and none should be read into the page. The Department renders the cost from its own pricing data and publishes a Visa Pricing Estimator for working it out, including family members. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visa-pricing-estimator
No estimate is given here. The Department publishes a global visa processing times guide, linked below as a live tool. In its own words it shows the processing times for recently decided applications, it is a guide only, and it is not specific to your application. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times
Talk to somebody about your own situation
This page explains how the visa is structured and what to prepare. What applies to you depends on your circumstances.
General information about Australian visa processes, not legal advice about your situation. Legal services are provided by Jameson Law.