Skilled Independent visa subclass 189
Permanent residence on your own merits — no employer, no state nomination, no regional condition. You are ranked against everyone else in the pool, which is why the points you can actually evidence matter more than the points you can claim.
At a glance
- Visa type
- Permanent residenceLive and work anywhere in Australia
- Sponsor needed
- NonePoints-tested and invitation-based
- Points threshold
- At least 65 to be invitedMeeting it does not guarantee an invitation
- First step
- Skills assessmentBefore an expression of interest goes anywhere
- Our fee
- On quoteAfter a consultation, fixed in writing
Subclass 189
Who this actually suits
The 189 rewards a particular profile: younger applicants, strong English, an occupation on the relevant list, and skilled employment you can document. If two of those are weak, a nominated or sponsored pathway is usually the more honest option, and we will say so.
Strong points scorers
Age, English, qualifications and skilled work experience all pulling in the same direction. The 189 is the cleanest outcome available — permanent residence with no conditions attached to an employer or a state.
People who want no strings
No nominating state to commit to, no sponsoring employer whose business decisions become your visa risk. If you value that independence, it is worth testing whether you can reach a competitive score.
Applicants already onshore
Often on a 485 after study. The 189 is the target, but the timing matters — your 485 is a finite window in which to build points, not an open-ended one.
Occupations on the list
Your occupation has to appear on the list that applies to this visa, and the occupation you nominate drives your skills assessment, your points and your eligibility. Choosing it badly is expensive to undo.
Eligibility
What the Department requires
These are the core criteria. Each one has detail behind it, and several have exemptions — a consultation is where your particular facts get tested against them.
- 01
An invitation
You cannot apply for a 189 unless you have been invited. You submit an expression of interest through SkillSelect and wait to be selected.
- 02
A nominated occupation
It must be on the skilled occupation list that applies to this visa at the time you are invited.
- 03
A positive skills assessment
From the assessing authority for your nominated occupation, valid at the time you apply.
- 04
The points test
You need to score at least 65 points to be invited. Points come from age, English, skilled employment inside and outside Australia, qualifications, Australian study, specialist education, partner skills and community language.
- 05
Age
You must generally be under 45 at the time you are invited.
- 06
Competent English at minimum
And higher English levels award additional points, which is often the cheapest way to lift a borderline score.
- 07
Health and character
Health examinations and police certificates for you and any family members included in the application.
How we work
What we actually do for you
You should know whether an application is viable before you spend money on it. If it is not yet, we say so and set out what would change that.
- 01
Skills assessment first
Choose the occupation carefully, then get assessed by the right authority. Nothing downstream works if this is wrong.
- 02
Score the points honestly
We calculate what you can evidence, not what you can assert. Payslips, tax records, contracts and references have to agree with each other.
- 03
Lodge the expression of interest
Through SkillSelect, with a claim set we can substantiate if the Department asks.
- 04
Invitation, then application
You have a limited window after an invitation. We prepare the application so it is ready to lodge rather than scrambled together.
- 05
Through to the decision
We answer requests for further information and keep you posted until the outcome.
Where it goes wrong
Why these applications fail
Refusals are rarely a surprise in hindsight. These are the patterns we see most, and all four are avoidable with advice before lodgement rather than after a decision.
Points claimed but not evidenced
The single most common failure. An unevidenced claim is worse than a lower score, because it can put the whole application at risk rather than just cost you points.
The wrong nominated occupation
Picked to match a job title rather than the duties actually performed. The assessing authority reads the duties.
Employment references that contradict the payslips
Dates, hours, and roles have to line up across every document. Assessors compare them.
Waiting on an invitation that is not coming
Meeting 65 points is the entry requirement, not a competitive score. If your score is not realistically going to be selected, you deserve to hear that early.
Fees
What we charge
General information, not personal advice. This page explains how the visa works in general terms. It is not immigration assistance for your circumstances, and reading it does not create a client relationship.
Requirements, thresholds and processing priorities change. The Department of Home Affairs is the authority on current settings, and we confirm them against your case in a consultation. Reviewed August 2026.
Advice on this page is provided by a MARA-registered migration agent, MARN 1793706. In Australia only registered agents may lawfully give immigration assistance for a fee.
Migration agent consultation
60 minutes, in person or online
Full assessment of your options with customised advice. Credited towards your visa professional fee if you proceed.
AUD 150Free for Scholar Hub students
Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
Our professional fee
Document preparation, drafting and lodgement, and responses to the Department through to a decision.
On quoteFixed in writing after your consultation
Our professional fees only. They exclude Department of Home Affairs visa application charges, skills assessment fees, English test fees and medical examinations.
See the full pricing page for other services.
Related pathways
Other visas we advise on
Most people are choosing between two or three of these. The immigration services page compares them side by side.
Skilled Nominated
190Permanent residence with state nomination, which adds points to your score.
Points test
CalculatorEstimate your score before an expression of interest goes anywhere.
Employer Nomination
186Permanent residence nominated by an employer, in one of three streams.
Temporary Graduate
485Stay and work after a qualifying Australian qualification.
Questions
What people ask about the 189
General guidance only, and policy changes. Your own circumstances are assessed in a consultation.