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Pathway

Australia Skilled Independent Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Australia's Skilled Independent visa is a points-tested permanent residence route for skilled workers who do not need employer or state sponsorship. It generally requires an eligible occupation, skills assessment, English ability, points, and an invitation.

Type
Skilled-worker residence
Job or skills fit
Skilled workers with an eligible occupation who do not need employer, state, or family sponsorship
Core requirements
Positive skills assessment, English, at least 65 points, an expression of interest, and an invitation
What to know
Meeting minimum rules may not guarantee an invitation
Duration
Permanent residence from the date the visa is granted.
Renewal / path
Can support Australian citizenship after residence and presence rules are met.

Summary

The Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189), Points-tested stream, is a permanent visa for invited skilled workers who do not need employer, state or family sponsorship. The process begins with an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

The legal minimum is 65 points, but 65 does not guarantee an invitation. Home Affairs ranks EOIs, limits invitations by program needs and occupation, and publishes results from its invitation rounds. In the 4 June 2026 round, minimum invited scores varied significantly by occupation.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

At invitation, the applicant generally must:

Points can come from age, English, skilled employment, qualifications, Australian study, regional study, a professional year, credentialled community language, partner qualifications or being single/having an Australian citizen or permanent-resident partner.

An EOI is not a visa application and normally remains active for up to 2 years. There is no fee to submit it. If invited, the applicant has 60 calendar days to apply and must prove the points score stated in the invitation. Turning 45 after invitation does not prevent lodgment, but turning 45 before invitation does.

The skills assessment generally must have been obtained within 3 years before invitation unless its own validity period is shorter. English and other time-limited evidence must also be valid at the legally relevant date.

Health, character, identity and family-member requirements are assessed with the visa application. Home Affairs can refuse if the evidence does not support the EOI claims, even where the true score still appears to be 65.

What This Route Allows

Subclass 189 grants permanent residence. The holder can live, work and study anywhere in Australia without an employer or state nomination condition, enroll in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives, and later apply for citizenship if eligible.

The visa has an initial 5-year travel facility. After that expires, a permanent resident generally needs a Resident Return visa to re-enter after travel unless they have become a citizen.

What This Route Is Not

An EOI is not an application, does not grant a bridging visa and does not make the person lawfully present in Australia. Anyone in Australia must maintain separate valid status while waiting.

The 65-point threshold is not an invitation score. Depending on the occupation and round, successful EOIs may need many more points. Nor is a high score enough if the occupation receives no invitations in a round.

SkillSelect's indicative score is not final. The visa applicant must provide records for employment dates, English results, qualifications, partner status and every claimed category. Overclaiming can cause refusal and may raise false-information consequences.

Next Steps

  1. Identify the precise occupation and assessing authority from the current Home Affairs list.
  2. Obtain a suitable skills assessment and valid English result before relying on the EOI score.
  3. Calculate points conservatively using dates and documents, not job-title assumptions.
  4. Submit an EOI in SkillSelect and update it before invitation whenever employment, English, qualifications or family status changes.
  5. Monitor official invitation-round results for the occupation and consider 190, 491 or employer sponsorship where appropriate.
  6. If invited, verify every claimed point before accepting and lodge within 60 days.
  7. Maintain separate lawful status; an EOI gives no bridging visa.
Compare your options

Similar skilled worker pathways in Australia.

Sources