Skilled Independent Visa 189
189 Visa Australia
Skilled Independent Visa 189 Points Tested Stream
This visa lets invited workers with skills we need live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
Stay: Permanently
Processing times:
- 75% of applications: 6 months
- 90% of applications: 17 months
- you must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- you must have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- you must be invited to apply for this visa
- you must satisfy the points test
With this visa, you can
- work and study anywhere in Australia
- sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- if eligible, become an Australian citizen
You must
- have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- be invited to apply for this visa
- satisfy the points test
With this visa, you can
- stay in Australia permanently
- work and study in Australia
- enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
- sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
- travel to and from Australia for 5 years
- if eligible, become an Australian citizen
Newly arrived residents may have to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits.
How long you can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa.
For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day:
- we grant the visa if you are in Australia
- you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia
Include family
You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:
- include them when you lodge your visa application
- add them after you lodge your application but before we decide on your visa.
Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.
If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application, but not in immigration clearance.
If you apply in Australia, you must hold a substantive or a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, a subclass 020 Bridging B visa or a subclass 030 Bridging C visa, otherwise your application will not be processed.
Processing times
We assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
- for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration program
Travel
You can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant the visa. After 5 years you will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
Be invited to apply
You can only apply for this visa if we invite you to.
Submit an expression of interest (EOI) to let us know you would like to apply for the visa.
After you have submitted an EOI, you will be ranked against other intending applicants and might be invited to apply for the visa.
Invitations are issued regularly through SkillSelect.
Have a suitable skills assessment
For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation.
You will need to provide a copy of this skills assessment with your application.
For medical and legal practitioners, we also accept the following as proof of a skills assessment:
- full or unconditional or general medical registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
- conditional specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This only allows you to practice in your speciality. You need no further training or supervision
- admission to practice law in the relevant state or territory
Your skills assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed.
If your skills were assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.
Be this age
You must be aged under 45 when we invite you to apply for the visa.
You can still apply for the visa if you turn 45 after we invite you to apply.
If you turn 45 after you submit your EOI but before we invite you to apply, you will not be invited to apply.
Be able to score 65 points or more
This is a points-tested visa.
When you submit your EOI in SkillSelect you will be given an indicative points score based on the claims you have made. If you do not obtain a score of 65 points you will not be invited to apply for this visa.
If we do invite you to apply for the visa, your invitation will state the number of points that you must score when we assess your application for grant of the visa (this score may be higher than 65 points, depending on your claims in the EOI).
When you lodge your application you must provide evidence supporting your claims.
To calculate how many points you may score use the points calculator.
Have this level of English language
At the time of invitation, you must have at least competent English.
Meet the skills requirement
Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) Point-Tested stream.
Meet our health requirement
You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.
If requested, family members not accompanying you to Australia might also need to meet our health requirement.
Meet our character requirement
You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.
Family members not accompanying you to Australia must also meet the character requirement.
Have paid back your debt to the Australian government
If you or any family members (including those who do not apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.
Sign the Australian values statement
If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:
- have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
- confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.
Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.
Read And Associates offer Professional Guidance
Here at Read and Associates our team of migration agents can provide you with the appropriate guidance and advice which will help you put forth the best visa application possible. Specialising in applications for medical professionals, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work with you. Book a consultation to find out more.
