Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) provides a chance to work and live in Australia permanently from the very first day. This visa stream does not require any job offer or nomination upfront and the applicants can be assessed on their skills, work experience, and language proficiency basis.
Subclass 189 is points-based and the candidate has to score 65 minimum to be able to be invited to apply for permanent residency in Australia. Thousands of international professionals reach Australia by having direct PR status from the very first day of landing in Australia. Here you will find all possible information that can surely help you to apply for Australia PR.
What is meant by Permanent Residency of Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189?
PR is the status of third-country residents in a certain country where they live and work permanently after having passed their minimum 4 to 5 years (for example in Germany PR getting time is almost 4 years in most work visas), whereas Australia and Canada offer this status from the very first day you land in these countries provided you have professional skills they lack for.
So in your case, if you are qualified enough as per the temporary shortage occupation list of Australia, and then are invited to apply by the Australian government and score a minimum of 65 points for attributes, then congratulations, you can hold Permanent Resident status from the very first day you enter Australia.
Key features
- The visa is called a Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) points-based stream.
- Your visa status will be permanent.
- Processing time differs for each applicant but generally, it is for 75% of applications 7 months and 90% of applications 8 months.
- You do not need a sponsor to apply.
- You must be under 45 years of age.
- You can work and study anywhere in Australia
- You can sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- You can also apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
- You must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- You have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation (different requirements for different sectors)
Visa Cost
The visa processing fees for this visa are on the higher side as compared with other visa categories. Since it is for direct PR status, so many consider it still reasonable. Currently, the Australian government is charging:
- AUD 4,640 for the main applicant
- 18+ one family member AUD2,320.00
- Under 18 one applicant AUD1,160.00.
- You might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English (for example 4.0 band score in each module of IELTS). This charge is the second installment and is 4,885. Pay it only when you are asked to do so as so will be asked for this only when you are granted the visa.
- Additionally, you might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates, and biometrics.
How does the application process work?
The process is simplified and lets you apply and get a positive response before paying the fees. The following are the main steps:
- Check your eligibility if you are able to apply. You must score 65 for attributes (age, skilled employment, English language skills, qualification, Australian study, and specialized education from Australia) to apply.
- Submit an expression of interest (EOI) through skill selection.
- Once you get an invitation to apply from Skillsselect, apply for the visa within 60 days.
- Get the visa and travel to Australia.
Points calculation
You must score a minimum of 65 to apply for PR of Australia. If you apply with less than this score, you will not get an invitation to apply. You must calculate your score in the following way:
1- Age factor
You must be under 45 years of age when you apply for the visa. If you turn 45 during the time period your visa application is under process, you will still be given points for your age. You can calculate your age points as under:
| Age | Points |
| 18-24 years | 25 |
| 25-32 years | 30 |
| 33-39 years | 25 |
| 40-44 years | 15 |
|---|
2- Qualification
For the qualifications you claim points, you must have proof and have completed it. The authority undertaking your skills assessment may determine if your qualifications are comparable to the relevant Australian qualification.
| Qualifications | Points |
|---|---|
| A Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution or a Doctorate from another educational institution | 20 |
| A Bachelor’s degree from an Australian educational institution or a Bachelor’s qualification, from another educational institution | 15 |
| A diploma or trade qualification completed in Australia | 10 |
| An award or qualification the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation recognizes. | 10 |
Furthermore, medical doctors are not able to claim points for a doctorate – that is Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. – unless you have completed this type of qualification. You may calculate your points as under:
3- English language skills
| English | Points |
|---|---|
| Competent English | 0 |
| Proficient English | 10 |
| Superior English | 20 |
Complete the information table of eligible English tests against their levels:
| Test Name | Competent English | Proficient English | Superior English |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | 6 for each of the 4 modules | 7 for each of the 4 test modules | 8 for each of the 4 test modules |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing, and 18 for speaking | 24 for listening, 24 for reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking | 28 for listening, 29 for reading, 30 for writing, and 26 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | 50 for each of the 4 components | 65 for each of the 4 test components | 79 for each of the 4 test components |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | B for each of the 4 components | B for each of the 4 test components | A for each of the 4 test components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | 169 in each of the 4 components | 185 in each of the 4 test components | 200 in each of the 4 test components |
4- Work experience (skilled experience)
You must show that you have skilled experience outside Australia to claim points as under:
| Number of years | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 years | 0 |
| 3-4 years | 5 |
| 5-7 years | 10 |
| 8-10 years | 15 |
Skilled experience inside Australia
| Number of years | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 0 |
| 1-2 years | 5 |
| 3-4 years | 10 |
| 5-7 years | 15 |
| 8-10 years | 20 |
5- Australian study requirement
You can claim 5 extra points if you have at least 1 degree, diploma, or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution.
6- A specialist education requirement
You can also score 5 more points if you have a Master’s degree in research or a Doctorate from an Australian educational institution that includes at least 2 academic years in a relevant field.
Next steps
Calculate points as per the above-mentioned criteria, and if you score 65 overall minimum, you hold the minimum eligibility criteria to apply. Follow these further steps to move forward:
Get qualification assessment
You should get a qualification assessment from relevant assessment authorities. These assessments are valid for 3 years. Afterward, you must apply for a new assessment. Click here to read about all relevant assessment bodies.
Temporary shortage occupation list
You must make sure that you are professional, which is in demand in the Australian shortage occupation list. If not, you cannot apply for a skilled independent visa subclass 189. Click here to check the temporary shortage occupation list.
Get an invitation to apply
You must get an invitation to apply for a visa. Without this invitation, you cannot apply for a visa. You can get an invitation by submitting an expression of interest.
Expression of interest
Please note if you are invited to apply after submitting an expression of interest to Skill Select, this does not mean a visa. This simply means an invitation to apply for a visa. There are no fees for this invitation. You must apply for a visa straightaway after getting an invitation to apply. You can submit your expression of interest by clicking here.
Meet health requirements
You must meet standard health requirements to submit your visa application. This will be in the form of a certificate from an authorized panel of doctors. You can learn more about that here.
Character requirement
You must also prove that you hold no substantial criminal record and have good general behavior. Additionally, you will have to provide a police certificate at the time of your visa application. Know here more about character requirements.
Apply for the visa online in ImmiAccount
After completion of all the above steps, you can now apply for the visa online. Here are the details of how to do that:
Log into your SkillSelect account. In SkillSelect, click on the ‘Apply for visa’ button. This will take you to our online system, ImmiAccount.
Log in or create an ImmiAccount. Your ImmiAccount login and password will not be the same as your SkillSelect login and password.
- You must attach your documents
- You will have to pay the visa application charge.
- You must not forget to note your transaction reference number (TRN).
Visa application results
As a result of the visa application, you might be given a visa to travel to Australia. If your visa application is refused, you might be able to have a decision review. However, in each case, your visa application will not be refunded.