Subclass 189
Skilled Independent visa
Permanent residence from grant. No employer sponsor, no state nomination, no family sponsorship. The 189 is the most independent of Australia's skilled visas and the most competitive.
The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa is the only points-tested permanent residence visa within Australia's General Skilled Migration program that does not require sponsorship of any kind. The 2025-26 Migration Program allocates 16,900 places to the 189, a substantial reduction from earlier program years and reflective of a long-term policy shift toward state-nominated and employer-sponsored pathways.
That reduction matters. With fewer places available and an unchanged volume of skilled applicants, the 189 has become the most competitive of the skilled visas. Cut-off scores in priority professional occupations regularly exceed 90 points. A successful 189 application requires more than meeting the criteria. It requires positioning a profile to be selected from a competitive pool.
Eligibility criteria
Age
You must be under 45 at the time of invitation. There is no age waiver.
Nominated occupation
Your occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, under ANZSCO 2013. The STSOL and ROL are not eligible for the 189.
Skills assessment
You must hold a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. The assessment must be valid at the time of invitation.
English proficiency
Competent English at minimum, IELTS 6 across each component or equivalent. Proficient English (IELTS 7) attracts 10 points and Superior English (IELTS 8) attracts 20 points. English is one of the most cost-effective points categories.
Points
Minimum 65 points to lodge an EOI. The competitive cut-off is set by the Department in each invitation round and varies by occupation tier. Points are awarded for age, English, qualifications, work experience, partner skills, regional study, NAATI accreditation, and other criteria.
Health and character
All applicants and family members must meet health and character requirements. Police certificates from each country of residence for 12 months or more in the last 10 years are required.
The four-tier occupation model
From the 2025-26 program year, the Department applies a tiered occupation prioritisation model to 189 invitation rounds. Occupation tiers are determined by labour market analysis and reflect Australia's strategic skills priorities. Higher-tier occupations receive larger invitation allocations; lower-tier occupations receive smaller allocations even where applicants hold high points.
The practical consequence is that points alone no longer determine outcomes. An applicant with 85 points in a Tier 1 occupation may receive an invitation ahead of an applicant with 95 points in a Tier 4 occupation. Strategy under this model requires understanding both your points position and your occupation's tier.
Where 189 prospects are weak for an occupation, state nomination through the 190 or 491, using state-specific occupation lists that often include the same occupation, may be a faster and more realistic pathway.
Invitation rounds and timing
For the 2025-26 program year, the Department moved to quarterly 189 invitation rounds and announced round dates in advance, a departure from the previous monthly, unannounced cadence. The first round of the 2025-26 year was held on 13 November 2025.
Quarterly rounds change the strategic calculus. EOIs accumulate between rounds, increasing competition at each round. Date of effect, the date your EOI first reached its current points score, breaks ties between applicants on identical scores. An EOI lodged or upgraded earlier has a structural advantage when scores converge.
For most applicants, the EOI strategy is to maximise points before lodgement and lodge as early as possible. Updating an EOI to claim more points after the original lodgement resets the date of effect for those new points only.
Discuss your 189 prospects with an immigration lawyer
We assess your points position, your occupation tier, the realistic invitation cut-off, and the alternative pathways if 189 prospects are marginal.
Book a consultationIf your 189 is refused
Refusal is uncommon for properly prepared 189 applications, but it occurs. The most frequent grounds are incorrect points claims (overclaimed work experience, misapplied skills assessment, partner skills that do not meet requirements), occupation issues (the nominated occupation does not match the actual duties), and identity or character concerns.
Merits review to the Administrative Review Tribunal is available within 21 days of an onshore decision. The Tribunal reviews the matter de novo. Judicial review to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is available within 35 days on grounds of jurisdictional error. Time limits are strict and missing them ends review rights.
We assess the refusal reasons, the strength of review, and the strategic alternative of restructuring the application under a different pathway. The right answer is not always to seek review.
Common questions
What is the minimum points score for the 189?
Which occupation list applies to the 189?
Do I need a job offer for the 189?
How does the invitation process work?
What happens if my application is refused?
Can I include family in my 189 application?
Information current as at 30 April 2026. The Department of Home Affairs publishes the current MLTSSL, invitation round results, and 189 program settings at homeaffairs.gov.au. Confirm current settings before lodging an Expression of Interest.