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Australian visas,
from the official source.

Search any visa by name or subclass. Each page sums up the visa and links to the Home Affairs page it comes from.

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Skilled visas: 189, 190 and 491

Your skilled visa path in four steps

General information from official sources. Save results to your notebook and follow changes in My visa plan.

  1. Check your occupation

    See which lists include it, its assessing authority, which states can nominate it and past SkillSelect minimum points.

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  2. Check your English level

    Turn IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or other scores into Competent, Proficient or Superior English.

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  3. Work out your points

    An indicative score for subclasses 189, 190 and 491 from the Home Affairs points tables.

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  4. See which states nominate

    Each state's 2026-27 program for 190 and 491, its occupation list, rounds and regional areas.

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Start here

Where to start

Each page has a short summary and a link to the government page with the full details.

Visa basics

Every visa by name and subclass: what it lets you do, its main requirements and streams, the processing times and charges Home Affairs publishes, and the official page.

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Reference library

Occupation lists, Home Affairs forms, assessing authorities, labour agreements and CRICOS courses, with a link to each source.

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Study in Australia

Search courses, save a shortlist and read about student and graduate visas.

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Processing times

How long Home Affairs took to decide recent applications for each visa, from its published figures.

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Visa Rooms

Active rooms

See all rooms

Reference library

Official sources by topic

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Official forms

Commonly used forms

All departmental forms

Visa news

What changed this week

15 updates published in the last 7 days, each checked against the official source. Open an item to read it in full.

All visa news
Updated version

Subclass 191

Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (191) applications. Now processing applications lodged in or before • March 2026: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • March 2026: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • January 2026: all other applicants outside Australia Also note You must provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three income years out of the five years of your eligible visa. If you or a family member owes money to the ATO, provide evidence it is repaid or that a payment plan is in place, to avoid delays. Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 3 November 2026 (onshore queue moved from February to March 2026) Where to check These months change often. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source
Updated version

Subclass 491

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Skilled Work Regional (491) applications. Now processing applications lodged in or before • June 2025: priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence) • March 2025: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • February 2025: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • February 2025: all other applicants outside Australia Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 2 November 2026 Where to check These months change often. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source
Updated version

Subclass 186

Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Employer Nomination Scheme (186) applications. Now processing applications lodged in • November 2025: priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence) • March 2025: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • November 2024: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • July 2024: all other applicants outside Australia Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 2 November 2026 Where to check These months change often. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source
Updated version

Subclass 189

Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Skilled Independent (189) applications. Now processing applications lodged in or before • October 2026: priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence) • June 2026: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • December 2025: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • December 2025: all other applicants outside Australia Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 2 November 2026 Where to check These months change often. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source
Updated version

Subclass 482

Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Skills in Demand (482) applications. Now processing applications lodged in • June 2026: priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence) • July 2026: Specialist Skills stream • January 2026: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • October 2025: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • October 2025: all other applicants outside Australia Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 121, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 2 November 2026 Where to check These months change often. Home Affairs says they may move while applications are reprioritised. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source
Updated version

Subclass 494

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa: processing update

In short: this is how far Home Affairs has got with Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) applications. Now processing applications lodged in • December 2025: priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence) • September 2025: applicants who were in Australia when they applied • September 2025: applicants outside Australia (not combined with another application) • October 2025: all other applicants outside Australia Key dates • Processing order: Ministerial Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026 • Queue shown by Home Affairs on: 2 November 2026 Where to check These months change often. Check the official visa page linked below. This is general information, not migration advice.

Read updateRead official source

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About YourVisaSite

  • YourVisaSite is an independent service. It is not part of the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Government.
  • No lawyer or registered migration agent reviews the content on this site.
  • It gives general information only. It does not check whether you are eligible or give migration advice.