Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent visa

Eligibility snapshot

In general terms: an occupation on the relevant skilled list with a positive skills assessment, age under the published limit at invitation, competent-or-better English, and enough points (age, English, experience, qualifications and more) to receive an invitation. Invitation rounds and point cut-offs move with government planning levels. General information only.

Frequently asked questions

Health and character requirements

This is a permanent skilled visa, and most applicants are generally asked to meet the health requirement before a decision is made. Family members included in the application usually need to meet it too, and in some cases relatives who are not migrating may also be assessed. Applicants may be asked to undergo health examinations, which are reviewed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth. The health requirement generally looks at whether a person is free from a disease or condition that would be a significant cost to Australia's healthcare and community services, or that would limit other people's access to services already in short supply. When forming this view, the assessing officer considers the medical condition itself, not personal circumstances such as whether the applicant has private insurance or the means to pay for treatment. Applicants are also generally required to meet the character requirements, which are set out under section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. This normally includes declaring any criminal charges or convictions in any country, answering all questions truthfully, and providing the information requested. After an application is lodged, the department may ask for supporting character documents such as a police certificate, Form 80, or a statement of character. Health and character checks are among the factors that can affect how long an application takes to decide.

Health cover and Medicare

Because this is a permanent visa, people granted the visa generally become eligible to enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme. Official guidance notes that Medicare eligibility is generally restricted to people permanently residing in Australia, and covers Australian citizens, permanent visa holders, New Zealand citizens, and, in certain circumstances, applicants for permanent residence visas. For this reason, the overseas health products aimed at temporary entrants, Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), are generally directed at people on temporary visas who do not have Medicare access, rather than at permanent skilled applicants. OSHC is a condition for most student visas, and OVHC is commonly used by applicants for certain temporary working visas. The government notes that visa holders are financially responsible for any health care debts they incur in Australia, and that people without Medicare access are generally treated as private patients who can face the full cost of treatment. Some visas make adequate health insurance a condition of grant. Separately, people from countries that have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia may be eligible for some medical care under Medicare while in Australia; details are published by Services Australia.

Visa Application Charge and other departmental costs

The main government charge for this visa, the Visa Application Charge, is generally from AUD6,135.00 for the primary applicant, with concessions applying only in limited circumstances. There is also a separate charge for each family member who applies together with the main applicant. A second instalment charge can apply to any applicant aged 18 or older who has less than functional English. The department asks for this only when it intends to grant the visa; the published second instalment amount for a family member is AUD4,885.00. Beyond the Visa Application Charge, applicants are generally advised they may need to pay other costs, for example for health examinations, police certificates and biometrics. The department's Visa Pricing Estimator covers the base charge only and does not include the second instalment or these other costs. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost is set to apply to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders and their family members. These government charges are separate from, and should not be confused with, any fee charged by a migration agent or an independent service.

Visa validity, travel and processing

This is a permanent visa, so it generally lets the holder stay in Australia indefinitely. The holder becomes a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. For citizenship purposes, permanent residence is generally counted from the day the visa is granted for someone who is in Australia, or from the day they first enter Australia on the visa for someone who is outside Australia. The visa includes a travel component that allows travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant. After that five-year travel period ends, a permanent resident who wants to re-enter Australia generally needs a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157). Processing times vary from case to case. Rather than a fixed figure, the department publishes indicative times through its visa processing time guide tool, and notes that factors such as a complete application and the time taken for health, character and national security checks can affect how long a decision takes. The subclass 189 New Zealand stream permanently closed to new applications on 1 July 2023. For the points-tested stream, applicants generally need to be invited to apply and to be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation.

Visa conditions that may apply

The subclass 189 is a permanent visa, so it does not carry the ongoing work, study or stay restrictions that attach to many temporary visas. Holders can generally live, work and study in Australia without the time-limited conditions found on temporary visas. Under the Migration Regulations, if the visa is granted while the applicant is outside Australia, an initial entry requirement applies: the holder must make their first entry to Australia before a date set by the Department and shown on the visa grant letter. The visa also carries a travel component that operates for five years from the date of grant (see the family and after-grant section for how this works). The exact terms recorded against any particular grant are set out on the visa grant notification, and holders can check the details and any conditions of their visa online through VEVO. Applicants are generally advised to read the grant notice carefully, because it records the terms that apply to them. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Who this visa is for and how eligibility is assessed

The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is a permanent visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer, a state or territory, or a family member. The Migration Regulations provide three streams: the Points-tested stream for invited skilled workers, the New Zealand stream, and the Hong Kong stream. The New Zealand stream permanently closed to new applications on 1 July 2023. The Hong Kong stream is open only to Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport holders who meet defined visa and residence requirements — broadly, certain holders of an eligible subclass 457, 482 or 485 visa (granted on the primary criteria) who have been usually resident in Australia for four years. Most new applicants proceed through the Points-tested stream. For the Points-tested stream, applicants generally first submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect and can be considered only after the Department issues a written invitation to apply. Other factors generally assessed include age (applicants are generally required to be aged under 45 when the invitation is issued) and English language ability (at least competent English at the time of invitation). Applicants generally need a nominated occupation on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations and a suitable skills assessment for that occupation. The points test is central. Applicants are scored on factors such as age, English level, skilled employment and qualifications. The Department indicates a minimum of 65 points is generally needed, and an invitation states the specific score an applicant must reach when the application is assessed, which can be higher than 65. Health, character and other public-interest criteria generally must also be met by the applicant and, in most cases, by accompanying family members. These are general criteria only. Whether any particular person meets them depends on their individual circumstances at the relevant time and is determined by the Department, not by this page. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Including family and what the visa allows after grant

An applicant can generally include members of their family unit in the one combined application. This typically covers a spouse or de facto partner and dependent children who meet the regulations' definition of a member of the family unit. Included family members apply with the main applicant and must meet the health and character requirements. Family members can generally be included when the application is lodged, or added after lodgement but before the Department decides the application. The subclass 189 is a permanent residence visa. Once granted, holders can generally live, work and study anywhere in Australia on an ongoing basis, may sponsor eligible relatives, and can enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health scheme, through Services Australia. The visa includes a travel facility allowing the holder to travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant. To re-enter as a permanent resident after that period, holders generally need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157). Permanent residence can also lead toward Australian citizenship if the separate residence and other requirements are met later. Permanent residents still have obligations, including obeying Australian law and holding a valid travel facility if they intend to travel overseas and return. Permanent residence is not the same as citizenship. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Common refusal reasons and review at the Tribunal

Applications of this type can be refused where the criteria are not met. Common factual grounds include a skills assessment that was not suitable or valid at the relevant time, claimed points that could not be substantiated (for example, work experience or qualifications that were not accepted), not meeting the English requirement, or being over the age limit when the invitation was issued. Refusals also occur on public-interest grounds such as health or character, and where false or misleading information or bogus documents are identified. Not providing requested documents within the time allowed can also lead to refusal. If a decision is unfavourable, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). At merits review, an independent tribunal re-examines the decision and can, depending on the case, affirm or vary the decision, set it aside and substitute a new decision, or remit the matter to the Department. Strict time limits apply. The period for applying is stated in the Department's decision letter. An extension of time can be requested in some circumstances, but the Tribunal cannot extend every time limit, so the stated period should be treated as critical. An application fee is generally payable for migration reviews, with fee-reduction options in some cases, and part of the fee may be refunded — for example, where the reviewed decision is set aside, varied or remitted. This is a neutral description of the process only. It is not a prediction of any outcome and does not indicate whether review would be available or successful in any particular case. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Cost breakdown: the government Visa Application Charge

The main government cost is the Visa Application Charge (VAC), set under the Migration Regulations. For the Points-tested stream, the Department publishes the base application charge (the first instalment, payable when the application is made) as AUD 6,135 for the main applicant. Lower charges apply in limited circumstances, and from 1 July 2026 a concessional cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders. An additional applicant charge also applies for each family member included in the same application, charged at a higher rate for applicants aged 18 and over and a lower rate for those under 18. The Department directs applicants to its Visa Pricing Estimator for the current amounts rather than publishing a single fixed figure on the visa page. A second instalment can also apply before the visa is granted. It is charged for an applicant aged 18 or older who is assessed as not having functional English; the Department publishes this as AUD 4,885 for a family member in that situation, and it is nil for applicants who have functional English. It is only payable if the Department asks for it before deciding to grant the visa. The VAC amount generally depends on the charges in effect when the Department receives the application, so a fee change beforehand can affect the amount payable. Paying by card can also attract a payment surcharge. Applicants usually meet other separate costs that are not part of the VAC, such as a skills assessment, English language testing, health examinations, police certificates and biometrics. These vary by provider and country. All of the above are government or third-party costs. Any service or platform fee charged by a migration practitioner or a website is separate from, and additional to, the government Visa Application Charge. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.