Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
The Skilled stream of the Migration Program is designed to attract migrants who make a significant contribution to the Australian economy, and fill positions where no Australian workers are available. Skilled migrants have very high participation rates in the workforce, helping to stimulate economic growth, which results in more jobs.
The Skilled stream also plays an important role in regional development through providing skills and labour which can’t be sourced locally, as well as encouraging investment and promoting local spending in regional areas.
Stay
Permanently
Cost
From AUD4,240
Processing times
- 25% of applications: 34 Days
- 50% of applications: 3 Months
- 75% of applications: 37 Months
- 90% of applications: 45 Months
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
Help with your visa
If you are getting help with your visa, before you pay someone, read information on Who can help with your visa application.
With this visa, you can
- stay in Australia permanently
- work and study in Australia
- enroll 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).
Cost
The visa costs AUD4,240 for the main applicant.
There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.
To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator.
You might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge is the second instalment. Pay it only when we ask you to. We ask for the charge only if we are going to grant the visa.
The second instalment charge for family members is AUD4,885.00.
The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment or other costs. You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
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
- 25% of applications: 34 Days
- 50% of applications: 3 Months
- 75% of applications: 37 Months
- 90% of applications: 45 Months
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.