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.

Book a consultation See the eligibility criteria

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 2026-27 Migration Program plans 21,090 places for the Skilled Independent category, up from 16,900 in 2025-26, while state and territory nominated and employer sponsored pathways remain the larger share of the skilled program.

More places do not mean an easy invitation. The Department issued no 189 invitations from July to September 2026 and held its first 2026-27 round on 15 October 2026; the Department had not published that round's results when this page was checked. Migration agencies reported clients invited from 65 points, including in construction trades. In the last round of 2025-26, on 4 June 2026, it invited 10,000 Expressions of Interest, with minimum scores from 65 to 100 points depending on the occupation. An invitation depends on more than meeting the criteria: it depends on how a profile ranks against the other candidates in the same occupation.

Latest invitation round data

Checked on 22-10-2026 against Home Affairs SkillSelect.

First 189 round of 2026-27: Held on 15 October 2026; Official results not yet published. Migration agencies reported clients invited from 65 points in construction trades, and several trades and science occupations at 70 points against June minimums of 80.
Previous 189 round: 10,000 invitations on 4 June 2026
189 places planned for 2026-27: 21,090

Read the full analysis: the 15 October 2026 189 round and what invited applicants must do All invitation rounds Received an invitation? Book a consultation

Eligibility criteria

Age

You must be under 45 when the Department invites you to apply. If you turn 45 after you submit your EOI but before an invitation, you will not be invited. Turning 45 after the invitation does not prevent you from applying.

Nominated occupation

Your occupation must be on the list of eligible skilled occupations for the 189, the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. The STSOL and ROL are not eligible for the 189. Check the Department's current list before lodging an EOI.

Skills assessment

You must have a suitable skills assessment from the assessing authority listed for your nominated occupation. The Department requires the assessment to have been obtained within the 3 years before the invitation (or within any shorter validity period stated on it), and currently also accepts an assessment obtained within the 60-day invitation period.

English proficiency

At least Competent English at the time of invitation. Proficient English attracts 10 points and Superior English attracts 20 points. The test scores that meet each level differ between the accepted English tests; confirm the current scores with the Department of Home Affairs before booking a test. English is one of the most cost-effective points categories.

Points

You must score at least 65 points to be invited. The lowest score invited in each round varies by occupation, and the invitation states the score you must prove when you apply. Points are awarded for age, English, qualifications, work experience, partner skills, regional study, NAATI accreditation, and other criteria. Calculate your points.

Health and character

All applicants and family members must meet health and character requirements. Police certificates are required from each country, Australia included, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

Application charge

A visa application charge applies to the main applicant and to each family member included in the application, and a second instalment applies to any applicant aged 18 or over without functional English. The Department's Visa Pricing Estimator gives the current charges; a lower charge applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. See current visa costs.

How invitations are ranked

The Department ranks Expressions of Interest by points score: a higher score is invited before a lower one. Where scores are equal, the EOI with the earlier date of effect is invited first. Occupation ceilings may also limit the number of invitations issued in each occupation group, and the number of invitations and the occupations included in each round depend on the needs of the Australian economy and the applications already on hand.

The practical consequence is that the score needed differs by occupation. In the 4 June 2026 round, several construction trades, including Carpenter, Bricklayer, Electrician (General) and Plumber (General), were invited at 65 points, most nursing and health occupations at 75 to 85, and some engineering and life sciences occupations at 95, while one occupation required 100. Strategy requires understanding both your points position and the recent cut-offs for your occupation.

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

The Department runs 189 invitation rounds periodically during the program year rather than on a fixed published schedule. In the 2026-27 program year it issued no 189 invitations in July, August or September 2026, and it held its first 2026-27 round on 15 October 2026. Official results for that round had not been published when this page was checked; see our analysis of the 15 October round. The last round of 2025-26 was held on 4 June 2026, when 10,000 Expressions of Interest were invited.

Infrequent rounds change the strategic calculus. EOIs accumulate between rounds, increasing competition at each round. Date of effect, the time your EOI reached its current points score, breaks ties between applicants on identical scores. An EOI that reached its score earlier has a structural advantage when scores converge.

For most applicants, the EOI strategy is to maximise points and submit as early as possible. An EOI can be updated at any time before an invitation, but when an update changes the score, the date of effect becomes the time the EOI reached the new score. An EOI is frozen once an invitation is issued, and the Department will invite the same EOI no more than twice.

Discuss your 189 prospects with an immigration lawyer

We assess your points position, the recent cut-offs for your occupation, and the alternative pathways if 189 prospects are marginal.

Book a consultation

If your 189 is refused

189 applications are refused, and the application charge is not refunded on refusal. Common grounds include 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?

You must score at least 65 points to be invited. Above that, the score needed depends on the round and the occupation: the Department invites the highest-ranked Expressions of Interest first and may limit invitations in each occupation group through occupation ceilings. In the last round of the 2025-26 program year, on 4 June 2026, the minimum score invited ranged from 65 points for several construction trades to 100 points, depending on the occupation. The Department publishes each round's results on its SkillSelect invitation rounds page.

Which occupation list applies to the 189?

The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), specified in the Migration (LIN 19/051) instrument. The Department publishes the current list of eligible skilled occupations for the 189 on its website, and it should be checked before an Expression of Interest is lodged. The Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and Regional Occupation List (ROL) are not eligible for the 189. The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) introduced in December 2024 applies to the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), not to the 189.

Do I need a job offer for the 189?

No. The 189 is the only General Skilled Migration visa that requires no employer sponsorship, no state or territory nomination, and no family sponsorship. A suitable skills assessment for your nominated occupation, at least Competent English, a points score high enough to be reached in an invitation round, and an invitation from the Department are the gateway requirements.

How does the invitation process work?

You lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect with your nominated occupation, points claims, and supporting attributes. The Department runs invitation rounds periodically during the program year. It invites the highest points scores first, breaks ties by date of effect (the time your EOI reached its score), and may limit invitations per occupation group through occupation ceilings. If you receive an invitation, you have 60 days to lodge a visa application, and that period cannot be extended. An invitation can be issued up to two years after the EOI is submitted, and the EOI can be updated at any time before an invitation.

What happens if my application is refused?

A refusal triggers merits review rights to the Administrative Review Tribunal within 21 days for onshore applicants. The Tribunal reviews the matter de novo and can affirm, vary, or set aside the decision. From the Tribunal, judicial review is available to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia within 35 days, on grounds of jurisdictional error. Time limits are strict and missing them ends review rights.

Can I include family in my 189 application?

Yes. Spouses, de facto partners, and dependent children may be included as secondary applicants. Each must meet health and identity requirements, and those aged 16 or over the character requirement. A partner applying for the same visa with at least Competent English adds 5 points, or 10 points where the partner is also under 45 and holds a suitable skills assessment in an occupation on the same list as yours. Partner skills points are often the difference between an EOI that receives an invitation and one that does not.

Information current as at 15 October 2026. The Department of Home Affairs publishes the current list of eligible skilled occupations, invitation round results, visa charges and 189 program settings at homeaffairs.gov.au. Confirm current settings before lodging an Expression of Interest.