Do you have strong skills and proven expertise in a specific field? Do you also wish to work in Australia by fully optimizing your skills? If this applies to you, the Skilled Independent Visa offered by the Department of Home Affairs allows you to live and work permanently in Australia. This visa helps skilled professionals use their experience and qualifications gained in their home country to settle in Australia.
In simple terms, the Skilled Independent Visa follows a points-based system. Applicants must score at least 65 points to qualify. In many cases, applicants also need a nomination from an Australian state or territory. The applicant must be under 45 years of age at the time of application. They must also meet health and character requirements.
A good level of English language proficiency is mandatory. Once the applicant meets all conditions, they qualify for the Skilled Independent Visa. To meet the needs of different applicants, the Australian Department of Home Affairs has introduced the following visa categories.
Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
The 189 Skilled Visa is a permanent visa type that allows an individual to live in Australia permanently and study or work in Australia if they qualify under the Australian skills assessment framework. With the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189, you will receive a travel component that allows you to travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years. The visa subclass 189 will enable you to sponsor your relatives to Australia. With the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa, you can stay indefinitely in Australia.
With a visa subclass 189, you are also eligible for permanent residency in Australia. You can also add your family members to your visa application for subclass 189. The 189 skilled visa allows you to enrol in any of Australia’s health care schemes. ISA Migrations and Education Consultants are experts with all the required knowledge about the visa subclass 189. They can help you understand this visa as best as possible and guide you in getting one for yourself.
What does this visa let you do?
The 189 skilled visa is a permanent visa type that entitles certain 189 visa applicants to certain benefits. The privileges provided by the visa subclass are:
- With the subclass 189 visa, you may stay in Australia for an indefinite period and travel to and from Australia for a period of 5 years as many times as you want.
- With the visa subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, you become a permanent resident of Australia.
- You can also enrol in any of Australia’s health care schemes.
- This visa subclass entitles you to sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia.
Requirements of Visa Subclass 189
The Australia subclass 189 visa provides permanent residency to individuals who obtain it. You must fulfil specific Subclass 189 visa requirements to access the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189).
- To qualify for this visa, you must have a skill or occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List for this visa subclass.
- You should be competent with the English language requirement and must satisfy the English score test.
- You and any family members applying with you must meet the health and character requirements for Visa Subclass 189.
- You must not have any outstanding debts from the Australian government.
- Your previous visa applications or visas must not have been rejected or cancelled.
English Requirements For Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
The 189 visa requirements include specific English language requirements that are compulsory for you, and you must satisfy them unless you have a valid passport and are a citizen of Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland. The required criteria for the English language are:
| Test | Required Score |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | At least 6 for each of the 4 components |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | At least 50 points for each of the 4 components |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
Eligibility Criteria For The Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
The Skilled Independent Subclass 189 visa cannot be gained by anyone who wants it. The 189 Skilled visa has a few defined eligibility criteria for applying for this visa subclass. The eligibility requirements are:
- You must have been invited to apply for the visa subclass 189, and you will have to submit an expression of interest to make your intentions clear about applying for the visa subclass 189.
- Your nominator should be a State Government agency or any Australian territory for the visa subclass 189. You may apply for this visa only if you have been nominated in accordance with the guidelines.
- While you are invited to apply, you should be less than 45 years of age.
- You must declare that you possess suitable skills as per the Australian Skills Assessment Authority while making an application for the Skilled Independent Visa subclass 189.
- You will have to pass the English eligibility criteria and must be competent with the required level of English language.
- You must score at least 65 points in your Expression of Interest submitted by you to be eligible for visa subclass 189.
Checklist For 189 Skilled Independent Visa
The Australian subclass 189 visa has specific eligibility criteria and requirements that should be considered when applying. You may have a 189 visa checklist before you apply for the visa application:
- You must apply within 60 calendar days from the date you receive the invitation.
- You should be more than 18 years of age and less than 45 years of age when you receive the invitation for this visa subclass.
- You must satisfy the English competency requirement in accordance with the subclass 189 visa.
- The Points Tested Stream score achieved by you should be at least 65 or more in the Expression of Interest, so that you can get the visa subclass 189.
- The health and character requirements must be complied with by you.
- You must have cleared all the outstanding debts from the Australian government, if any.
Processing Time of Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
The skilled Independent visa Subclass 189 is a permanent visa type that considers many factors when deciding whether to grant a visa to each individual. The 189 Visa Australia Processing time generally is:
| 75% applications are processed in | 7 months |
| 90% applications are processed in | 8 months |
Seek help and guidance from our Migration Agent Australia to get faster access to the visa subclass 189.
FAQs Regarding Subclass 189
What is a Skilled Independent Visa?
The Skilled Independent visa subclass 189 is a permanent visa that allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely and includes a travel component that permits you to travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of visa grant.
How are visa subclasses 189 and 190 different?
There is a very slight difference between the 2 visa subclasses. Visa subclass 190 requires sponsorship from a State or Territory Government, while visa subclass 189 is an Independent visa type.
What is the required processing time for a subclass 189 visa?
Generally, the visa subclass 189 is processed in 7 months for 75% applications and 8 months for 90% of applications. Seek help from Expert Agent Australia to get yours as soon as possible.
Where can I apply for subclass 189 from?
While applying for the subclass 189 visa, you may be inside or outside Australia, but while your application is under immigration clearance, you should be outside Australia.
What is an Expression of Interest?
Expression of Interest is also known as EOI in short. It is a document in which the applicant expresses their intention to apply for a Skilled Visa category and achieves the required points under the points test stream to be eligible for the Visa subclass 189.
What is the cost of a Visa Subclass 189?
The visa application form costs AUD 4045 for the visa subclass 189, exclusive of any applicable biometric, police certificate, or health checkup charges.
