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Subclass 189 visa lets skilled workers live and work in Australia permanently without sponsorship. Apply now with Search Education migration experts.
The skilled independent visa (subclass 189) is a point-based system that allows skilled workers to live and work permanently in Australia without the need for sponsorship from an employer, a state or territory government, or a family member.
Benefits of this visa:
Step 1: Confirm that your occupation is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
Step 2: Get your skills assessed by an appropriate assessment authority. You must obtain a positive skill assessment for subclass 189.
Step 3: Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect (the Australian Government's online system for skilled migration program).
Step 4: If your EOI is approved, the Department of Home Affairs will send you an invitation to apply for 189 visas, as well as a 60-day deadline to submit your application.
Step 5: Gather all the required documents and apply for the visa.
| Description | Amount (AUD) |
| SI189 Skilled Independent Points-tested | 4,910.00 |
| Additional Applicant Charge (18+) | 2,455.00 |
| Additional Applicant Charge (Under 18) | 1,230.00 |
| GST | 0.00 |
| Total | 8,595.00 |
The processing time for 189 visas varies depending upon the various factors, including application volume, individual circumstances, or new updates in immigration policies:
However:
The processing time would take additional time if you missed any information or failed to fulfil our requirements.
Yes, you can add your family members on your 189-visa application if they meet eligibility criteria. Please note that you can only include your partner or spouse, and dependent children in your visa application. The primary applicant parent isn’t considered a member of the family unit by the Australian Department. As a result, you can’t include your parents in your 189-visa application except for your dependent children or spouse.
Yes, you must provide a positive skill assessment before applying for this visa. You may need to have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority to qualify for Skilled Independent Visa.
Yes, you can travel in and out of Australia for five years from the date your 189 visa is granted. But after five years, if you want to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident, you must apply for Resident Return Visa (subclass 155 or 157).
Yes, you can either apply from overseas countries, or you can apply within Australia. However, if you are applying from Australia, you must either hold a substantive visa or Bridging A, B or C, otherwise your application will not be processed by Department of Home Affairs.
For an Australia189 visa, 70 points would be sufficient. However, if your occupation belongs to a competitive field like IT, accounting, or engineering, you must score higher to stay ahead. The more points you score, the higher the chance to get invited to apply for the Australia 189 visa.
Yes, IELTS is the most common requirement for the Australia 189 visa. However, IELTS is not the only option to showcase your English language proficiency. Several other IELTS alternatives are also available, such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and Cambridge. If you are selecting IELTS, then you must score at least 6.0 in overall bands to be able to apply for this visa.
The rejection rate is around 30%, and the success rate is around 70% for visa 189 Australia. The rejection rate is probably failing to meet the eligibility criteria or missing or improper documents. You have to fulfil these requirements for a successful visa rate for the visa 189.
The Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189 visa) is generally targeted for highly skilled workers from overseas countries to fill the skill shortages in the Australian workplace industry. This means you don’t need a sponsor from an Australian employer, a family member, or the Australian state or territory government.
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