Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190): points-tested permanent residence

Eligibility requirements

• Nominate an occupation on the skilled occupation list specified for the subclass and obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation. The assessment must be current at invitation.
• Score at least 65 points on the Schedule 6D test and be under 45 at the time of invitation. Points are awarded for age, English, skilled employment inside and outside Australia, qualifications, specialist (research) education, Australian study, a professional year, a credentialled community language, regional study, partner skills (or being single), and nomination.
• Hold at least Competent English at invitation; Proficient and Superior English attract additional points.
• For subclass 190, obtain a nomination from a state or territory government. Each jurisdiction publishes its own occupation list and criteria, which commonly include current residence or employment in that state, a minimum period of local work, or a job offer, and may be more demanding than the federal criteria.
• Lodge the visa application within 60 days of the invitation, with evidence that supports every point claimed in the Expression of Interest. A claim that cannot be evidenced leads to refusal, not to a reduced score.
• Meet health, character and the Australian values requirements for every applicant included.

Legal framework

Build the evidence

Prepare records that substantiate the relevant criteria. The final checklist depends on the applicant, route and filing authority.

• Skills assessment letter from the relevant assessing authority (for example ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, AHPRA-linked bodies) and the qualifications on which it was based.
• English test results at the level claimed; the test must be within the validity period at invitation.
• Employment evidence for every period claimed: contracts, references on letterhead stating duties and hours, payslips, tax records and, for Australian employment, income statements.
• Evidence for any additional points: academic transcripts for Australian study, the professional year certificate, NAATI credential, regional study evidence, and the partner's skills assessment and English where partner points are claimed.
• For subclass 190, the state nomination approval and any documents the state required, such as a commitment statement or evidence of residence in the state.
• Identity, health, character and relationship documents for every applicant.

How to apply

1. 01

   Assess the occupation and the points honestly

   Confirm the occupation is on the list for the subclass and calculate the points on evidence that exists, not evidence that might be obtained. Identify the realistic score and whether it is competitive in recent rounds.

2. 02

   Obtain the skills assessment and English result

   Both are prerequisites for the Expression of Interest. Assessing authorities have their own timelines and some require employment verification; start here.

3. 03

   Lodge the Expression of Interest in SkillSelect

   The EOI is valid for two years and may be updated. For subclass 190, apply separately to the state or territory under its own programme; the state nominates through SkillSelect if it accepts the application.

4. 04

   Wait for an invitation

   Invitations are issued by the Department (189) or follow the state's nomination (190). Rounds, cut-off scores and occupation ceilings change; the 189 has recently favoured priority sectors.

5. 05

   Lodge the visa within 60 days

   Lodge in ImmiAccount with full evidence. Points are assessed as at the invitation date, so an age change or test expiry after invitation does not reduce the score, but a claim that was wrong at invitation does.

6. 06

   On grant, meet the state's expectations

   A subclass 190 holder is expected to live and work in the nominating state for the period that state specifies (commonly two years). This is a commitment to the state rather than a visa condition, but states monitor it.

After approval & family planning

• The partner and dependent children included in the application receive permanent residence with the same rights: work, study, Medicare and domestic school fees.
• The visa has no employer or occupation condition; the holder may work in any field. A 190 holder should honour the residence commitment to the nominating state.
• The five-year travel facility applies; two years of residence in Australia in any five-year period allows a further five-year Resident Return visa.
• Citizenship may be applied for once the four-year general residence requirement, including twelve months as a permanent resident, is met.

What this route builds, and what it opens

WG assesses every route on three returns: the knowledge it adds, the cognitive capability that sustained work abroad develops, and the institutional opportunity it opens or closes. Real work is the mechanism in each case.

Programme context. A participant whose Australian work with a qualifying affiliate has produced an assessable skills record and Australian employment points may be assessed for this route independently of the affiliate. The programme does not add points; only evidenced factors do. Read the framework ↗

Frequently asked questions

Points to consider

• Every point claimed is verified against documents. Over-claiming at the EOI stage leads to refusal under the public interest criteria and can affect future applications.
• State programmes open and close during the year and their criteria change without notice; the state's current published requirements, not last year's, govern.