Permanent
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent
No sponsor, no state commitment, permanent from grant. Invitations are issued strictly by points rank, so this is realistic mainly above the mid-80s for most occupations.
Australia
Australian skilled migration, assessed honestly before you spend a rupee
Australia's General Skilled Migration program is a ranking system. Your occupation must be on the relevant skilled list, your skills assessment must be positive, and your points must beat the people invited in the same round. We map all three before recommending a route.
- 65
- Minimum points to submit an EOI
- 6–14 mo
- Typical skilled visa processing
- 3
- Core GSM subclasses: 189 / 190 / 491
- AUD 4,765
- Government charge, primary applicant
Which skilled visa fits your profile
Permanent
Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated
A state or territory nominates you, adding 5 points. You agree to live and work in that state for two years. Nomination criteria change during the programme year as allocations are used.
Provisional
Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional
Fifteen points and a five-year provisional visa via state or family sponsorship in a designated regional area. Subclass 191 permanent residence follows after three years of regional residence and income thresholds.
Employer
Subclass 482 / 186
Employer-sponsored temporary skills shortage and Employer Nomination Scheme routes, used where you hold a genuine Australian job offer rather than a competitive points score.
Graduate
Subclass 485 — Temporary Graduate
Post-study work rights of two to three years for eligible graduates, commonly used to build Australian experience, sit a professional year, and lift the points score before lodging PR.
Family
Partner and parent visas
Subclass 820/801 onshore and 309/100 offshore partner visas, plus contributory parent options. These are relationship-evidence cases, not points cases.
The sequence that actually works
Skipping a step here is the most common reason a self-lodged application stalls for a year.
- Confirm your ANZSCO occupation code and that it appears on the MLTSSL, STSOL or ROL relevant to your target subclass
- Obtain a positive skills assessment from the correct authority — ACS, Engineers Australia, CPA, CAANZ, ANMAC, AHPRA or TRA
- Sit IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT and target Superior English, which alone is worth 20 points
- Submit an EOI in SkillSelect with only claims you can evidence — inflated claims are grounds for refusal and a bar
- Pursue state nomination in parallel where your score is short of the 189 invitation range
- Lodge within 60 days of invitation with health, character and evidence pack complete
Points thresholds, occupation lists and state nomination criteria change during the programme year. Everything on this page is indicative as of 2026 and is confirmed against current departmental guidance at assessment.
Occupations we file most often
| Occupation group | Assessing authority | Typical route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICT — developers, analysts, network | ACS | 189 / 190 | Expect a 2–4 year experience deduction |
| Engineering — civil, mechanical, electrical | Engineers Australia | 189 / 190 / 491 | CDR required for non-accord degrees |
| Accounting & audit | CPA Australia / CAANZ | 189 / 190 | Pro-rata occupation, high point cut-offs |
| Registered nurses & midwives | ANMAC | 190 / 491 | AHPRA registration runs in parallel |
| Teachers — early childhood, secondary | AITSL | 190 / 491 | Strong state demand in regional areas |
| Trades — electricians, fitters, chefs | TRA | 491 / 482 | Practical assessment may be required |
Indicative routes only. Your actual options depend on your assessment outcome and current lists.
Frequently asked questions
65 points is the minimum to submit an Expression of Interest, but it is not the invitation threshold. Recent Subclass 189 rounds have invited most non-pro-rata occupations between 85 and 95 points, while Subclass 190 and 491 state nominations have been issued lower, sometimes from 70 points, where the occupation matches a state's shortage list. We model both your current score and realistic ways to add points before you lodge.
Continue reading
Talk to a case manager
Forty-five minutes that tells you exactly where you stand
Your consultation covers a full points or CRS projection, the two or three routes worth pursuing, the documents you will need, realistic timelines and a written fee breakdown. INR 2,000, credited in full against your service fee if you proceed with us.
- Named case manager assigned before you pay a service fee
- Written eligibility report within 48 hours of the call
- Fee schedule and refund terms issued in writing
- Sessions available in English, Hindi, Punjabi and Marathi
- Office consultations at Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, or on video