Skilled Visa Australia: find your 189, 190 or 491 pathway.

The minimum to submit an expression of interest for the 189, 190 and 491 is 65 points. That is only the entry threshold. Across the 2025 to 2026 program year, successful subclass 189 applicants have generally needed around 85 to 95 points, with accounting and several IT occupations sitting higher again. State nomination for a 190 or 491 can often be secured at lower scores than an independent invitation.

Australian experience is weighted more heavily: 1 to 2 years earns 5 points, 3 to 4 years earns 10, 5 to 7 years earns 15 and 8 years or more earns 20. Overseas experience earns 5, 10 and 15 points at the 3, 5 and 8 year marks. Importantly, the two are capped at 20 points combined rather than 20 each, so eight years overseas plus five years in Australia still yields 20. Employment must average at least 20 hours per week and fall within the ten years before invitation.

No, the opposite is often true. A single applicant claims 10 partner points. A couple where the partner has neither a skills assessment nor competent English claims nothing in that category, and a partner with competent English alone claims 5. This means including a partner who does not meet the requirements can leave you 10 points worse off than applying alone, which surprises a great many applicants.

A skills assessment is a formal evaluation by a designated Australian authority confirming your qualifications and experience meet Australian standards for your nominated occupation. The points test is a separate scoring system used to rank candidates in the pool. You need both: a positive skills assessment is a prerequisite for submitting an expression of interest, and it does not by itself earn you points.

In most cases, all three. A single expression of interest can indicate interest in each, and there is no cost to doing so. The 189 gives the most freedom but the hardest invitation. The 190 adds 5 points for a state commitment. The 491 adds 15 points and gets you into Australia fastest, with permanent residency through the 191 after three years. Fixing on the 189 alone is the most common strategic error we see.

After an invitation, the 189 and 190 commonly take several months to well over a year for a decision, and the 491 is often somewhat faster. Times vary considerably with case complexity, document completeness and health and character checks. The longer part of the journey is usually before invitation, not after it.

Yes. Partners and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants and must meet health and character requirements. Each attracts an additional charge. If your partner holds a positive skills assessment and competent English, they contribute 10 points to your score.

Yes, and being onshore usually helps. Australian work experience is weighted more heavily than overseas experience, Australian study can earn additional points, and regional study adds more again. You can continue living and working in Australia while your application is processed. Read about the 485 to 189 transition.

Generally after four years of lawful residence in Australia, including at least twelve months as a permanent resident, along with the residence, character and citizenship test requirements. This is commonly misstated as four years after permanent residency, which would be considerably longer. Time held on a temporary visa before permanent residency usually counts towards the four years.