Confused about your Australian visa options? Let's sort it out.
Points tests, skills assessments, occupation lists, state nominations, income thresholds. Australia's migration system is genuinely complicated, and most people spend weeks researching pathways that were never open to them. Tell us your situation and we will point you at the ones that are.
- Every major visa type covered, from PR to partner to student
- A clear answer on your pathway within 24 hours
- Completely free, and there is no obligation at any point
Tell us your situation and we will point you at the right pathway
You do not need to know which visa you want. Most people who enquire do not. Describe where you are, what you hold now and what you are trying to achieve, and we will come back with the pathways genuinely open to you.
Get Your Visa Assessment
Takes about two minutes. We respond within 24 hours on business days.
We only use your information to respond to your enquiry.
What a free assessment actually gets you
Not a brochure and not a sales call. A straight answer on which pathways are realistically open to you, and which are not worth your time or money.
Personalised to your circumstances
No two situations are the same. Your occupation, age, qualifications, current visa and location all change which pathways are open. We look at yours before saying anything.
Current on 2026 policy
Income thresholds rose on 1 July, regional allocations were cut by more than half, and the Genuine Student test replaced GTE. Most guidance online has not caught up. We track the changes as they happen.
Confidential by default
Your details are used to respond to your enquiry and, if you ask to be connected with a registered professional, to make that introduction. Nothing is sold and nothing goes into unrelated marketing.
A reply within 24 hours
No waiting weeks for a callback. Urgent situations, particularly visa expiry, refusal or a sponsor withdrawing, are moved to the front of the queue.
A route to a registered professional
Where your situation needs formal migration advice rather than general guidance, you can be connected with a MARA-registered agent or immigration lawyer. You can verify anyone's registration on the OMARA register.
Every pathway, not just one
Skilled migration, employer sponsorship, partner and family, student and graduate, visitor visas, refusals and appeals. We are not steering you toward a single product.
Which visa are you asking about?
Pick the one closest to your situation. If none of them fit, the last card is for you, and it is the one people choose most often.
Skilled Independent visa
Points-tested permanent residency with no employer and no state nomination required. The most flexible outcome and the hardest invitation to secure.
Get assessed → Subclass 190State Nominated visa
Permanent residency through state or territory nomination, adding 5 points in exchange for a commitment to live and work in that state.
Get assessed → Subclass 491Regional Skilled visa
Five year regional visa carrying the largest points bonus available, with permanent residency through the 191 after three years.
Get assessed → Subclass 482 and 186Employer Sponsored visa
Sponsorship by an Australian employer, temporary first and then permanent. No points test, and the fastest growing category this program year.
Get assessed → Subclass 820 and 309Partner visa
Onshore or offshore application for married and de facto partners, including same-sex couples. No points test and no occupation requirement.
Get assessed → Subclass 500 and 485Student and Graduate visa
Study in Australia and understand what actually happens after graduation, including whether your course supports a skills assessment later.
Get assessed → Refusal or appealMy visa was refused
A refusal is not always final, but review deadlines are short and generally cannot be extended. For most decisions you have 28 days from notification.
Get urgent help → Subclass 600Visitor visa
Bring family to Australia for a visit, or plan a short-term stay. The Genuine Temporary Entrant test still applies to this category.
Get assessed → Free guidanceI am not sure yet
Most people who enquire do not know which visa they want, and that is genuinely fine. Describe your situation in plain language and we will work out the category.
Start from scratch →How the assessment works
From submitting the form to having a clear answer, the whole thing takes about a day.
Fill in the form
Your basic details and what you are trying to achieve. No documents needed, about two minutes.
We review your case
Your qualifications, occupation, current status and goals against what is actually available right now.
We come back to you
Within 24 hours on business days, by email or WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.
You decide what happens
Continue with our guides, or ask to be connected with a registered professional. Entirely your call.
Your current visa and its expiry date, your location, occupation, age, qualifications and English results if you have them, plus anything with a deadline attached. More detail produces a more specific answer. A one-line message gets a one-line reply.
Ready when you are
No documents, no phone call, no obligation. Just tell us where you are and what you are trying to achieve.
The enquiries we see most often
If one of these sounds like your situation, mention it in the form so we can look at the specifics first.
Not knowing whether to target the 189, 190 or 491
The usual answer is all three at once, since a single expression of interest can indicate interest in each at no extra cost. Fixing on the 189 and waiting is the most common way applicants lose a year they did not need to lose.
A current visa expiring with no plan in place
Lodging a valid application before your visa ends usually keeps you lawful through a bridging visa. Letting it lapse first narrows the options sharply and can trigger Schedule 3 requirements that are difficult to satisfy.
Being told an occupation is not eligible
Occupation lists differ between visas, and state lists differ from the national one. Being ineligible for one visa is not the same as being ineligible for skilled migration, and employer sponsorship does not use those lists in the same way at all.
Questions people ask before sending their details
Is the assessment genuinely free?
Yes. Sending your situation and receiving a response on which pathways are open to you costs nothing, and there is no obligation to do anything afterwards. If your circumstances require formal migration advice or a lodged application, that work is carried out by a registered professional whose fees are separate and disclosed to you before anything proceeds.
Do I need to know which visa I want first?
No, and most people who enquire do not. Describing your situation in plain language is enough. Working out which visa category applies is part of what the assessment is for, and the "not sure yet" option in the form exists precisely because it is the most common answer.
Are you a migration agency or a law firm?
No. Aussie Migration Guide is an independent information and referral platform. We are not a registered migration agency, not a law firm and not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs. Where your situation requires formal advice, we can connect you with a MARA-registered migration agent or an Australian immigration lawyer, and you can verify their registration on the OMARA register before engaging them.
Why does the form ask about my budget?
Because it changes what we recommend. Some pathways involve substantial professional fees on top of government charges, and it is not useful to point you at an option you have told us upfront is out of reach. If you are unsure, select the guidance option and we will explain what the realistic costs look like.
Can I get an assessment if I am outside Australia?
Yes. Offshore enquiries are welcome and many pathways, including skilled migration and offshore partner visas, are designed for people applying from overseas. Tell us which country you are applying from, since processing and evidence expectations vary considerably by post.
What happens to my personal information?
It is used to respond to your enquiry and, where you ask to be connected with a registered professional, to make that introduction. It is not sold and it is not used for unrelated marketing. See our privacy policy for the detail.
How urgent does my situation need to be?
It does not need to be urgent at all. Plenty of people enquire a year or more before they intend to apply, and that is usually the better time to ask, because it leaves room to improve English, gain experience or plan around a nomination round. That said, if you do have a deadline, say so clearly and we will treat it as urgent.
Popular guides to help you plan
How to Get Permanent Residency in Australia: Complete Guide
Every pathway to Australian permanent residency, with the 2026 to 2027 program numbers.
Read article →Best Australia Visa Options for Indians: Complete Guide
The pathways most commonly used by Indian applicants, and what tends to work.
Read article →Skilled Migration or Partner Visa: Which Gets You There Faster?
A clear comparison for people who might qualify under either route.
Read article →Can You Immigrate to Australia Without a Job Offer?
Many people assume you need an employer first. The reality is more open than that.
Read article →Migration Myths That Can Seriously Hurt Your Visa Chances
The misconceptions that lead people into costly and avoidable mistakes.
Read article →Best Visa Options to Bring Your Family to Australia
Partner, parent, child and visitor options explained in one place.
Read article →Start your assessment today
Occupation lists change, thresholds are indexed each July, and nomination places run out. The earlier you know which pathway is realistic, the more room you have to act on it. It costs nothing to ask.
About this page
Aussie Migration Guide is an independent Australian migration information and referral platform. It is not a registered migration agency, not a law firm and not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs. Nothing on this page constitutes legal or migration advice, and submitting an assessment does not create a client or advisory relationship.
Where you are connected with a migration agent or immigration lawyer through this site, they are independently registered and solely responsible for the advice and services they provide. Verify any professional's registration on the OMARA register before engaging them. Visa requirements, charges and processing times change regularly, so always confirm current details with the Department of Home Affairs.