189 Skilled Independent Visa

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Project Introduction

Applicants for the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) must submit an immigration application entirely on their academic qualifications, work experience, professional skills, and language scores, without any nomination, and can directly immigrate to Australia after approval. Applicants can apply in Australia or overseas.

Project Advantages

Get Australian permanent residency directly

Unlimited work and study in Australia

Can join the Australian health insurance scheme (Medicare)

5 years unlimited travel to and from Australia

Can apply for Australian citizenship if eligible

Application requirements

You can only apply for this visa if you are invited. Submit an expression of interest (EOI) to let us know you would like to apply for the visa. After you have submitted an EOI, you will be ranked against other intending applicants and might be invited to apply for the visa.

For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation. You will need to provide a copy of this skills assessment with your application. Your skills assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed. If your skills were assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.

You must be aged under 45 when we invite you to apply for the visa. You can still apply for the visa if you turn 45 after we invite you to apply. If you turn 45 after you submit your EOI but before we invite you to apply, you will not be invited to apply.

When you submit your EOI in SkillSelect, you will be given an indicative points score based on the claims you have made. If you do not obtain a score of 65 points you will not be invited to apply for this visa. Your invitation will state the number of points that you must score when assessing your application for grant of the visa (this score may be higher than 65 points, depending on your claims in the EOI).

At the time of invitation, you must have at least competent English.

Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement. If requested, family members not accompanying you to Australia might also need to meet our health requirement.

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement. Family members not accompanying you to Australia must also meet the character requirement.

If you or any family members (including those who do not apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must: have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.

Application Process

Before applying, you must have IELTS scores of 6 points and submit an EOI via SkillSelect to inform Immigration of your immigration preference.

We will start collecting relevant information about you and you will need to provide us with documents to support your claim in the EOI and to show that you meet the appropriate occupational assessment criteria and standards.

Submission of Skilled Independent visa applications. When you receive an invitation to apply for a visa, whether you are in or out of Australia, we will help you lodge your visa application (within 60 days). Relevant supporting materials need to be scanned and then submitted with the online application.

Once your application is submitted, you just have to wait. We will keep in close contact with the Department of Home Affairs. If any more materials are needed, we will notify you immediately.

Visa Application Result: While you are waiting for your visa application result, you can stay in Australia or travel abroad. When your visa is granted successfully, we will contact you immediately.