Australia•Oceania3-15 months
4,910 AUD
Indefinite
No
Not Required
Allowed
Available
Not Required
Points-tested permanent visa for skilled workers not requiring employer or state nomination. Must score 65+ points and be invited via SkillSelect.
The Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) grants Australian permanent residency to skilled workers without employer or state sponsorship. Candidates submit an Expression of Interest via SkillSelect and are invited by points — minimum 65, but competitive scores are much higher. Around 16,900 places are allocated annually.
The visa is permanent from grant — no renewal required. Holders can live, work, and study anywhere in Australia. Spouses and dependants are included with the same full rights. Citizenship is available after the standard residency period.
This visa is ideal for skilled professionals under 45 whose occupation is on the MLTSSL and who can achieve a competitive points score with a positive skills assessment.
| Status type | Permanent / indefinite |
16,900/year
Must be invited to apply by the Department of Home Affairs.
Must have a nominated occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list.
Must have a suitable skills assessment for the nominated occupation.
Must be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation.
Must achieve a minimum score of 65 on the points test.
Must demonstrate at least 'Competent' English language proficiency.
Must meet health and character requirements.
Must sign the Australian Values Statement.
Must have no outstanding debts to the Australian government.
Education
vocational or higher
Valid passport.
Skills assessment outcome letter from the relevant assessing authority.
English language test results (e.g., IELTS, PTE Academic).
Evidence of claimed points (e.g., educational certificates, employment references, payslips, tax records).
Expression of Interest (EOI) summary.
Police clearance certificates from countries lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years.
Health examination results.
Form 80 and Form 1221.
Relationship evidence (if including family members, e.g., marriage certificate, proof of de facto relationship).
| SkillSelect EOI SkillSelect Expression of Interest | Fill online |
| Online visa application Online visa application via ImmiAccount | Fill online |
| Annual Allocation | 16,900/year | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Application Steps | Check occupation on MLTSSL; Get skills assessment; Take English test; Submit SkillSelect EOI; Receiv… | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Dependent Visa | Included in application | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Fee Breakdown | Base application charge: 4910 AUD | thinkvisa.com.au |
| Fees | AUD 4,910 | thinkvisa.com.au |
| Forms | SkillSelect EOI; Online visa application | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms · Online visa application · description | Online visa application via ImmiAccount | online.immi.gov.au |
| Forms · Online visa application · url | https://online.immi.gov.au/ | online.immi.gov.au |
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