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Skilled migration, points, nomination and invitation.
The points-tested visas let skilled workers live and work in Australia permanently without an employer. Subclass 189 is independent, subclass 190 is nominated by a state or territory, and subclass 491 is a five-year regional visa with a pathway to permanent residence. We build the points strategy and run the whole process.
Where you are today decides the strategy
Skilled migration is a competition for invitations. The work is in getting the points right, choosing the right state and lodging the strongest expression of interest at the right time.
I am in Australia on a graduate, student or working visa
Several states currently give preference to applicants already living and working in the state, although criteria change during the year. We assess your points, plan the skills assessment and English test, and line up Queensland or interstate nomination against your visa expiry date so nothing lapses.
I am overseas with skills Australia needs
Offshore applicants compete for the same invitations. We identify the occupations and states with realistic invitation rounds for your profile and prepare an expression of interest that stands out.
I am not sure my points are enough
Use our free points calculator, then book a consultation. Age, English, experience, qualifications, partner skills and regional study can each add points, and some are quicker to secure than you think.
Independent, nominated or regional
All three are points-tested and invitation-only. The difference is who supports your application and where you commit to live.
Skilled Independent
Permanent residence anywhere in Australia, with no state or employer sponsor. The most competitive of the three.
- Occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List
- Invitation from the Department through SkillSelect
- Highest points scores invited first in each round
Skilled Nominated
Permanent residence with nomination by a state or territory government, which adds 5 points. The commitment to live in the nominating state is made to that state under its nomination policy. It is not a condition of the visa itself.
- Each state runs its own occupation list, criteria and rounds
- Queensland nomination is our home ground; we also work with other states
- Several states currently prefer applicants already working in their occupation in the state
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
A five-year provisional visa for designated regional areas, adding 15 points. Leads to the subclass 191 permanent visa.
- State nomination or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area
- Condition 8579 requires you to live, work and study only in a designated regional area. This one is an enforceable condition of the visa
- Subclass 191 after holding the 491 for at least three years and complying with its conditions, supported by Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three relevant income years. No minimum income amount is currently specified
How points are built
Points come from age, English, skilled employment in and outside Australia, qualifications, Australian study, regional study, a professional year, community language, partner skills and nomination.
- A points test review is proposed for 1 July 2027; the current test applies until it is legislated
- We model your score under the current test and flag what the proposal could change
- Every claimed point must be evidenced at the visa stage
What the skilled visas cost
These are the Department of Home Affairs charges effective 1 July 2026. The charge is payable in full at lodgement and is not refunded if the application is refused. It does not cover the skills assessment, English test, health examinations or police certificates, which are paid to other bodies.
| Visa | At lodgement | Additional adult | Additional child | Second instalment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 Skilled Independent, points tested | AUD 6,135 | AUD 3,070 | AUD 1,540 | AUD 4,885 for any applicant aged 18 or over assessed as not having functional English |
| Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated | AUD 6,140 | AUD 3,070 | AUD 1,535 | AUD 4,885 on the same basis |
| Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) | AUD 6,140 | AUD 3,070 | AUD 1,535 | AUD 4,890 on the same basis |
| Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) | AUD 630 | AUD 315 | AUD 160 | None |
The thresholds that go with these charges: a minimum of 65 points at the time of invitation, under 45 years of age when the invitation is issued, competent English as the floor with 10 further points for proficient and 20 for superior English, and generally 60 days from invitation to lodge. The second instalment is assessed on functional English and applies to secondary applicants as well as the primary applicant, and it is paid before grant rather than at lodgement. Charges are indexed and usually change on 1 July each year. Figures are from the Department's current visa pricing table checked 1 September 2026 and are confirmed for your matter before lodgement. Concessional charges for Pacific and Timor-Leste passport holders. Nationals of Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu pay a reduced visa application charge on this visa. We do not publish the concessional amounts here, because they depend on your passport and they change. The Department's own visa pricing estimator will give you the exact figure for your circumstances in under a minute. Not every Pacific country is included: as at 17 September 2026 the Cook Islands, Niue, New Caledonia and French Polynesia are not, and pay the standard charge.
The core criteria
These apply to all three visas. State nomination adds the state's own requirements, which change during the year.
- An occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list for the visa you are invited for
- A suitable skills assessment from the assessing authority for your occupation, valid at invitation, and any registration or licensing your occupation separately requires
- Competent English or higher, evidenced by an accepted test (IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET or C1 Advanced), valid at the time of invitation, with more points for proficient and superior English
- At least 65 points at the time of invitation, with every point supported by evidence
- Under 45 years of age when the invitation is issued
- For 190 and 491, nomination by a state or territory (or sponsorship by an eligible regional relative for 491)
- Health and character requirements for you and every family member included
The law we apply
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Schedule 2, subclasses 189, 190, 491 and 191; Schedule 6D points test; section 65 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).
Ministerial Direction No. 119 (commenced 25 July 2026) sets skilled visa processing priorities and replaced Direction No. 105. Priority affects the order in which applications are considered. It is not a processing time and not a queue position.
For the subclass 191, clause 191.2 of Schedule 2 allows a minimum taxable income to be specified by legislative instrument. No such amount is currently specified, so the requirement is to hold the regional provisional visa for at least three years and to provide notices of assessment for three relevant income years.
The Department has released a discussion paper proposing a new points test from 1 July 2027. It is not law and the current test applies until it is. Figures on this page are as at 1 September 2026 and are confirmed with you at the time of advice.
From points calculator to visa grant
Every matter runs under a written agreement that sets out the work and the fee before anything begins.
Points and pathway
We verify your score, choose the visa and the states worth targeting, and set the order of skills assessment, English test and state nomination.
Skills assessment
We prepare the evidence the assessing authority expects for your occupation, including employment references in the required form.
Expression of interest and nomination
We lodge your SkillSelect expression of interest and the state nomination application, and keep both current as your circumstances change.
Invitation to grant
You generally have 60 days from invitation to lodge. We prepare the application in advance so it is lodged with every claimed point evidenced.
Why skilled applications fail
These are the issues that most often decide this visa. We raise them with you at the first consultation, not after lodgement.
Points claimed that cannot be evidenced
The invitation is based on what you claim. The visa is decided on what you prove. Overstated employment or study points lead to refusal, not a lower score.
Employment references in the wrong form
Assessing authorities and the Department require references on letterhead with duties, hours and dates. Payslips and tax records must reconcile.
Nomination criteria change mid-year
States open and close occupations and change minimum scores without notice. A profile that qualified in March may not in September.
Visa expiry before invitation
Onshore applicants waiting on an invitation need a bridging strategy. We plan this from day one rather than at the last minute.
Skilled migration questions
What does the subclass 191 actually require?
What is the minimum points score?
Do I need a job offer?
How long is the skills assessment valid?
Can my partner add points?
What is the proposed 2027 points test?
Get your points checked properly
Start with the free points calculator, then let us verify the score, the occupation and the states worth targeting before you invest in a skills assessment.
The information on this page is general in nature, current as at 1 September 2026, and does not take account of your individual circumstances. It is not immigration assistance or legal advice. Visa criteria, charges, thresholds and processing priorities change; the requirements that apply to your matter are confirmed at the time of advice under a written agreement. No agent can guarantee a visa outcome. Migration Star, Registered Migration Agents, MARN 1797395.