Australian skilled worker immigration

Australian skilled worker immigration is one of the most popular and transparent routes to becoming a Permanent Resident (PR) in the country. The General Skilled Migration (GSM) programme is for workers with skills matching Australian labour market needs, with no requirement for employer sponsorship. This article analyses the three main skilled visas, subclasses 189, 190 and 491, together with the SkillSelect points system, the occupation lists and the requirements updated for the 2025–2026 migration programme.

The information in this article is based on the official sources of the Australian Department of Home Affairs, serving Vietnamese workers weighing their settlement options in Australia.

An overview of the Australian skilled worker immigration programme

Australian skilled worker immigration operates through theSkillSelectplatform — the online Expression of Interest (EOI) system run by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Applicants create a profile, enter their skills, experience, English ability and occupation, and the system calculates the points automatically. Only the highest-scoring profiles in each round are invited to apply (Invitation to Apply — ITA).

The Australian migration programme for 2025–2026 allocates a total of 185,000 settlement places, of which the skilled stream is the largest share. The three main GSM visa groups comprise:

• Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent):16,900 places — an independent permanent visa with no sponsorship needed.
• Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated):33,000 places — a permanent visa requiring state or territory nomination.
• Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Provisional):33,000 places — a 5-year temporary visa leading to PR through the 191 visa.

From 2025, the Australian Department of Home Affairs applies a 4-tier invitation system, under which essential occupations such as healthcare, secondary teaching, engineering and information technology are invited first. This is an important change to address labour shortages in key sectors of the economy.

Every Australian skilled visa requires the applicant’s occupation to be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). This list consolidated the old lists (MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL) at the end of 2024, creating a unified and simpler occupational classification system.

Visa Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent

The 189 visa is an independent permanent visa, requiring no nomination by any state or territory and no employer sponsorship. It is the most flexible option in the GSM group, allowing holders to live and work anywhere in Australia. According to theAustralian Department of Home Affairs, this visa was created by the SkillSelect reform of 01/07/2012.

The basic conditions comprise: being under 45 at the time the ITA is received, holding a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, an occupation on the CSOL, at least 65 points on the points system, English at Competent level (IELTS at least 6.0 in each band or equivalent), and meeting the health and character requirements.

The actual cut-off score for the 189 visa is usually far above the minimum of 65. In the 2025 invitation rounds, the competitive threshold was usually 85–95 points depending on the occupation. Occupations with lower cut-offs are usually those in serious shortage such as nurses, doctors, secondary teachers of mathematics, chemistry and physics, and information technology.

The 189 visa application fee is currently AUD 4,455 for the main applicant, expected to rise to AUD 4,910 from 01/07/2026. Processing takes around 7 months on average, although priority occupation cases may be processed faster. After the ITA, applicants have 60 days to file a complete visa application with the documents.

Visa Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated

The 190 visa is a permanent visa granted to applicants nominated by an Australian state or territory. It suits applicants scoring 70–85, not competitive enough for the 189 visa but strong enough to secure a state nomination. Nomination automatically adds 5 points to the total score.

Each Australian state and territory has its own nominated occupation list together with additional conditions. New South Wales usually prioritises IT and healthcare occupations; Victoria has strong programmes in education, healthcare and technology; Queensland and Western Australia usually open nominations for engineering and construction; Tasmania and South Australia usually have lighter requirements but in return require long-term residence in the state.

The conditions attached to a state nomination usually require applicants to commit to living and working in that state for at least 2 years after receiving the visa. Breaching this commitment may affect a later permanent residence renewal or Australian citizenship application.

The 190 visa application fee is the same as the 189 visa, at AUD 4,455 for the main applicant. Processing is usually faster than the 189 visa because the application has already been screened by the state. Many applicants file EOIs for both 189 and 190 at once to increase their chances of an ITA.

Visa Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional Provisional

The 491 visa is a 5-year temporary visa for those settling in regional areas of Australia. Applicants need nomination by a state or territory, or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a regional area. Regional nomination or sponsorship adds 15 points — the highest addition in the whole points system.

This route suits applicants with lower scores (65–75 points) or occupations not competitive enough for the 189 and 190 visas. Regional areas comprise all of Australia apart from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Many cities usually regarded as “major” — Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong and Canberra — all count as regional for 491 visa purposes.

After 3 years living and working in a regional area with the prescribed minimum income, 491 visa holders become eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa subclass 191 to move up to permanent residence. The minimum income currently required is AUD 53,900 a year for at least 3 tax years.

The 491 visa has several important limitations compared with the 189 and 190 visas: the holder may live and work only in a regional area throughout the period the visa is held, and cannot move to live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Breaching this condition may lead to visa cancellation and affect the whole settlement route.

The points system and how points are calculated

The SkillSelect points system scores applicants on several factors, with a maximum of around 140 points. The mandatory minimum to file an EOI is 65 points. The main factors comprise:

The applicant’s age at the time the ITA is received is a high-scoring factor: 25–32 scores 30 points, 33–39 scores 25 points, 40–44 scores 15 points, and 45 and over is ineligible. This is why many Vietnamese applicants file between the ages of 28 and 35 to optimise their score.

English ability scores by level: Competent (IELTS 6.0) 0 points, Proficient (IELTS 7.0) 10 points, Superior (IELTS 8.0) 20 points. Reaching IELTS 8.0 or its equivalent is important leverage for raising the total score. Detailed information can be found onIELTSbefore registering for the test.

Work experience counts both inside and outside Australia. Experience in Australia scores higher: 3–4 years scores 5 points, 5–7 years scores 10 points, 8+ years scores 15 points. Experience outside Australia: 3–4 years scores 5 points, 5–7 years scores 10 points, 8+ years scores 15 points. The maximum total for experience is 20 points.

Education: a bachelor’s degree scores 15 points, a master’s or doctorate 20 points, and a TAFE trade qualification or equivalent 10 points. Study in Australia adds 5 points. Study in a regional area adds a further 5 points.

The other additions comprise: a skilled spouse (10 points with a skills assessment, 5 points where the English requirement is met), the spouse’s professional English, completion of a Professional Year Program 5 points, and state nomination (5 points for the 190, 15 points for the 491).

The detailed application process

The Australian skilled worker immigration application process comprises 7 main steps.

• Step 1:Identify the occupation on the CSOL. Applicants look up their occupation code on the ANZSCO system (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) and check it against the current CSOL.
• Step 2:File a skills assessment with the assessing authority appropriate to the occupation. Each occupation has its own assessing body: Engineers Australia for engineers, VETASSESS for many other occupations, ACS for IT, AITSL for teachers, ANMAC for nurses. A positive skills assessment is a mandatory condition.
• Step 3:Sit an English test and reach at least Competent level. The recognised tests comprise IELTS General Training, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, and OET (for healthcare). Applicants usually aim for Proficient or Superior to raise their score.
• Step 4:Create an ImmiAccount and file an EOI through SkillSelect. The EOI is free and stays in the system for up to 2 years. Applicants may amend the EOI several times while waiting, particularly when updating experience or new English test results.
• Step 5:Receive the ITA. For the 189 visa, the ITA comes automatically from the Department of Home Affairs where the score is high enough. For the 190 and 491 visas, applicants must file a separate state nomination application before the state sends the nomination to SkillSelect, and only then is the ITA received.
• Step 6:File the visa application within 60 days of the ITA. The file comprises personal documents, qualifications, English test results, the skills assessment, evidence of experience, birth certificate, marriage certificate (where there is a spouse), passport and photographs.
• Step 7:Health examination and criminal record checks. After receiving the request from the Department of Home Affairs, applicants have a medical examination at a designated clinic and obtain criminal record certificates from every country lived in for more than 12 months since the age of 16. Once complete, the case goes for final assessment and decision.

From temporary visa to Australian citizenship

For applicants successful on the 189 or 190 visa, the holder and family members are granted permanent residence (PR) immediately. PR allows them to live, work and study in Australia without time limit, with access to the Medicare health system and social security services.

After 4 years of continuous residence in Australia as a permanent resident or valid visa holder (including at least the most recent 12 months as a PR), settlers may apply for Australian citizenship. The conditions comprise passing the citizenship test, pledging allegiance to Australia and meeting the character requirements.

For applicants on the 491 visa, the route to PR is longer: living and working in a regional area for 3 years, meeting the minimum income, then filing for the 191 visa. Once the 191 visa (PR) is held, the route to citizenship is the same as for the other categories.

The risks and important points

Australian skilled worker immigration is a competitive route with frequently changing policy. Several practical risks Vietnamese applicants should weigh.

First, cut-off scores vary by occupation and by invitation round. Even at 90 points, applicants may wait several months for an ITA where the occupation is highly competitive. Preparing several options in parallel (189 + 190 + 491) is a common strategy for reducing risk.

Second, the skills assessment process costs time and money. Assessment fees are usually AUD 500–1,500 depending on the occupation, with processing taking 2–6 months. A negative outcome is difficult to appeal and may force applicants to change occupation or wait until they have enough experience.

Third, Australian immigration policy is updated frequently. Since the end of 2024, the occupation list system has changed (the CSOL replacing MLTSSL/STSOL/ROL), and the 4-tier priority system was introduced in 2025. Applicants need to follow the Department of Home Affairs announcements closely and consult a migration agent licensed by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).

Fourth, the English requirement is trending upwards. Competent level (IELTS 6.0) is enough only to file an EOI and is not competitive in the invitation rounds. Most successful applicants reach Proficient (IELTS 7.0) or above. Investing in retaking the English test to reach the highest score is the optimal strategy.

Conclusion

Australian skilled worker immigration offers three main options suiting different score levels: the 189 visa for high-scoring applicants wanting freedom to choose where to live, the 190 visa for mid-scoring applicants accepting a commitment to reside in one state, and the 491 visa for lower-scoring applicants ready to live in a regional area. All three lead to Australian permanent residence by different routes.

Success in an Australian skilled worker immigration application demands long-term preparation: optimising the score (age, English, experience, education), choosing the right occupation on the CSOL, filing the EOI at the right time and following the Australian Department of Home Affairs policy changes. Applicants should consult a MARA-licensed migration agent to make sure the application meets the standard and makes the most of the opportunities in each invitation round.