The Australian 189 visa: skilled independent permanent residence

The 189 visa is a permanent resident (PR) visa granted from the date of approval to skilled workers whose occupation is on the list Australia needs. It is the only visa in the skilled group (General Skilled Migration — GSM) allowing workers to live and work freely anywhere in Australia without sponsorship from an employer, a state or a family member. The 189 visa is often regarded as the gold standard of the Australian skilled settlement system — and is also the most competitive.

What is the 189 visa?

The 189 visa (in English, the Skilled Independent visa — Subclass 189) is one of the visas within the General Skilled Migration programme issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. It is a permanent residence visa — not a temporary visa with a route to PR like the 491 visa.

The 189 visa has two streams:

• Points-tested stream:for skilled workers from anywhere in the world meeting the points system. This is the main stream Vietnamese applicants aim for.
• New Zealand stream:reserved for New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia on a Subclass 444 visa under specific conditions.

Once the 189 visa is granted, the applicant and accompanying family members have the right to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia, access the Medicare public health system, study at Australian institutions at permanent resident fee levels, sponsor eligible relatives for settlement visas, and travel freely in and out of Australia for 5 years before needing a Resident Return Visa. Once the residence requirement is met, the applicant may apply for Australian citizenship.

Who is eligible for the 189 visa

The 189 visa requires the applicant to meet several conditions at once. The core requirements comprise:

The age requirement

The applicant must be under 45 at the time of receiving the Invitation to Apply (ITA). Age is also one of the most important scoring factors — the 25-32 group scores highest.

The occupation requirement

The applicant’s occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). This is the strictest occupation list of the GSM visas, comprising only occupations the Australian Government has identified as having long-term strategic value for the economy. The common occupations on the MLTSSL comprise software engineers, programmers, accountants, civil engineers, nurses, pharmacists, secondary teachers, electricians and welders.

The skills assessment requirement

The applicant must hold a positive Skills Assessment from the assessing authority for their occupation. The common bodies comprise Engineers Australia (engineers), CPA Australia or CA ANZ (accountants), VETASSESS (multi-sector), AHPRA (health) and TRA (trades and technical occupations).

The English requirement

The applicant must reach at least Competent English — equivalent to IELTS 6.0 in each band (or the equivalent on PTE, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English or OET). Competent English is only the floor — to score highly in the points system, applicants need Proficient English (IELTS 7.0) or Superior English (IELTS 8.0).

The points requirement

The applicant must reach at least 65 points on the points system. However, that is only the threshold for filing an EOI — to be invited to apply in practice, the competitive score in 2025-26 ranges from 85 to 95+ points depending on the occupation.

The health and character requirements

The applicant and every accompanying family member must pass a health examination carried out by a Department of Home Affairs panel doctor. Applicants aged 16 and over must provide police certificates from every country lived in for more than 12 months in the past 10 years.

The 189 visa points system

The points system is the decisive factor in being invited to apply for the 189 visa. Points are awarded across 9 main categories:

• Age:the highest score is for the 25-32 group (30 points), falling as age rises. Applicants aged 45 and over score nothing.
• English ability:Competent English (0 points), Proficient English (10 points), Superior English (20 points).
• Skilled work experience outside Australia:from 5-15 points depending on the years of experience in the nominated occupation.
• Skilled work experience in Australia:from 5-20 points depending on the years.
• Education:a doctorate (20 points), a bachelor’s or master’s degree (15 points), a vocational qualification or Diploma (10 points).
• Study in Australia:a further 5 points for completing at least 2 years of full-time study in Australia.
• Study in regional Australia:a further 5 points for study at an institution in a designated regional area.
• NAATI community language credential:a further 5 points for holding a valid NAATI Credentialed Community Language certificate.
• An accompanying partner’s skills:a further 5-10 points depending on the conditions the partner meets (skills, age, English, or being an Australian citizen or permanent resident).

The points system was importantly updated on 07/08/2025, with new criteria applying to those sitting an English test after that date. Applicants should check the official points calculator on the Department of Home Affairs website before filing an EOI.

The 189 visa application process

The 189 visa application process comprises 5 basic steps:

1. Skills Assessment:The applicant files a skills assessment with the authority for their nominated occupation. This usually takes 2-6 months depending on the body and the complexity of the case.
2. Sitting an English test:The applicant sits IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English or OET. The results are valid for 3 years for Australian migration purposes.
3. Filing an Expression of Interest (EOI):The applicant files a free EOI through the SkillSelect system, stating personal details, occupation, skills assessment result, English test result, work experience and the other scoring factors. An EOI is valid for 2 years.
4. Waiting for the Invitation to Apply (ITA):The Department of Home Affairs holds quarterly invitation rounds through SkillSelect. Those with the highest scores in each occupation who meet the priority criteria are invited first. Those invited have 60 days to file the visa application.
5. Filing the visa application and awaiting the outcome:The applicant files the visa application online through an ImmiAccount with the complete documentation and pays the fee. The Department of Home Affairs assesses it and makes a decision.

The documents to prepare

A complete 189 visa file usually comprises:

• A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended date of entry.
• A positive and current Skills Assessment certificate.
• An English certificate at least at Competent English level.
• Educational qualifications — diplomas, transcripts, professional certificates.
• Work experience documentation — employment confirmation letters, payslips, tax statements, employment contracts.
• Police certificates from every country lived in for more than 12 months in the past 10 years.
• A health examination report from a Department of Home Affairs panel doctor.
• Marriage certificate and children’s birth certificates (where family members are accompanying).
• Form 80 and Form 1221 — detailed declarations on personal details, migration history, residence history and employment history.
• Passports and identity documents for an accompanying spouse and children.

All Vietnamese documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation, signed with the translator’s declaration of competence.

189 visa fees

The 189 visa fee is one of the largest costs of an Australian settlement application. The fees applying from the 2025-26 financial year are broadly:

• The fee for the main applicant:from AUD 4,640 upwards (the exact amount should be checked on the Department of Home Affairs website).
• The fee for a dependant over 18:around 50% of the main applicant’s fee.
• The fee for a dependant under 18:around 25% of the main applicant’s fee.

Besides the visa fee, applicants need to allow for:

• The Skills Assessment fee:ranging from AUD 300 to 1,000 depending on the assessing body.
• The English test fee:AUD 400 to 500 per sitting.
• The health examination fee:AUD 400 to 600 for each family member.
• Police certificate fees:varying by country.
• Certified translation fees:ranging from VND 100,000 to 300,000 a page.

The total cost from Skills Assessment to visa grant for a family of 4 usually ranges from AUD 10,000 to 15,000 — equivalent to around VND 170-260 million at 2026 exchange rates. Fees may change annually and applicants should check the official Department of Home Affairs website before filing.

Processing times

The Australian Department of Home Affairs undertakes to process 75% of 189 visa applications within 8 months and 90% within 14 months of filing. However, the actual time varies considerably depending on:

• How complete the file is at the time of filing.
• Requirements for verification from outside bodies (health, security, character).
• The Department of Home Affairs workload at the time of assessment.

The total time from starting the Skills Assessment to receiving the visa is usually 12-18 months where the case runs smoothly. The wait for an ITA after filing an EOI alone may range from a few weeks (for a competitive occupation and score) to more than a year (for a less competitive occupation or a low score).

Updates from 2026 — the new tier system

The Australian Department of Home Affairs is rolling out an occupation tier system from 2026, based on the Skills in Demand (SID) list. Specifically, occupations will be placed in 4 tiers:

• Tier 1 and Tier 2:high-priority occupations tied to Australia’s urgent labour needs — healthcare workers, teachers, engineers and certain technology occupations.
• Tier 3 and Tier 4:the other occupations on the MLTSSL but not in serious shortage.

Under the new system, applicants in Tier 1-2 may be given priority for an ITA even where their score is lower than an applicant in Tier 3-4. Some occupations in the lower tiers may require 100+ points to have a competitive chance. This is a major change — the deciding factor is no longer the score alone but the occupation’s place in the tier system.

The 189 visa compared with the 190 and 491 visas

The 189 visa is one of the three main visas in the GSM group, each with its own advantages and drawbacks:

• Visa 189 (Skilled Independent):PR from the moment the visa is granted, with no sponsorship needed from a state, employer or family, and freedom to live anywhere in Australia. However, it is the most competitive, requiring the highest score.
• Visa 190 (Skilled Nominated):PR from the moment the visa is granted, subject to nomination by a state or territory. It adds 5 points from the nomination. It requires a commitment to live and work in the nominating state for at least 2 years.
• Visa 491 (Skilled Work Regional):A 5-year temporary visa with a route to PR through the 191 visa. It adds 15 points from the regional nomination or family sponsorship. It requires living and working in regional Australia for 3 years to become eligible to move to the 191 visa.

Applicants may file an EOI for all 3 visas at once through SkillSelect — a common strategy to maximise the chance of an invitation. On receiving an ITA, the applicant chooses only one visa to apply for formally.

Important points

Several particular points to note when applying for the 189 visa:

• First, the EOI needs to be kept continuously updated with accurate information. Any change in age (moving into a higher age band after the ITA), employment or marital status affects the score and must be reflected in the EOI.
• Second, for Vietnamese applicants, accountancy and certain information technology occupations are highly competitive. Applicants may need 95+ points to have a real chance of an invitation. In these occupations, adding points through factors such as Superior English (20 points), NAATI (5 points) and study in Australia (5-10 points) matters greatly.
• Third, a Skills Assessment result is valid for 3 years. Applicants need to plan to file within that period — beyond it, the assessment must be done again from the beginning.
• Finally, after receiving PR through the 189 visa, applicants must meet the residence requirement to maintain their status and then apply for citizenship. Specifically, after 4 years living in Australia with at least 1 year as a PR, applicants may apply for Australian citizenship.

Summary

The 189 visa is the most prestigious Australian settlement route for talented workers whose occupation is on Australia’s long-term strategic skills list. Its greatest strength is complete freedom — no commitment to a state, no dependence on an employer, and no restriction on where to live.

However, to obtain the 189 visa, applicants must meet strict criteria: under 45, an occupation on the MLTSSL, a positive skills assessment, good English, and above all a competitive total score — usually 85+ points in practice.

The new tier system from 2026 adds a further priority factor for occupations in urgent shortage. For Vietnamese applicants with the right expertise, investing time in building a high-quality case — including raising the English score, completing the NAATI credential, or considering study in Australia — is a worthwhile long-term strategy for widening the chances of success with this independent permanent residence visa.