skilled independent visa (subclass 189) occupation listA Skilled Independent Visa allows you to permanently live and work in Australia.

Skilled workers from eligible countries (including eligible New Zealand citizens) who have occupations on the Skilled Occupations List, may be eligible for a Subclass 189 visa.

The process is:

  1. Be invited to apply for the visa;
  2. Be younger than the age requirement;
  3. Be in an occupation which matches your skills and qualifications;
  4. Have your skills assessed;
  5. Speak to a competent level of English;
  6. Score the required points on the Points Test; and
  7. Meet the health and character requirements.

We will explain in more detail below.

Be Invited to Apply for a Skilled Independent Visa

Firstly, you must be invited to apply for the visa by submitting an expression of interest.

You are also required to pass health exams.

Your skilled occupation must be on the relevant eligible skilled occupations list.

You must also be under the maximum age for eligibility.

Be Younger than the Age Requirement

To qualify for this Australian visa you must be under the maximum age threshold.

Currently, the age is 45 years old.

However, Australian visa requirements change all the time, so please contact us to provide details in your particular case.

Have your Skills Assessed

skilled independent visa 189 visa processing timeYou will then have to have your skills assessed by the appropriate authority.

For example, for solicitors the relevant State Law Association.  For trades, then Trades Recognition Australia, and so on.

The skills assessment is a check that your relevant skills meet the standards to work in your skilled occupation in Australia.

You will need to provide a scanned certified copy of the skills assessment with the visa application.

You cannot apply for a skilled migration visa if you do not get a positive assessment result.  The skills assessment is critical to the visa.

Speak to a Competent Level of English

You must have a competent level of the English language.

To prove you have the required level of English, you will need to provide evidence that you are a passport holding citizen of the following countries:

  1. United Kingdom;
  2. United States of America;
  3. Canada;
  4. New Zealand; or
  5. Republic of Ireland.

Alternatively, you will need to provide evidence of the following:

  1. Score at least 6 for each of the 4 components in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); or
  2. Score at least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking in the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT); or
  3. Score at least 50 for each of the 4 components in the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic); or
  4. Score at least B for each of the 4 components of the Occupational English Test (OET); or
  5. Score at least 169 in each of the 4 components of the Cambridge C1 Advanced test.

You will also need to score the required points in the points test.

Score the Required Points on the Points Test

skilled independent visa 189 visa checklistA skilled migrant applying for a subclass 189 will also need to score 65 points on the points test.

You can check online with the Immigration Department’s Points Calculator.

The points are currently calculated on the following criteria:

  1. Age;
  2. English language level;
  3. Work experience outside Australia;
  4. Work experience in Australia;
  5. Your qualifications;
  6. Amount of Australian study;
  7. Any specialist education requirement;
  8. If you speak a community language;
  9. If you have studied in regional Australia;
  10. Your partner’s skills; and
  11. If you have completed a professional year in Australia.

Lastly, the main applicant and any person over 16 years of age named must meet the health and character requirements.

Health Requirements for Skilled Independent Visa

To meet the health requirement, an applicant must not have a disease or condition that:

  1. A cost to healthcare and/or community service of AUD $49,000 or more; and/or
  2. Prejudices access to scarce health services to Australians in services including most commonly cancer, functional impairment, HIV infection, intellectual impairment, renal disease or failure.

Some of the test for the Skilled Independent Visa – Subclass 189 may include:

  1. Chest x-ray;
  2. Hepatitis b and c test;
  3. HIV test;
  4. Medical examination; and
  5. TB screening test.

This is not required in all cases but depends on where the applicant is coming from and what they intend to do when in Australia.

A Skilled Independent Visa applicant must also meet the character requirements of the visa.

Character Requirements for Skilled Independent Visa

skilled independent visa 189 visa occupation listThe character requirements mean that the applicant and others included in the application must be of good character and must remain of good character.

The character requirements include (but not limited to) whether:

  1. You have been sentenced to a term, or two or more terms, of imprisonment of 12 months or more;
  2. You are or have been a member of, or have an association with, a person or group or organisation that are involved in criminal conduct;
  3. Serious crimes such as crimes against humanity, crimes involving torture or slavery, genocide, people smuggling, people trafficking, sexually based offences involving a child, and/or war crimes, ect; and/or
  4. Received an adverse security assessment by ASIO.

For more information, the character requirements are provided at section 501 of the Migration Act 1958.

Cost of Skilled Independent Visa

Currently, the cost to the Department of Immigration for a Skilled Independent Visa is:

  • $4,045.00 AUD for the initial Skilled Independent Points-tested applicant; plus
  • $2,020.00 AUD for each additional applicant over 18 years of age; plus
  • $1,015.00 AUD for each additional applicant under 18 years of age.

However, these prices change all of the time.  To be sure use the Visa Pricing Estimator.

You might also have to pay other costs to third parties for things such as:

  1. Health checks and tests;
  2. Police certificates;
  3. Biometrics;
  4. Skills Assessment; and
  5. English language tests.

Also, if you decide to use a solicitor of migration agent, then those costs will be extra.

For more information visit – https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-independent-189/points-tested

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