Australia Skilled independent visa (Subclass 189)
Points tested stream for Australia Skilled independent visa
This visa lets invited workers with skills we need life and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
- You don’t need a sponsor or nominator
- You must be invited to apply
- You must be under 45 to be invited
Stay: Permanently
Cost: From AUD4,045
Processing Time:
- 75% of applications: 11 months
- 90% of applications: 21 months
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What can be done with an Australian Skilled Independent visa?
work and study anywhere in Australia
sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
if eligible, become an Australian citizen
For an Australia Skilled independent visa You must
- have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- be invited to apply for this visa
- have an English test certificate
- satisfy the points test (minimum 65 points)
- you must be aged under 45 at the time of invitation
- meet health requirement
- meet character requirement
- Have paid back your debt to the Australian government
- Sign the Australian values statement
- Not have had a visa canceled or a previous application refused
More details for Australia Skilled independent visa
| Test | Required score |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | At least 6 for each of the 4 components |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing, and 18 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | At least 50 for each of the 4 components |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
Get a minimum of 65 points according to the below factors;
- Age
- English language skills
- Skilled employment experience
- Educational qualifications
- Specialist education qualification
- Australian study requirement
- Professional Year in Australia
- Credentialled community language
- Study in regional Australia
- Partner skills
Points criteria are assessed at the time of invitation.
Age
| Age | Points |
| at least 18 but less than 25 years | 25 |
| at least 25 but less than 33 years | 30 |
| at least 33 but less than 40 years | 25 |
| at least 40 but less than 45 years | 15 |
English language skills
| English | Points |
| Competent English | 0 |
| Proficient English | 10 |
| Superior English | 20 |
Skilled employment experience for Australia Skilled independent visa
Overseas skilled employment – (outside Australia)
| Number of years | Points |
| Less than 3 years | 0 |
| At least 3 but less than 5 years | 5 |
| At least 5 but less than 8 years | 10 |
| At least 8 years | 15 |
Australian skilled employment – (in Australia)
| Number of years | Points |
| Less than 1 year | 0 |
| At least 1 but less than 3 years | 5 |
| At least 3 but less than 5 years | 10 |
| At least 5 but less than 8 years | 15 |
| At least 8 years | 20 |
You can only claim points for employment if the employment was in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation; and you were employed for the relevant periods set out in the table, in the 10 years before you are invited to apply.
For any Australian employment, you must have held a substantive visa or a Bridging A or Bridging B visa and complied with the conditions of that visa to be eligible for points.
Employed means engaged in any occupation for remuneration for at least 20 hours a week.
Closely related occupations must be:
in the same ANZSCO Unit Group or
consistent with a career advancement pathway or
recognized by an assessing authority that it is closely related to your nominated occupation, as part of your skills assessment
Under the points test, there is a cap on the number of points that can be awarded for employment experience. The maximum number of points that can be awarded is 20, this means that even if you score more than 20 combined points for your employment experience only 20 points will be awarded.
Educational qualifications
| Requirement | Points |
| A Doctorate from an Australian educational institution or a Doctorate from another educational institution is of a recognized standard. | 20 |
| At least a Bachelor’s degree from an Australian educational institution or at least a Bachelor’s qualification, from another educational institution, that is of a recognized standard. | 15 |
| A diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution. | 10 |
| Attained a qualification or award recognized by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation as being suitable for that occupation | 10 |
For points-based migration, you will receive points for your highest qualification only.
Recognition of your qualifications
The authority undertaking your skills assessment may determine if your qualifications are comparable to the relevant Australian qualification. Assessing authorities are listed against your occupation in the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations. You must have obtained this recognition at the time you are invited to apply for a visa.
If you hold an overseas qualification at bachelor level or above and your skills assessing authority did not offer an opinion on that qualification then it is open to you to contact Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services (VETASSESS) for advice.
VETASSESS can provide an assessment of the comparative educational level of these qualifications against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Advice from VETASSESS should be provided with your application to support your claim for these points.
To obtain an assessment contact Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services.
Doctoral requirements (Ph.D.)
You can only be awarded points for a doctoral degree if you have completed a qualification at the relevant level, that is a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). You cannot claim these points for the award of other qualifications that give you the right to use the title of Doctor (that is, general practitioner, dentist, vet).
Specialist education qualification
| Requirement | Points |
| A master’s degree in research or a Doctorate from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years of study in a relevant field. | 10 |
The postgraduate degree by research (doctorate or master) must be awarded from an Australian education institution after at least 2 academic years of study in the following science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or specified information and communication technology (ICT) fields:
Natural and physical sciences
- biological sciences
- chemical sciences
- earth sciences
- mathematical sciences
- natural and physical sciences
- other natural and physical sciences
- physics and astronomy
Information technology
- computer science
- information systems
- information technology
- other information technology
Engineering and related technologies
- aerospace engineering and technology
- civil engineering
- electrical and electronic engineering and technology
- engineering and related technologies
- geomatics engineering
- manufacturing engineering and technology
- maritime engineering and technology
- mechanical and industrial engineering and technology
- other engineering and related technologies
- process and resources engineering.
Australian study requirement
| Requirement | Points |
| Meet the Australian study requirement | 5 |
You must have at least 1 degree, diploma, or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that meets the Australian study requirement.
Professional Year in Australia
| Requirement | Points |
| Completion of a Professional Year in Australia | 5 |
At the time of invitation to apply, you had completed a Professional Year. To be eligible for the award of these points your Professional Year must have been in Accounting, ICT/Computing, or Engineering, and:
- in your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation
- completed over at least 12 months
- completed in Australia in the four years before you are invited to apply for a visa
- provided by one of these organizations:
- the Australian Computer Society
- CPA Australia
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- the Institute of Public Accountants (formerly the National Institute of Accountants)
- Engineers Australia.
Credentialled community language
| Requirement | Points |
| Hold a recognized qualification in a credentialled community language | 5 |
To be credentialled in a community language and eligible for the award of points you must have been accredited at the paraprofessional level or above, certified at the certified provisional level or above, or have a community language credential for interpreting or translating by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Study in regional Australia
| Requirement | Points |
| You must have at least 1 degree, diploma, or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that satisfies the Australian study requirement obtained while living and studying in an eligible area of regional Australia | 5 |
To be eligible for the award of points your educational qualification:
must meet the Australian study requirement
have been obtained while you lived in, and studied at a campus in, a designated regional area
not include studies undertaken by distance education
Partner skills
| Requirement | Points |
| Your spouse or de facto partner must also be an applicant for this visa and meet age, English, and skill criteria
For you to be eligible for the award of these points your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen. Additionally, you will need to provide evidence that when you were invited to apply for this visa they: were under 45 years old had competent English had nominated a skilled occupation that is on the same skilled occupation list as your nominated skilled occupation had a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for their nominated skilled occupation, and the assessment wasn’t for a Subclass 485 visa. |
10 |
| Your spouse or de facto partner must also be an applicant for this visa and have competent English
For you to be eligible for the award of these points your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen. |
5 |
| You are single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident | 10 |
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