SkillSelect - Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

The Skilled Independent Visa is a permanent residence visa for individuals who have the qualifications and skills required to fill Australia’s skill shortages and are not sponsored by an employer, family member or nominated by a State or Territory Government.

Employers seeking to sponsor or hire foreign workers can visit our Australian Employer Services page.

SkillSelect – Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) Requirements:

To successfully apply for this skilled migration visa, you need to first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) online and then be invited to apply for the visa.

Once you have been invited to apply, you must be able to satisfy the basic visa requirements to qualify for a visa in the General Skilled Migration program.

You must:

Have nominated a skilled occupation that is eligible for this subclass of visa (see eligible occupations);
Have obtained a suitable skills assessment in the nominated skilled occupation;
Be at least 18 years of age and younger than 45 years of age;
Have at least competent English language ability;
Meet the points test pass mark of at least 65 points;
Meet certain health and character requirements.

Applicants are assessed against the point’s test in which points can be claimed in the following areas:

Age
English language ability
Australian and overseas skilled work experience
Australian & International qualifications
Australian study requirements
Specialist qualifications.
Credentialed community language qualifications
Regional Australian study
Spouse skill qualifications
Professional year in Australia

SkillSelect Points Test

Points are awarded on the basis of the factors listed in the following table. All factors are assessed as they are at the time you are invited to apply for this visa.

Overview

Points criteria are assessed at the time of invitation

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	Points
Competent English	0
Proficient English	10
Superior English	20

Overseas skilled employment – (outside Australia)	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)	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
More information 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 an 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 recognised 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	Points
A Doctorate from an Australian educational institution or a Doctorate from another educational institution, that is of a recognised standard.	20
At least a Bachelor degree from an Australian educational institution or at least a Bachelor qualification, from another educational institution, that is of a recognised standard.	15
A diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution.	10
Attained a qualification or award recognised by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation as being suitable for that occupation.	10
More information 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 we can assist you as part of our visa services, to get your overseas qualification assessed. Doctoral requirements (PhD) 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 (PhD). You cannot claim these points for the award of other qualifications that give you the right to use to the title of Doctor (that is, general practitioner, dentist, vet).

Specialist education qualification	Points
A Masters degree by research or a Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years study in a relevant field. The postgraduate degree by research (doctorate or masters) 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:	10
Eligible 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. To determine whether your qualification is eligible, see the CRICOS website.

Specialist education qualification

Points

A Masters degree by research or a Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years study in a relevant field.
The postgraduate degree by research (doctorate or masters) 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:

Eligible 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.

To determine whether your qualification is eligible, see the CRICOS website.

Australian study requirement	Points
Meet the Australian study requirement. You must have at least 1 degree, diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that meets the Australian study requirement.	5

Professional Year in Australia	Points
Completion of a Professional Year in Australia.	5
More information 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 a period of 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 organisations: 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.

Professional Year in Australia

Points

Completion of a Professional Year in Australia.

More information

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 a period of 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 organisations:
- 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.

Credentialed community language	Points
Hold a recognised qualification in a credentialed community language. To be credentialed 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.	5

Credentialed community language

Points

Hold a recognised qualification in a credentialed community language.
To be credentialed 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	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. 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 study undertaken by distance education	5

Study in regional Australia

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.

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 study undertaken by distance education

Partner skills	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 that 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 has 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

Partner skills

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 that 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.

Your spouse or de facto partner must also be an applicant for this visa and has 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.

You are single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Entitlements of the SkillSelect – Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Successful applicants and holders of an Australian Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) are granted permanent residency in Australia. This will allow you and your eligible family members to: