The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the fully independent end of the points-tested skilled program — no employer, no state or territory, and no family member needs to sponsor or nominate you.
Once granted, it's a permanent visa: you can live and work anywhere in Australia, study, enrol in Medicare, travel freely for five years, sponsor eligible family members later on, and work towards citizenship if you meet those separate requirements.
There are two active streams. Most applicants come through the points-tested stream. A separate stream exists for eligible Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport holders who can show a genuine commitment to Australia — broadly, holding an eligible visa (such as a 457, 482 or 485) and around four years living here, along with functional English. A previous New Zealand stream closed to new applicants from 1 July 2023 and isn't available to new applicants now.
Invitation rounds run roughly quarterly, and how competitive a given round is depends heavily on your occupation and how many other applicants are chasing the same limited places.
Because there's no sponsor or nominating state involved, there's no ongoing obligation to a particular employer, no requirement to live in a specific location, and none of the conditions that can come attached to a nominated or sponsored visa. The trade-off is that it's usually more competitive — you're relying entirely on your own points score rather than the extra points or lower threshold a state nomination can sometimes bring.
Contact me for an assessment of your points and invitation prospects.
The information on this page is general only and doesn't constitute migration advice for your circumstances. Occupation lists, points thresholds and invitation rounds are reviewed periodically and can change. Meeting the minimum points threshold does not guarantee an invitation or visa grant.
