Australia’s General Skilled visa is not one visa but a program of three: Subclass 189, Subclass 190, and Subclass 491. To qualify for any of them, you need at least 65 points on the government’s points test, an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, and a positive skills assessment from the authority designated for that occupation. You also need to be under 45 and to receive an invitation to apply before you can lodge.
The Three Subclasses and Which One Fits
The right visa depends on whether you can secure a state nomination and whether you’re willing to commit to a regional area.
Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) is a permanent visa that lets you live and work anywhere in Australia with no sponsor or nominator. Because there’s no state backing to add points, it’s the most competitive of the three.
Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) is also permanent, but you must be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency. The nomination adds 5 points to your score. States set their own eligibility criteria, and if a state withdraws its nomination after you’ve applied, the application becomes invalid.
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) is a provisional visa lasting five years. You need either a state or territory nomination or sponsorship from an eligible relative living in a designated regional area. It adds 15 points, which is often the deciding factor for applicants who can’t reach a competitive independent score. You must live, work, and study in a designated regional area, and after three years you can apply for permanent residency through Subclass 191.
All three carry the same base visa application charge of AUD 4,910 for the primary applicant as of mid-2025, with fees indexed annually each July.1Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491) Adult dependants add AUD 2,455 and children under 18 add AUD 1,230. Fees are non-refundable, even if the application is refused.2Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
How the Points Test Works
Sixty-five is the minimum to receive an invitation, but in practice it’s the floor rather than the target.3Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa Invitation rounds draw from the highest-scoring candidates first, so competitive occupations often require scores well above 65.
Age at Invitation
Your age when you’re invited to apply sets the starting score.4Department of Home Affairs. Points Table for Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
- 18 to 24: 25 points
- 25 to 32: 30 points
- 33 to 39: 25 points
- 40 to 44: 15 points
Anyone 45 or older at the time of invitation is ineligible.
English Language
Competent English is the baseline for all three subclasses but earns zero points. You prove it with an IELTS score of at least 6 in each component, or an equivalent result on PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, or another approved test.5Department of Home Affairs. Competent English Passport holders from the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland can satisfy the requirement with their passport alone.
Higher scores earn real points. Proficient English adds 10, and superior English adds 20. For anyone hovering near 65, retaking the test at a higher level is often the fastest way to close the gap.
Education
Qualifications count between 10 and 20 points:
- Doctorate: 20 points
- Bachelor’s degree: 15 points
- Diploma or trade qualification: 10 points
The qualification can come from an Australian or overseas institution, provided the assessing authority recognizes it as meeting the required standard.
Work Experience
Australian experience earns more points per year than overseas experience, and only work in your nominated skilled occupation counts. Unrelated employment earns nothing.
- Overseas: 3 to 4 years (5 points), 5 to 7 years (10 points), 8+ years (15 points)
- Australian: 1 to 2 years (5 points), 3 to 4 years (10 points), 5 to 7 years (15 points), 8+ years (20 points)
Bonus Points That Close the Gap
State or territory nomination is the largest single boost available: 5 points for Subclass 190, 15 points for Subclass 491 or family sponsorship into a regional area.
A Professional Year Program in Australia adds 5 points. These 12-month programs combine coursework with workplace experience in accounting, IT, and engineering, delivered through bodies such as the Australian Computer Society, CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and Engineers Australia.6Department of Home Affairs. Points Table for Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) The program must be completed within the four years before invitation.
Passing the NAATI Credentialed Community Language test also earns 5 points. It measures community-level interpreting between English and another language, and doesn’t require professional-level skill.7National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test
Partner circumstances contribute too. If your partner has a positive skills assessment, competent English, and meets the age limit, you can claim points for them. Points are also available if your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or if you apply as a single applicant.
Occupation Lists and Skills Assessment
Your occupation must sit on the relevant skilled occupation list for the visa you want. The Department maintains the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL).8Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Occupation List Subclass 189 generally requires the MLTSSL; Subclasses 190 and 491 draw from a broader range.
The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), introduced in December 2024, applies to employer-sponsored visas such as Subclass 482 and Subclass 186, not to the points-tested GSM visas.9Jobs and Skills Australia. 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) Consultations Lists are updated periodically, so check the current version before you invest in the process.
Once you’ve confirmed your occupation is listed, you need a positive skills assessment from the authority designated for it.10Department of Home Affairs. Skills Assessment Engineers go through Engineers Australia, IT professionals through the Australian Computer Society, accountants through CPA Australia or an equivalent body. Each assessor sets its own procedures, fees, and processing times, and many require a minimum number of years of post-qualification experience before they’ll issue a positive assessment. Start early; some assessments take months, and the result must be in hand before you can be invited to apply.
Expression of Interest and Invitation
With your skills assessment complete, you submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, the government’s online platform.11Department of Home Affairs. SkillSelect The EOI is a structured profile: personal details, work history, English test results, skills assessment reference. No documents are uploaded at this stage. There’s no fee to submit or update an EOI, and it stays active for two years from submission.12Department of Home Affairs. SkillSelect – After You Submit Your Expression of Interest
Accuracy matters. Every claim you make in the EOI will need to be documented later. If the formal application reveals discrepancies with what you entered, the Department can refuse the visa. Don’t round up work experience or claim qualifications you haven’t finished.
Lodging the Visa Application
An invitation gives you 60 days to lodge a complete application, and the deadline is firm.13Department of Home Affairs. SkillSelect Expression of Interest Miss it and you return to the pool for another invitation that isn’t guaranteed to come.
Applications are lodged through ImmiAccount. You upload the skills assessment result, English test scores, identity documents, qualification certificates, employment references, and any other evidence supporting your EOI claims. Processing times vary by subclass and case complexity; six to eighteen months is a realistic range. During processing, the case officer may request further documents, health examinations, or police clearances from every country where you’ve lived for twelve months or more.
Health and Character
Every applicant and every included family member must pass health and character checks, and these produce genuine refusals.
Health examinations are conducted by approved panel physicians. At minimum, you’ll need a chest X-ray and a general medical exam. The Department assesses whether any condition would impose significant cost on the Australian healthcare system. The current threshold is AUD 86,000; projected treatment and support costs over the assessment period exceeding that figure make a failure likely. Assessment covers hospital care, pharmaceuticals, allied health, and community support services. A health waiver may be available, but the bar is high.
Character assessment relies on police clearance certificates from every country where you’ve spent twelve months or more in the past ten years. The Migration Act requires refusal or cancellation if the applicant has a substantial criminal record, defined as a sentence of imprisonment for 12 months or more, or multiple sentences totaling two years or more.14Department of Home Affairs. Character Requirements for Visas Even without a criminal record, the Department can refuse a visa where there’s evidence of association with criminal organizations or risk to the Australian community.
From Provisional to Permanent on the 491
Subclass 491 is provisional, not permanent. To stay long-term, you apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, Subclass 191. You must have held your 491 for at least three years, complied with its conditions by living and working in a designated regional area, and earned taxable income at or above the specified threshold for at least three of those years.15Department of Home Affairs. Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (Subclass 191)
The income requirement means genuine work, not just residence. You’ll evidence it with Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment. Part-time work or periods of unemployment can leave gaps that make the transition harder, so plan employment around the requirement from day one.
Medicare and Social Security After the Grant
Subclass 189 and 190 holders become permanent residents the day the visa is granted, which means immediate Medicare eligibility.3Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 491 holders are on a provisional visa but can still enroll in Medicare under a Ministerial Order, either online through myGov or by submitting a Medicare enrollment form with a current passport and valid visa details.16Services Australia. Enrolling in Medicare if You’re a Temporary Resident Covered by a Ministerial Order
Social security payments are slower. Most newly arrived residents face a four-year waiting period before they can access payments such as JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, or Parenting Payment.17Department of Social Services. Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period (NARWP) Family Tax Benefit Part A and Carer Allowance have a one-year wait; Carer Payment has a two-year wait. The clock starts on the date your permanent visa is granted, not when you first arrive. Don’t plan a household budget around immediate access to government income support.