Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

The Skilled Independent (Permanent) (Class SI) Subclass 189 visa is a permanent resident visa for invited workers and New Zealand citizens who want to work and live in Australia.

Key Eligibility requirements

Points-tested stream

• You must be under 45 years of age.
• You must have a skilled occupation on the relevant Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL).
• You must be able to demonstrate ‘Competent English’.
• You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessing authority in relation to your nominated occupation.
• You must obtain the minimum score on the Points Test at the time of invitation to apply for the visa.
• You must obtain an invitation to apply for the visa. To be invited you will need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and meet the required points test on a competitive basis.
• You must satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
• You must meet health and character requirements.

Hong Kong stream

• You must apply on or after 5 March 2022.
• You must hold a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport.
• You must hold an eligible Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa, or a Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa or a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa. You must have held this visa for at least 4 years.
• You must have been a usual resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 4 years immediately before the date of the application.
• You must satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
• You must meet health and character requirements.