Skilled Visas
Three points-tested skilled visas suit most applicants in 2026: the 189 Independent, the 190 State Nominated, and the 491 Skilled Work Regional. Each has its own eligibility, sponsor requirements, and route to permanent residence. The full picture — points test, occupation lists, EOI process, and where applications most commonly fail — is mapped in the practice’s 2026 pillar guide.
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent
Permanent residence on grant. No sponsor required, no state commitment. The most competitive of the three — invitation cutoffs sit well above the 65-point minimum, frequently in the 90s for non-pro-rata occupations.
Read more in the pillar guide →
Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated
Permanent on grant, with a state or territory nomination. Nomination adds five points to an EOI and commits the applicant to living and working in the nominating state for two years. Each state runs its own selection process and occupation list.
Read more in the pillar guide →
Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
A five-year provisional visa for skilled workers willing to live, work, and study in designated regional Australia. After three years of meeting the visa’s conditions — including taxable income thresholds — eligibility opens for the subclass 191 permanent visa.
Read more in the pillar guide →
Skills Assessments & the EOI process
Every points-tested pathway begins with a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, then an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect. Invitations are issued by round based on points score, occupation, and program priorities. The pillar guide covers the full sequence from skills assessment to invitation to lodgement.