Australia Immigration

Immigrating to Australia

Australia's skilled program is run through SkillSelect — you lodge an Expression of Interest, get scored on the points test, and are invited to apply for the most suitable visa. Most Indian applicants enter through the General Skilled Migration stream (189/190/491), employer-sponsored 482/186, or partner visas, all leading toward PR and Australian citizenship.

Main visa routes

Skilled Independent (189) — points-tested PR with no sponsor required; occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
Skilled Nominated (190) — points-tested PR with state or territory nomination (adds 5 points); MLTSSL or STSOL depending on state list.
Skilled Work Regional Provisional (491) — 5-year provisional regional visa (adds 15 points) leading to the permanent 191 after 3 years of living and working in a regional area.
Employer Nomination (186) & Skills in Demand (SID) — 186 grants permanent residency via Direct Entry or Temporary Residence Transition; the new Skills in Demand visa replaced the 482 (TSS) from December 2024, with Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement streams.
Business, Talent & Family — Business Innovation and Investment (188 provisional → 888 permanent), Global Talent (858) for top talent in target sectors, Partner (820/801 onshore, 309/100 offshore) and Parent visas (long queues for non-contributory; 143/884 contributory).

Who can apply / Key requirements

Points test — 65-point minimum to be invited; in practice recent invited scores run 75–95+ for most occupations. Points cover age, English, qualifications, work experience, partner skills, and study in Australia.
Skills assessment — required before EOI; ACS for IT, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS for general professional roles, CPA Australia / CA ANZ for accountants, AHPRA for health, AITSL for teachers.
English — Competent English (IELTS 6.0 each band or equivalent PTE/OET/TOEFL) minimum; Proficient (7.0) and Superior (8.0) add 10 and 20 points.
Age limit — under 45 at invitation for most General Skilled Migration visas; exemptions for some employer-sponsored and global talent applicants.

How we support you

Points modelling across 189, 190, 491, and employer-sponsored options.
Skills assessment coordination with ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS and others.
State nomination strategy and Expression of Interest lodgement in SkillSelect.
Post-invitation document collation, health checks, and Department of Home Affairs filing.
Partner, dependent, and Subclass 600 visitor visa support.

Australia at a glance

Destination

Australia

Main systemSkillSelect EOI

Points minimum65 (invited 75–95+)

Age capUnder 45 at invite

Skills bodiesACS, EA, VETASSESS

189 feeAUD $4,640 main

SID (ex-482) feefrom AUD $3,210

Citizenship4 yrs (incl. 1 yr PR)

Score your points

189 / 190 / 491 — Skilled Migration

Subclass 189 is independent PR with no sponsor; 190 needs state nomination (+5 points) and PR on grant; 491 is a 5-year regional provisional visa (+15 points) that converts to the permanent 191 after 3 years of regional living and working.

482 / SID & 186 — Employer Sponsored

The new Skills in Demand visa (Dec 2024) replaced the 482 (TSS) and runs three streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement. Subclass 186 is the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme, accessible via Direct Entry or Temporary Residence Transition after 2 years on a sponsored visa.

Global Talent (858) & Business (188/888)

Global Talent 858 is permanent residency for highly talented individuals in target sectors such as cyber, fintech, AgriTech, MedTech, and quantum. Business Innovation and Investment 188 is a 5-year provisional visa leading to the permanent 888.

Partner, Parent & Student-to-PR

Partner visas (820/801 onshore, 309/100 offshore) lead to PR after a 2-year provisional period. Parent visas have very long non-contributory queues; contributory 143/884 are faster but expensive. Many students transition through the 485 Temporary Graduate visa to skilled PR.

Eligibility & points test

The skilled points test allocates points across age, English, qualifications, work experience, study in Australia, and partner skills. You must score at least 65 to be invited, but most successful Indian applicants invest in English (Proficient or Superior), regional study, or a partner skills assessment to push their score into the competitive 80–95+ range.

Age — 25–32 years scores the maximum 30 points; tapers down to 15 points at 40–44; zero at 45+.
English — 0 (Competent), 10 (Proficient — IELTS 7), 20 (Superior — IELTS 8).
Education & experience — up to 20 points for a doctorate, plus up to 20 for skilled work experience; bonuses for Australian study, regional study, and STEM/specialist qualifications.
Partner — up to 10 points if your partner has a positive skills assessment, English and is under 45; 5 points if Competent English; 10 points if you are single.

Process & timeline

Stage 1 — Skills assessment with the relevant authority (typically 3–12 weeks) and English test results.
Stage 2 — Submit an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect; EOI sits in the pool ranked by points.
Stage 3 — Receive an invitation (190: state nomination first); 60 days to lodge a complete visa application with the Department of Home Affairs.
Stage 4 — Medical checks (Bupa or approved panel), police clearances, decision; current processing 6–12 months for most 189/190 grants.
Citizenship — eligible after 4 years lawful residence, including at least the last 12 months as a permanent resident.

Quick checklist

Skills assessment3–12 weeks

English testIELTS / PTE / TOEFL

EOI to inviteHighly variable

Lodge after invite60 days

189/190 processing6–12 months

PR to citizenship12 months min.

Plan your Australia route

Is 65 points really enough?

65 is the floor to be considered, not the score that gets invited. For most non-pro-rata occupations, recent invited scores have run 80–95+, with state nomination, regional study, partner skills, and Superior English used to close the gap.

What replaced the 482 (TSS) visa?

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa, in effect since December 2024, with three streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement. It carries clearer pathways to PR via the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.

Do I need a skills assessment before applying?

Yes — for almost all skilled and employer-sponsored visas. ACS for IT, Engineers Australia for engineering, VETASSESS for many other professions, plus profession-specific bodies like AHPRA and AITSL.

When can I become an Australian citizen?

After 4 years of lawful residence in Australia, including at least the last 12 months as a permanent resident, plus passing the citizenship test and meeting good-character requirements.

Verified with official sources

Fees, visa rules, salary thresholds, and intake dates change regularly. We've drawn the figures on this page from the official sources below — always confirm the latest details directly before applying or paying.

Australia – Home Affairs ↗ · SkillSelect & visa finder ↗ · Skilled Migration occupation lists ↗