The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is permanent residence in Australia without an employer, a state or a relative. You need a positive skills assessment in an eligible occupation, English at Competent level or better, at least 65 points and an invitation to apply issued through SkillSelect. Invited applicants pay AUD 6,135 from 1 July 2026 and must lodge within 60 days. For Indian applicants in software, accounting and engineering the invitation score, not the 65-point minimum, decides the timeline, and twelve to twenty-four months from first English test to grant is a realistic span.
The compact version with the price card, checklist and refusal cases is on the Australia Skilled Independent route page. This article explains how the points are earned and evidenced, why the invitation score matters more than the pass mark, and what to prepare before the round.
Who is eligible for the Skilled Independent visa?
You must be under 45 at the time of invitation, hold a positive skills assessment for an occupation on the relevant skilled list, have English at Competent level (IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent), score at least 65 points and receive an invitation. Every point you claim in the expression of interest must be evidenced at lodgement; a visa application that cannot support the claimed score is refused even if the shortfall is small.
The points test, factor by factor
| Factor | Points | Notes for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Age 25 to 32 | 30 | 25 points at 18 to 24 and 33 to 39; 15 at 40 to 44 |
| English: Competent / Proficient / Superior | 0 / 10 / 20 | IELTS 6 / 7 / 8 in each band, or PTE 50 / 65 / 79 |
| Overseas skilled employment: 3 / 5 / 8 years | 5 / 10 / 15 | Counted only after the assessing authority's skilled date |
| Australian skilled employment: 1 / 3 / 5 / 8 years | 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 | Combined employment cap 20 |
| Qualification: doctorate / bachelor or master / diploma or trade | 20 / 15 / 10 | Assessed as comparable to the Australian level |
| Australian study requirement | 5 | Plus 5 for regional study |
| Specialist education (STEM research master's or PhD in Australia) | 10 | |
| Credentialled community language (NAATI) | 5 | Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and others |
| Professional year in Australia | 5 | ICT, accounting, engineering |
| Partner: skilled / Competent English / single | 10 / 5 / 10 | Partner's own skills assessment and English for 10 |
The assessing authority decides when your employment became "skilled". ACS, for ICT occupations, deducts two to four years from the start of your career depending on how closely your degree matches the occupation, which routinely removes 5 points Indian applicants expected to claim. Engineers Australia and VETASSESS apply their own rules. Check the skilled date on the assessment letter before entering employment claims.
Why is 65 not the real number?
Occupation ceilings and the migration program planning levels decide how many invitations each round issues per occupation, and invitations go to the highest-ranked expressions of interest first. Recent rounds have invited software engineers, developer programmers, accountants and several engineering occupations at scores well above 65. The practical levers are Superior English (20 points), a partner with a skills assessment and Competent English (10), a professional year or Australian study (5 each), and NAATI (5). When the independent score is not competitive, state nomination (subclass 190, 5 points) or regional nomination (subclass 491, 15 points) are the usual alternatives, each with its own state criteria.
Fees and costs
| Item | AUD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent visa, main applicant | 6,135 | From 1 July 2026; paid after invitation, not refunded on refusal |
| Additional applicants | Per pricing table | Partner and each child |
| Second instalment | 4,885 | Each adult applicant without functional English, before grant |
| Skills assessment | 500 to 1,500 | ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, TRA; 6 to 12 weeks |
| English test | About INR 17,000 to 18,000 | IELTS, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT; valid three years for the visa |
| Health examinations and police certificates | Panel physician and Passport Seva fees | Every applicant |
Lodging the expression of interest is free. Include every family member who may migrate when you lodge; those added later pay a separate charge.
From skills assessment to grant
- Apply to the assessing authority with qualifications and employment evidence, and sit IELTS, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT aiming for Proficient or Superior.
- Lodge the expression of interest in SkillSelect with the occupation, assessment, English, employment and education claims; the system calculates the score and ranks the EOI for two years.
- Receive the invitation; you have 60 days to lodge with every document.
- Lodge the 189 application and pay AUD 6,135, uploading evidence for each point claimed, passports, relationship documents, police certificates and health results.
- On grant, enter Australia by the date on the grant letter; permanent residence starts on first entry.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Skills assessment | 6 to 12 weeks (ACS, Engineers Australia); longer for VETASSESS |
| English test to result | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Expression of interest to invitation | Weeks to over a year, depending on score and occupation |
| Invitation to lodgement | Up to 60 days; police certificates are the long pole |
| Lodgement to grant | Several months to about a year |
Order the Indian police clearance certificate from Passport Seva the day the invitation arrives, and order Gulf, Singapore or US certificates in anticipation when a round is imminent; they take longer than the 60 days allow if started late.
After the grant
The 189 is permanent from grant with a five-year travel facility; after five years you need a Resident Return visa to re-enter unless you have become a citizen. Permanent residents can live and work anywhere, enrol in Medicare and sponsor family. Citizenship by conferral needs four years of lawful residence including 12 months as a permanent resident, no more than 12 months' absence in the four years and 90 days in the last year, the citizenship test and good character. India does not permit dual citizenship, so naturalising means surrendering the Indian passport and applying for an OCI card; the naturalisation absence limits guide explains how the days are counted.
Why are 189 applications refused, and what fixes each reason?
Points claimed not supported. Employment claimed before the skilled date, or a partner without a valid assessment, dropping the score below the invitation score. Claim only points you can evidence and use the assessing authority's skilled date.
Expired assessment or English. Most assessments and English results are valid for three years for visa purposes. Track the dates and renew before the EOI ranks high enough to be invited.
Public interest criterion 4020. An unverifiable reference or omitted information brings a refusal and a three-year bar. Use documents the issuer will confirm and complete Form 80 accurately.
Health or character. Complete examinations early, disclose convictions with court records, and take advice where a health waiver might apply.
Lapsed invitation. Prepare the lodgement pack before the round so the 60 days are not spent waiting for certificates.
How Vistolane helps
The free eligibility check estimates your points and shows the recent invitation scores for your occupation. Permanent residence files go to a licence-checked, MARA-registered migration agent chosen on the Australia destination page; the Australia Skilled Independent route page has the checklist and price card.
