The step-by-step plan for Australia

Australia has three main routes for skilled migrants, and which one fits you decides your whole journey. The 189 (Skilled Independent) is permanent and without obligations: you may live and work anywhere. The 190 (State Nominated) is also permanent, but a state nominates you and expects you to live there for the first two years — you get 5 extra points for it. The 491 (Regional) is a provisional visa for five years with 15 extra points, where you live in a regional area for three years and can then apply for permanent residence. Rule of thumb: the more points you bring yourself, the more independent the route you can choose.

One thing official sites don't make clear: the official minimum is 65 points, but the invitation threshold is higher and differs per occupation: in the June 2026 round from 65 points for sought-after trades to 100 for the most crowded occupations. That difference between "may take part" and "gets invited" is where most people lose time and money.

Without an occupation on the skilled occupation list there's no route — so this is your very first check, before you do anything else. Look up your occupation via the ANZSCO classification. Note: it's not about your job title but about the task description; a Dutch job name doesn't always translate one-to-one. For the 189 your occupation has to be on the MLTSSL; for the 190 and 491 broader lists apply. If your occupation is only on the broader lists, you know right away you have to think towards state nomination or regional.

The points system counts among other things age (maximum under 33), English level, work experience and education. Be strict with yourself — points you hope to get don't count. If you come out well above 85, the independent 189 route is realistic. If you're between 65 and 80, look seriously at the 190 (+5) or the 491 (+15). Below 65 the journey isn't feasible in its current form — better that you know that now than after thousands of euros in assessments.

Two hard limits to know: you have to be under 45 at the moment of invitation, and the partner situation counts. A partner with their own skills assessment and Competent English yields 10 points, Competent English alone 5, and as a single applicant you get 10. If your partner is also on the occupation list, work out both scenarios: who becomes the main applicant can make the difference.

This is an indication, not a guarantee. Your points are only officially determined at your application.

Before you go further, you want to know what you're getting into. The calculator above works on your own moving choices — not on an average family — and shows three cost blocks: the application phase (assessments, tests, translations, visa fees — quickly a few thousand euros for a family), the move (depending on your choices: from almost nothing to well over ten thousand euros), and the landing period (deposit, temporary rent, bridging until income — often underestimated).

A rule of thumb that makes the journey less stressful: only start spending once you can carry the whole application block without borrowing.

This is the step without forms, and yet this is where most journeys fail. Emigrating isn't something you do alone — even if the papers are in one name. Discuss with your partner and, depending on their age, your children: why do we want this, what are we giving up, and what is for each of us the condition for saying yes?

A practical point that's often forgotten: the partner who isn't the main applicant needs a working life there too — check already whether that occupation has prospects there. Take your time for this; all the following steps are easier with a family that really stands behind the choice.

Close the orientation phase with a target date for departure. Not as a deadline — as a compass. The tool counts back from now: which step has to start when to keep that date feasible, and where there's slack. A realistic picture: from start to visa, this journey takes most people 12 to 24 months, depending on assessment lead times and invitation rounds.

You fill it in below in this card, and filling it in is completing the step. You can always adjust your target date — the planning adjusts with it.