The three visa routes to Australia, explained
189, 190 or 491 — which one fits you determines your whole journey. And why the difference between "may take part" and "gets invited" costs most people time and money.
5 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Australia has three main routes for skilled migrants: two permanent visas and one provisional. Which one fits you determines not only your visa but your whole track: where you may live, how long it takes, and which steps you take in which order.
The three routes in short:
- The 189 is permanent and without obligations.
- The 190 is permanent, with state nomination: a state puts you forward. That yields 5 extra points, and you live in that state for two years.
- The 491 is provisional, for regional Australia. It yields 15 extra points and is valid for five years; after three years you can move on to permanent residence.
Whether you get invited depends on your points. The official minimum is 65 points. The invitation threshold, the score with which you actually get an invitation in practice, is higher per occupation.
The 189 — Skilled Independent
A permanent visa without obligations. You may live and work anywhere in Australia, you are bound to no state, and you need not ask anyone for a nomination. It is the freest route, and therefore the one most people aim for. Precisely for that reason it is the hardest: you compete with all other applicants worldwide, and only the highest scores are invited.
The 190 — State Nominated
Also permanent, but with a state attached. An Australian state or territory nominates you, and expects in return that you live there for the first two years. In exchange, the nomination yields 5 extra points under the points table, as long as the state does not withdraw it. Those five points sound modest, but they are often exactly the difference between waiting and being invited. The downside is that you are bound: to a state, and to the occupation list that state uses. That list can be narrower than the national one.
The 491 — Skilled Work Regional
A provisional visa for five years, with 15 extra points on nomination by a state or sponsorship by a family member in a designated regional area. You live and work three years in such an area, and can then apply for permanent residence. "Regional" means something broader in Australia than you would think: it includes whole cities such as Adelaide, Perth and Hobart. For those who need not live in Sydney or Melbourne, this is often the fastest route to permanent residence, via a detour that looks longer on paper.
| Route | Residence | Extra points | Fee main applicant (2026-27) | Partner / child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | permanent | none | $6,135 | $3,070 / $1,540 |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | permanent, 2 years in the nominating state | 5 | $6,140 | $3,070 / $1,535 |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional | provisional, 5 years; after 3 years regional on to permanent | 15 | $6,140 | $3,070 / $1,535 |
The fees are the base application charge from the Migration Regulations, paid on application; an amount is added for each family member, and they are revised annually on 1 July.
What is the rule of thumb?
The more points you bring yourself, the more independent the route you can choose. Whoever scores comfortably can aim for the 189. Whoever is in the middle often gets much further with a state nomination or a regional route than with patience.
What is the difference between "may take part" and "gets invited"?
This is where most people go wrong. The official minimum is 65 points: with 65 points you may lodge an Expression of Interest, the registration with which you compete for an invitation. But in practice the invitation threshold for the 189 is higher per occupation. In the June 2026 round it ran from 65 points for trades in demand, via 75 to 85 for health occupations, to 100 for the busiest occupations.
Do not count yourself rich on 65 points. Whoever plans on the official minimum lodges an application that is technically valid and in practice never comes up. That costs no refusal — it costs months or years waiting for an invitation that does not come.
What does this mean for your order?
You cannot make this choice on preference alone. It follows from two things you must know first: is your occupation on the right list, and how many points do you realistically bring. Only once those two are settled do you know which routes are open to you. Then the choice usually becomes clear by itself. What you should in any case not do is gather documents before you know this: the requirements differ per route, and work for the wrong route can be thrown away.
Mind the programme-year change
The thresholds, quotas, fees and occupation lists are revised per programme year, around 1 July. A score that still looked ample in May can have become tight in August. If you are close to an invitation in spring, pressing on is often wiser than waiting another round. For the current thresholds always look at the source, not at a summary on a forum.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Australia or go straight to step 1.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Home Affairs — subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs — subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Home Affairs — subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- SkillSelect — invitation rounds and points thresholds — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 1 (charges 189, 190, 491) and Schedule 6D (nomination points 5 and 15) — legislation.gov.au
Read on
- AustraliaOrientation4 min
The skills assessment: who assesses your occupation, and why that step has to come first
Before Australia looks at your visa application, an assessing authority must establish that you really master your occupation. This is the longest processing time in the preparation phase — the step you therefore start first, and a result valid for at most three years.
Updated 26 September 2026
- AustraliaOrientation4 min
The points system: how to calculate your Australian score
Age, English, work experience and education — the points system decides whether you get an invitation. This is how you add up your score, and this is the difference between being allowed to take part and being invited.
Updated 26 September 2026
- AustraliaOrientation4 min
Is your occupation on the list? This is how you look it up
Without an occupation on the skilled occupation list there is no route — this is the very first check of the whole journey. How the lists work, which of the four lists belongs to which visa, why your job title doesn't count, and what else the list tells you.
Updated 26 September 2026