Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
This visa lets invited workers with skills we need, to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
Why this page is in English
This page explains your legal rights and how FairLanding works. Because the exact wording matters for legal accuracy, we keep it in English only — the same language as the official Fair Work and Department of Home Affairs documents it refers to.
If anything here is unclear, you have a few free options:
- •Use your browser's built-in translate feature (right-click the page and select "Translate")
- •Call 131 450 (Translating and Interpreting Service) for a free phone interpreter in over 150 languages
- •Email us at hello@fairlanding.com.au and we'll explain it in plain language
We'd rather you ask a question than guess. Your rights are the same whether you read this page in English or with a translation.
With this visa, you can
stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible
enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
if eligible, become an Australian citizen
How long you can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa.
For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day we grant the visa if you are in Australia, or the day you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia.
Newly arrived residents may need to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits.
Include family
You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can include them when you lodge your visa application, or add them after you lodge your application but before we decide on your visa.
Family members who apply for the visa must meet health and character requirements.
If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).
Cost
The visa costs AUD $6,135.00 for the main applicant (concessions apply in limited circumstances). There is also a charge for each family member who applies with you.
You might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge is the second instalment. Pay it only when we ask you to — only if we are going to grant the visa. The second instalment charge for family members is AUD $4,885.00.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount, recognised by the valid passport from a specified country used in the application. Family members are also eligible, based on the primary applicant's passport.
Eligible passports: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application, but not in immigration clearance.
If you apply in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, a subclass 020 Bridging B visa or a subclass 030 Bridging C visa, otherwise your application will not be processed.
Processing times
Use the visa processing time guide tool for an indication of processing times — it shows times for recently decided applications and is a guide only, not specific to your application.
Actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including: whether you lodged a complete application with all supporting documents, how quickly you respond to requests for additional information, how long required checks take on supporting information, how long it takes to receive information from external agencies (health, character, national security), and how many places are available in the migration program.
Travel
You can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant the visa.
After 5 years you will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
Sourced directly from the Department of Home Affairs — last verified 26 July 2026. This is general information, not migration advice. Always confirm current requirements at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au or consult a MARA-registered migration agent.