The Skilled Independent visa is one of the most popular visas in Australia. This visa is catered to those who are skilled but are not sponsored by a family member, an employer, or nominated by a state or territory government. The 189 independent visa accommodates invited workers and New Zealand citizens with the necessary skills, to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.

To apply for the Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) you must first check to see if your occupation is on the Skilled Occupations List – if it does not appear on this list, then you will not be eligible for a Skilled Independent visa. Next, you must ensure that you meet all the requirements for the application (they have been listed below) and complete a Skills Assessment. Once you have obtained an acceptable score to be eligible for the subclass 189 visa and submitted an expression of interest form through ‘Skill Select’ which can be found on the Australian Government website, you will be sent an invitation to apply where you can submit your final and complete application.

Submitting an expression of interest form for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) can be done either in Australia or overseas. To be able to apply from within Australia, you will need to be holding a bridging visa. A bridging visa is granted to allow you to remain in Australia while you are waiting for an application to be processed.

The Skilled Independent visa (189) also includes a New Zealand stream that allows citizens from New Zealand who have demonstrated commitment and contribution to Australia, to live and work in the country permanently. To be eligible for this stream, you must hold a New Zealand Special Category (Subclass 444) visa, have lived within Australia for at least 5 years, must have started living in Australia on or before 19 February 2016, be able to meet the taxable income requirements, and satisfy health and character checks.

Like most visas, the Skilled Independent visa (189) checks the applicant’s and any other additional family member’s health and character requirements. To pass the health requirements you must be free of any disease or condition that is a significant healthcare and community service cost to the Australian public, or any disease/condition that threatens communal health.

Similarly, you and your family must be of good character to visit or live in Australia. This requires you to pass the character test and remain of good character throughout your stay in the country. To pass the character checks, the Australian Government considers a range of circumstances such as the overall protection of the Australian community – especially children, the impact that a refusal on your visa would have on your family in Australia, or any potential impact your visa would have on Australian businesses and community interests.

To be eligible for the Skilled Independent visa subclass 189, you must:

• Submit an expression of interest (EOI) form through ‘Skill Select’.
• Pass the points test with a score of at least 65.
• Be competent in English, as well as passing health and character checks.
• Be between 18–45 years of age when receiving an invitation.
• Have suitable skills that can be assessed for your desired occupation.
• Nominate a relevant occupation that appears on the Australian Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
• Be invited to apply and then apply within 60 days of receiving this invitation.

With the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), you can work and study anywhere in Australia, enrol in Medicare (Australia’s health care scheme), sponsor suitable relatives for permanent residency, and if eligible, you may become an Australian citizen. Suitable family members include your partner, you or your partner’s dependent child or you or your partner’s dependent relative. Family members that are granted the visa have the same rights and can do the same things as the visa applicant.

In most cases, any family that you are adding to your visa application must also meet the required standards in English competency, health, and character checks. E-Help Consultancy can assist you in understanding what this means for not only your application but anyone you are choosing to bring with you. Traditionally, to pass health and character checks you need to be free of any disease or condition that may be a significant healthcare or community service cost to Australia and must not have any disease/condition that threatens public health standards within the country.

You and your family must be of good character to visit or live in Australia. This requires you to pass the character test and remain of good character throughout your stay in the country. To pass the character test, the Australian Government considers a range of circumstances such as the overall protection of the Australian community – especially children, the impact that a visa refusal would have on your family in Australia, or any impact a granted visa would have on Australian businesses and community interests.

With the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), you will be able to stay in Australia permanently. Although it allows you an indefinite stay, the 189 visa includes a travel condition that expires 5 years after the visa is granted.