Skilled Visas – 189, 190 and 491
189, 190 and 491 visas fall under the skilled visa category. For all of these visas a minimum score of 65 points is required. With a skills assessment and evidence of English competency, an expression of interest can be lodged and then you need to wait to see if you are invited to apply. Note that 65 points guarantees you nothing and a skilled migration practitioner tracks points trends and can offer a learned opinion on prospects of success based on the competitiveness of your profile. If you are onshore with a pending visa expiry date you may need to explore additional options in addition to a skilled visa.
State sponsored visas (190 and 491) have larger occupation lists compared to the 189 visa. 190 and 189 are permanent residency applications. The 491 is a 5 year visa with a built-in pathway to PR.
Points for skilled visas can be earned in a number of ways. The most amount of points come from your age with the ‘perfect’ migration age being between 25 and 33. English language test scores are another big point earner as well as education and work experience.
Seek professional advice to make sure you don’t place your bets on the wrong visa especially if you are making an onshore application and need to receive an invitation before your current visa expires.
190/491 State Nominated Visa
Typically, if you are onshore you need to have been living in that state for some time before they will consider inviting you to apply for a skilled visa. Know that the states can change their rules at any time and tend to do so even more often than the Department. If a state chooses to sponsor you for a 190 visa based on your occupation being on their list you will earn an extra 5 points, for a 491 visa, 15 points are awarded by the State.
491 Regional Visa
The 491 is a 5 year visa with a built-in pathway to PR. Technically you can be sponsored by an eligible family member or by a state/territory in Australia, but in reality, there is extremely limited allocation for the family sponsored stream. 491 visa holders need to work, live and study in a designated regional area. After 3 years of lodging tax returns and complying with the 491 conditions you can be eligible to apply for PR through the 191 visa. A 491 visa holder cannot apply for PR sooner than 3 years after the 491 is granted.