Which Skilled Visa Should You Choose: 189, 190 or 491
This guide compares Subclass 189, 190 and 491 skilled visas using the legislated points test, pass mark and nomination rules so you can decide which to pursue.
This guide compares Subclass 189, 190 and 491 skilled visas using the legislated points test, pass mark and nomination rules so you can decide which to pursue.
- Subclass 189 and 190 are permanent visas from the date of grant, while Subclass 491 is provisional and requires a separate Subclass 191 application to reach permanent residence (Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, item 1137 / clause 189.511).
- The legislated pool mark and pass mark for 189, 190 and 491 applications is 65 points, set by the Migration (LIN 19/210) Instrument 2019 (F2019L01400) — this is the legal minimum, not the score actually competitive in recent invitation rounds.
- State or territory nomination adds 5 points for a 190 visa (Schedule 6D item 6D121); regional nomination or accepted family sponsorship adds 15 points for a 491 visa (Schedule 6D item 6D131) — the largest single points category in the test.
- Every state and territory sets its own 190 and 491 nomination criteria and occupation lists under its own annual allocation (20,350 nominations nationally for 2025-26) — no single state's rules apply everywhere.
All three visas — Subclass 189, 190 and 491 — run on the same Schedule 6D points test and the same 65-point pool and pass mark set by LIN 19/210 (F2019L01400). The difference that actually decides which one you should pursue is this: 189 and 190 are permanent visas from the day they are granted, while 491 is a provisional visa tied to living and working in a designated regional area. Getting from a 491 to permanent residence requires a separate Subclass 191 application later — the exact income, residence and holding-period requirements for that application are addressed in their own section below, including what is and is not confirmed here. This article works through the points test, the nomination mechanics for 190 and 491, a full timeline from Expression of Interest to grant, and where each visa leads — so you can match your own score, occupation and location preference to the right pathway.
Subclass 189, 190 and 491 at a glance: permanent vs provisional and who gets invited
A Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent) visa is a permanent visa: once granted, it permits the holder to travel to and enter Australia for five years from the date of grant, and there is no sponsor or nominator standing behind the application. To be invited to apply, an applicant in the Pointstested stream must not have turned 45 at the time of invitation, must nominate a skilled occupation specified by the Minister, must have a suitable skills assessment for that occupation, and must reach the score stated in the invitation.
A Subclass 190 (Skilled—Nominated) visa is also a permanent visa. The primary difference from 189 is that a state or territory government agency must nominate the applicant before invitation, and that nomination itself is worth 5 points under Schedule 6D item 6D121, provided the nominating agency has not withdrawn it.
A Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) visa is not a permanent visa. It requires either nomination by a state or territory government agency or sponsorship by an eligible family member in a designated regional area, and this qualification is worth 15 points under Schedule 6D item 6D131 — the largest single points bonus in the table. Getting from a 491 to permanent residence requires a separate Subclass 191 application later, not automatic conversion of the 491 itself — see the dedicated section below for what that application involves and what remains to be confirmed.
Throughout this article, 'invited' means the Minister has issued a written invitation to apply for a specific visa subclass, following an Expression of Interest lodged through SkillSelect. No application for 189, 190 or 491 can be made without first receiving that invitation.
The general points test under Schedule 6D: every category and its points value
Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out the general points test used for all three visas. Every category below is scored as at the time of invitation to apply, not at the time of lodging the Expression of Interest.
Age (Part 6D.1)
18 to under 25: 25 points. 25 to under 33: 30 points. 33 to under 40: 25 points. 40 to under 45: 15 points.
English language (Part 6D.2)
Superior English: 20 points. Proficient English: 10 points.
Overseas employment experience (Part 6D.3)
At least 36 months in the nominated or a closely related occupation in the 10 years before invitation: 5 points. At least 60 months: 10 points. At least 96 months: 15 points.
Australian employment experience (Part 6D.4)
At least 12 months: 5 points. At least 36 months: 10 points. At least 60 months: 15 points. At least 96 months: 20 points.
Combined employment cap (Part 6D.5)
If an applicant would score points under both the overseas and Australian employment parts and the combined total exceeds 20 points, the Minister gives 20 points for the combination and no separate points are awarded under either Part 6D.3 or 6D.4. The prescribed cap is 20 points.
Australian professional year (Part 6D.6)
A professional year in Australia in the nominated or a closely related occupation, completed within the 48 months before invitation, for at least 12 months: 5 points.
Educational qualifications (Part 6D.7)
A doctorate (Australian or recognised equivalent standard): 20 points. At least a bachelor degree (Australian or recognised equivalent): 15 points. A diploma from an Australian institution: 10 points. A trade qualification from an Australian institution: 10 points. A qualification recognised by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for the nominated occupation: 10 points.
Specialist educational qualification (Part 6D.7A)
10 points.
Australian study requirement (Part 6D.8)
5 points.
Credentialled community language (Part 6D.9)
A qualification in a specified language, awarded or accredited by a body specified by the Minister at the specified standard: 5 points.
Study in a designated regional area (Part 6D.10)
5 points, where the applicant met the Australian study requirement, the campus (or campuses) used for that study is in a designated regional area, the applicant lived in a designated regional area while studying, and none of the study was distance education.
Partner qualifications (Part 6D.11)
A partner who is also an applicant for the same visa, not a permanent resident or citizen, under 45 at invitation, with a nominated skilled occupation, a suitable skills assessment and competent English: 10 points. If the applicant has no partner, or the partner is already an Australian permanent resident or citizen: 10 points. A partner who is an applicant for the same visa with competent English but who does not meet the full skills-assessment criteria: 5 points.
State or Territory nomination (Part 6D.12) — 190 only
Invited to apply for a Subclass 190 visa where the nominating agency has not withdrawn the nomination: 5 points.
Designated regional area nomination or sponsorship (Part 6D.13) — 491 only
Invited to apply for a Subclass 491 (or 489) visa where the nomination has not been withdrawn, or, if sponsored by a family member, the Minister has accepted the sponsorship: 15 points.
Points calculator: work out your Schedule 6D score
Select the option that applies to you in each category. Every value here is the exact figure set out in Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994. The employment experience cap applies automatically where both overseas and Australian experience are claimed.
Combined overseas and Australian employment experience (6D.5): your 35 points is capped at 20.
Estimate only — not a determination, and not a prediction of an invitation. Figures are from the legislation cited in this article; check the current text before you rely on it.
The 65-point pass mark and how SkillSelect invitation rounds work under LIN 19/210
The pool mark and the pass mark for 189, 190 and 491 applications made on or after 16 November 2019 are both set at 65 points, under section 6 of the Migration (LIN 19/210: Pool and Pass Marks for General Skilled Migration Visas) Instrument 2019 (F2019L01400). This instrument is made under sections 96(1) and (2) of the Migration Act 1958 and applies to Subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas specifically.
The 65-point figure is the legal minimum — it is the score below which an application cannot be made at all, because clause 189.224 requires the applicant's assessed score to be not less than both the score stated in the invitation and the qualifying score under the points system. It is not, on its own, the score that gets you an invitation. Invitations are issued in ranked order within each occupation ceiling, so in any given round the Department may only reach applicants scoring well above 65. Check the current invitation round outcomes and the scores actually invited on the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect and skilled visa results pages before setting your target score.
State and territory nomination for the 190 visa: how it works and why criteria differ by state
To be invited for a Subclass 190 visa, a state or territory government agency must nominate the applicant, and that nomination must not have been withdrawn at the time of invitation. Each state and territory is given its own annual nomination allocation by the Australian Government — for the 2025–26 program year, the government set the total state and territory nomination allocation at 20,350.
Each state and territory runs its own nomination program, sets its own occupation lists, and applies its own eligibility criteria within that allocation. There is no single national 190 criteria document a reader can rely on: what qualifies you for nomination in one state will not necessarily qualify you in another, and occupation lists open and close independently across jurisdictions. Whether a nomination carries any post-grant residence or work commitment in that state, and for how long, is set by the nominating state or territory itself — check the current nomination conditions on that state or territory's own official nomination page before assuming any particular period applies.
Regional nomination for the 491 visa: what counts as regional Australia and who nominates you
The 491 visa requires either nomination by a state or territory government agency for a designated regional area, or sponsorship by an eligible family member, with the Minister having accepted that sponsorship. This qualification carries 15 points under Schedule 6D item 6D131 — more than any other single category in the points test, including the 5 points available for 190 state nomination.
As with 190, the 2025–26 nomination allocations are published per state and territory for the Subclass 491 stream specifically, alongside the 190 allocations, confirming that regional nomination volumes and criteria are set jurisdiction by jurisdiction rather than as one uniform national program. What is treated as a 'designated regional area' for a given nomination is defined by the nominating state or territory's own program settings, so the practical answer to 'is my location regional' depends on which jurisdiction you are checking — confirm this against that state or territory's current published regional area list, not a single Australia-wide map.
189 vs 190 vs 491: side-by-side comparison
189 vs 190 vs 491 at a glance
Points calculator: work out your Schedule 6D score
The calculator above uses only the values published in Schedule 6D. If you are close to the pass mark once you total your own categories, remember that 65 is the legal floor, not a competitive benchmark — check current invitation round results for your occupation before treating any total as sufficient.
From Subclass 491 to Subclass 191: the pathway to permanent residence
The 491 visa is provisional. Reaching permanent residence from this pathway requires a separate Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) visa application, assessed against its own Schedule 2 criteria. Holding a 491 visa, for however long, does not by itself make you a permanent resident — the 191 application is a distinct decision point with its own criteria.
What those Schedule 2 criteria require in terms of a minimum income figure, a minimum period of regional residence, or a minimum period of holding the 491 visa before applying is not established from the sources checked for this article. Check the current Subclass 191 income, residence and time requirements directly on the Department of Home Affairs Subclass 191 visa page, or against the Subclass 191 provisions in Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994, before planning around any specific figure.
Holding a Subclass 491 visa does not itself grant permanent residence, however long you hold it. Reaching permanent residence from this pathway requires a separate Subclass 191 application assessed against its own Schedule 2 criteria. This article does not state the income threshold, residence period or holding period that application requires, because those figures were not confirmed against an official Subclass 191 source here — check the Department of Home Affairs Subclass 191 page for the current figures before relying on any specific number.
Partners, children and family members on a 189, 190 or 491 application
For a Subclass 189 visa, the primary criteria must be satisfied by at least one member of a family unit; other members of that family unit who are also applicants need only satisfy the secondary criteria in Division 189.3, not the full primary criteria (which include the skills assessment, English and points requirements). A partner who is also an applicant for the same visa can add points to the primary applicant's score under Part 6D.11 — 10 points if the partner meets the occupation, age and English requirements in their own right, or 5 points if the partner has competent English but does not meet the full requirements; if the applicant has no partner, or the partner is already an Australian permanent resident or citizen, 10 points are still awarded.
Family violence provisions exist within the secondary criteria: where a relevant person has experienced family violence committed by the primary applicant, separate provisions in clause 189.311 allow that person to be assessed without being tied to the outcome of the primary applicant's case. These same family-unit and secondary-criteria mechanics are built into the visa framework that 190 and 491 also draw on through the same Migration Regulations structure.
Step-by-step timeline: from Expression of Interest to visa grant
EOI to grant: the sequential stages
- 1
Lodge an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect
You record your age, English test result, employment history, education, nominated occupation and any state or regional nomination interest. This is not a visa application.
- 2
Receive an invitation to apply
The Minister issues a written invitation to apply for a specific subclass — 189, 190 or 491 — only after your Expression of Interest reaches the required score and, for 190/491, after a state, territory or family sponsor has nominated or sponsored you.
- 3
Lodge the visa application within the invited period
For 189, the application must be made within the period stated in the invitation, and the applicant must have held any qualifying skills assessment within its valid period at time of invitation.
- 4
Skills assessment and points verification
The Department checks that the score assessed at decision time is not less than the score stated in the invitation and not less than the qualifying score under the points system.
- 5
Decision and grant
If all primary and secondary criteria are met, including public interest and special return criteria, the visa is granted. For 189 and 190, this is a permanent visa from the date of grant; for 491, it is a provisional visa valid on its own terms.
Worked example: comparing the three visas for one applicant
Consider an applicant aged 29 (30 points under item 6D12), with proficient English (10 points under item 6D21), 60 months of overseas employment in their nominated occupation (10 points under item 6D32), a bachelor degree assessed as suitable for their occupation (15 points under item 6D72), and no partner (10 points under item 6D112). That totals 75 points without any state or regional nomination — already above the legislated 65-point pass mark under LIN 19/210, which means this applicant could lodge a 189 application if invited at that score, subject to occupation ceilings and competitive round outcomes.
The same applicant, if instead nominated by a state for a Subclass 190 visa, adds 5 points under item 6D121, reaching 80 points. If instead nominated for a designated regional area under Subclass 491, they add 15 points under item 6D131, reaching 85 points — the highest score of the three options, but on a provisional visa where reaching permanent residence requires a later Subclass 191 application against its own separate criteria.
This illustrates the trade-off directly: the 491 pathway produces the highest points score and the strongest chance of an early invitation, the 190 pathway sits in between with a permanent grant, and the 189 pathway offers permanence immediately with no nomination step but the lowest points boost of the three. Which one is right depends on whether this applicant is willing to commit to a designated regional area, whether their occupation appears on the relevant state's or territory's current list, and how their raw 75-point score compares with the scores actually being invited in their occupation in current rounds — and, for the 491 route, on checking the current Subclass 191 requirements before treating the higher points score as the whole picture.
Common mistakes when choosing between 189, 190 and 491
Check these before you lodge an Expression of Interest
0/6 doneIf your EOI has expired or you missed an invitation round
An Expression of Interest that has not resulted in an invitation stays in the SkillSelect pool, and your assessed score is compared against the pool mark set under LIN 19/210 — currently 65 points for 189, 190 and 491 applications. This article does not state a fixed expiry period for an Expression of Interest or how a later round treats a revised score, because those procedural details were not confirmed against an official source here. If your points position has moved — a birthday moving you into a lower age bracket, a new employment milestone, or a new skills assessment — update your Expression of Interest and check current SkillSelect guidance on the Department of Home Affairs website for how updates are treated in the pool.
Frequently asked questions about 189, 190 and 491
This information is general and does not take the place of personal migration advice. Confirm how these rules apply to your own circumstances with a registered migration agent.
Global Migrations, trading name of Global Migration & Education Solutions (ABN 22 998 014 414), can review your Schedule 6D score, occupation and state options against current invitation round data. Registered migration agent Ranbir Singh (MARN 1069570) can be reached on +61 3 7043 2395 or info@globalmigrations.com.au, or via globalmigrations.com.au.
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People also ask
Is the 491 visa a permanent visa?
No. The Subclass 491 visa is provisional, not permanent. Permanent residence from this pathway requires a separate Subclass 191 application assessed against its own Schedule 2 criteria, so holding a 491 visa does not itself make you a permanent resident.
Do I only need 65 points to get invited for a skilled visa?
65 points is the legislated pool mark and pass mark set by the Migration (LIN 19/210) Instrument 2019 (F2019L01400) for 189, 190 and 491 applications, and it is the legal minimum an assessed score must reach. It is not the score that guarantees an invitation, since invitations are issued in ranked order within occupation ceilings and current rounds can require scores well above 65 — check current invitation round results for your occupation before relying on the 65-point figure alone.
Do all states have the same criteria for a 190 or 491 nomination?
No. Each state and territory receives its own nomination allocation and sets its own eligibility criteria and occupation list independently. The national nomination allocation for 2025-26 was set at 20,350, split by state and territory and by visa stream, which confirms nomination programs are run jurisdiction by jurisdiction rather than under one uniform national rule.
How many points does state or regional nomination add?
A Subclass 190 state or territory nomination adds 5 points under Schedule 6D item 6D121. A Subclass 491 regional nomination or accepted family sponsorship adds 15 points under Schedule 6D item 6D131, the largest single category in the points test.
Can my partner add points to my skilled visa application?
Yes. If your partner is also an applicant for the same visa, meets the occupation, age and English requirements, you can claim 10 points under Schedule 6D Part 6D.11. If your partner has competent English but does not meet the full requirements, you can claim 5 points, and if you have no partner or your partner is already an Australian permanent resident or citizen, 10 points still apply.