Skilled Independent Visa | 189 Visa

Overview of Costs

For the principal or main applicant, the visa cost is about AUD4,045. There are visa cost estimators in Australian government sites where you can estimate visa costs.

Likewise, you need to pay extra charges for each family member that you add to the application.

Also, there are second installment charges you need to pay if the authorities ask. This is applicable when someone in the application is eighteen years and above, but their English language level is less than functional. The second installment charge for such family members is about AUD4,885.

However, you need to pay the second installment charge only if the authorities decide to grant the visa. Furthermore, charges for a police report, bio-metrics, and health check-up may be applicable.

Please note that such second installment charges and additional costs are not included in the online Visa Pricing Estimator.

Application Processing Time

Your visa application will be processed on a case-by-case basis. So, the total processing time will vary according to an individual. Some circumstances that impact your application processing time are as follows:

if your submitted application was complete and whether you included all the required documents
the time you take to respond to any requests by the authorities, like when they ask for additional info or documents
the time it takes for the authorities to review all the documents and information you provided
the time it takes to get the required information from external agencies which may be related to character, health, and national security
the number of places available in the migration program will also impact your permanent migration visa application

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you do with a skill independent visa (sub-class 189)?

With a sub-class 189 visa, you can do the following things:

permanently reside in Australia
study in Australia
get a job and work in Australia
enrol in Medicare, a public health care scheme in Australia
travel out of the country and return to Australia for 5 years period
apply for citizenship if eligible

Also, if you are a resident who has recently arrived in Australia, you might need to wait for a time period before you can access some payments and benefits from the Australian government.

How long can you stay under the sub-class 189 visa?

You don’t have to worry about a limited duration of stay because sub-class 189 is a permanent visa. So, you stay in Australia forever if you want. However, there is a travel component under this visa, which states that your privileges to travel outside Australia and return back expires after five years once you get the visa.

Likewise, on the day you receive your visa, you will be considered a permanent resident of Australia. If you are in Australia, your permanent residency will begin as soon as the authorities grant your visa. Also, if you are out of Australia, the permanent residency will begin on the day you enter the Commonwealth.

Is there any way to travel after the 5 years duration is over?

Yes, after five years, if you need to travel outside Australia, then you need to get a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155 or 157) to return back to Australia as its permanent resident.

Can I include my family members under this visa?

Luckily, you have the opportunity to include your family members in your visa application. You have two chances to include them:

Your first chance is to include family members at the time of lodging your visa application.
Secondly, you can add them after lodging your application, but only if the authorities have not made a decision. So, make sure to add them before the visa decision is final.

Furthermore, you need to check the health and character requirements of the family members and see if they meet them.

Also, if you have not included your dependent children or partner in the application, you need to state the reason. For instance, a cause can be that they already hold an Australian permanent residence or citizenship.

Where can I apply from?

To apply for the skill independent visa, you can be both in or out of Australia. However, you are not eligible to apply for the sub-class 189 visa if you are in immigration clearance.

Furthermore, if you apply from inside Australia, you need to hold one of the following visas, or your application will not be processed: