How Australia's Migration System Works: A Complete Overview

The Seven Main Visa Streams

Home Affairs organises visas into broad streams, each with its own eligibility rules and visa subclass numbers.

**Skilled migration** is the largest stream. It includes points-tested permanent visas (subclasses 189, 190, 491), employer-sponsored temporary and permanent visas (subclass 482 Skills in Demand, subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional), and innovation visas.

**Family migration** allows Australian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor close family members. Partner visas (subclasses 820/801 onshore, 309/100 offshore) are the most common category. Parent, child, and other relative visas make up the balance.

**Employer-sponsored migration** sits within the skilled stream but operates through a separate sponsorship mechanism — an approved Australian employer nominates the worker. The main temporary vehicle is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), and the main permanent one is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

**Student visas** (subclass 500) allow full-time study at a registered Australian education provider. They carry work rights (capped at 48 hours per fortnight during study) and in many cases form a stepping stone to skilled or graduate visas.

**Visitor and temporary visas** cover tourism (subclass 600), working holidays (subclasses 417 and 462), and short-term work. They are generally not pathways to permanent residence.

**Business and investment** — The Business Innovation and Investment program (subclasses 188 and 888) was closed to new primary applicants on 31 July 2024. It has been replaced by the National Innovation visa (subclass 858), a permanent invitation-only visa for people with internationally recognised achievement in innovation, research, entrepreneurship, or the creative sectors.

**Humanitarian and refugee** visas (subclasses 200–204 and the Temporary Protection visa) are managed under a separate Humanitarian Program. For 2025–26 Australia has set 20,000 humanitarian places.

The Permanent Migration Program and How Places Are Allocated

Each financial year (1 July to 30 June) the Australian Government sets planning levels that cap how many permanent visas can be granted across each stream. For 2025–26 the cap is 185,000 — the same as the prior year.

Within the Skilled stream (132,200 places for 2025–26), places are divided across several categories:
- Points-tested visas: Skilled Independent (189), Skilled Nominated (190), and Skilled Work Regional (491)
- Employer-sponsored permanent visas: Employer Nomination Scheme (186) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494 pathway to permanent)
- Talent and Innovation: 4,300 places in 2025–26, covering the National Innovation visa (858) and related talent programs
- Business and innovation legacy cases from the pre-closure BIIP pipeline

Planning levels are ceilings, not guarantees. Processing times vary, invitation cutoffs change from round to round, and not all places in a given year are necessarily filled. State and territory nomination allocations for 2025–26 were set at 20,350 combined — shared across the 190 and 491 visa subclasses — and each state or territory sets its own occupation and criteria lists within that allocation.

How the Points-Tested Skilled Pathway Works

The points-tested pathway is the most widely discussed route to Australian permanent residence for skilled workers without employer sponsorship. It has four steps: occupation check, skills assessment, Expression of Interest via SkillSelect, and invitation to apply.

**Step 1 — Occupation eligibility.** Your nominated occupation must appear on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). The MLTSSL governs eligibility for the Skilled Independent visa (189), and also for the Skilled Nominated (190) and Skilled Work Regional (491) visas. Only occupations on this list can be used for the 189. The 190 and 491 have broader occupation eligibility that each state and territory determines.

**Step 2 — Skills assessment.** Before lodging an Expression of Interest, most applicants must obtain a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for their occupation. Examples include Engineers Australia (engineering occupations), the Australian Computer Society (ICT), VETASSESS (a range of professional and trade occupations), and Trades Recognition Australia (trade occupations). Each authority has its own assessment criteria, fees, and timeframes.

**Step 3 — Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect.** Once a positive skills assessment is in hand, applicants submit an EOI through the SkillSelect online system. The EOI is not a visa application — it is a statement of interest that is scored against the points test. The minimum score to lodge an EOI is 65 points.

**Step 4 — Invitation rounds.** Home Affairs runs invitation rounds at irregular intervals, drawing from the SkillSelect pool. Applicants with the highest points scores for their nominated occupation and visa subclass receive invitations first. After receiving an invitation, an applicant typically has 60 days to lodge a full visa application.

The Points Test: What Counts and How Much

The points test assigns a numeric score to key attributes. The minimum threshold to lodge an EOI is 65 points, but competitive cutoff scores in recent invitation rounds for the 189 visa have been substantially higher — typically 85 to 95 points or more for popular occupations. The test is the same for the 189, 190, and 491 visas, though the 190 adds 5 bonus points for a state or territory nomination and the 491 adds 15 bonus points for nomination or family sponsorship in a regional area.

Main scoring categories (from the official points table for the subclass 189):

**Age** — Maximum 30 points. Highest allocation is for applicants aged 25–32 (30 points). Points reduce progressively; applicants aged 45 or over at the time of invitation are ineligible for the points-tested 189 and 190 streams.

**English language ability** — Maximum 20 points. Competent English (the base requirement) scores 0 additional points. Proficient English adds 10 points. Superior English adds 20 points.

**Skilled employment** — Maximum 20 points combined from Australian and overseas experience. Australian experience scores higher than overseas experience for equivalent years. Eight or more years of skilled work in Australia earns 20 points; eight or more years overseas earns 15 points.

**Educational qualifications** — Maximum 20 points. Doctorate: 20 points. Bachelor degree or higher: 15 points. Diploma or trade qualification: 10 points.

**Australian study requirement** — An additional 5 points is available if the applicant completed at least two academic years of study at an Australian institution and met the Australian Study Requirement.

Other factors — partner skills, community language, specialist education qualifications, and accredited professional year — can add further points within the overall structure.

Occupation Lists: MLTSSL, CSOL, and How They Differ

Australia uses different occupation lists for different visa types, and the list that applies to a given visa determines whether an occupation is eligible.

**MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List)** — This is the list used for the points-tested Skilled Independent visa (189). Occupations on the MLTSSL can also be used for the 190 and 491, subject to state/territory nomination criteria. The MLTSSL targets occupations where there is assessed medium-to-long-term labour market need across Australia.

**CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List)** — This is the list used for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). The CSOL was introduced as part of the Skills in Demand visa reform and replaced the former STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List) and MLTSSL categorisation used under the older Temporary Skill Shortage (482) visa design. The CSOL is considerably broader than the MLTSSL and covers many occupations that would not qualify for the points-tested independent pathway.

Separately, the Skills in Demand visa (482) also has a Specialist Skills stream (no occupation list required — salary-based, targeting high-income specialist workers) and a Labour Agreement stream (for occupations or arrangements outside the standard lists).

The skilled occupation list is published and searchable on the Home Affairs website, and each occupation entry shows which lists it appears on, the relevant assessing authority, and the ANZSCO code.

Employer-Sponsored Pathways: Skills in Demand (482) and ENS (186)

Employer sponsorship is a distinct pathway that sits alongside, not inside, the points-tested system. An Australian employer who wants to sponsor an overseas worker must first be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) or hold a labour agreement.

**Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)** replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. It has three streams:
- Core Skills stream: for occupations on the CSOL; employer must pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), which from 1 July 2026 is $79,423 per year
- Specialist Skills stream: no occupation list required; employer must pay at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT), which from 1 July 2026 is $146,576 per year
- Labour Agreement stream: for industries or arrangements with specific labour agreements

A 482 visa is temporary (generally up to 4 years in the Core Skills stream), but holders in the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams can become eligible for the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) after meeting minimum work experience and other requirements.

**Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)** is the permanent employer-sponsored visa. It has a Temporary Residence Transition stream (for eligible 482 holders) and a Direct Entry stream (for applicants nominating an occupation on the CSOL who have not previously held a 482 visa with the sponsoring employer). The subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa provides a similar mechanism for regional employers, with a pathway to permanent residence after three years of regional work.

Employers generally must demonstrate they have attempted to fill the position with Australian workers (Labour Market Testing) before being approved to nominate an overseas worker, though exemptions apply.

State and Territory Nomination

The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) both require nomination from a state or territory government (or, for the 491, sponsorship by an eligible family member in a regional area).

Nomination is a separate process from the SkillSelect EOI. Each state and territory publishes its own occupation list and criteria specifying which occupations it is currently nominating, what work experience or study ties to that jurisdiction are required, and how many nominations it has available in the current program year. For 2025–26 the total state and territory nomination allocation across Australia is 20,350.

Being nominated adds 5 points to an applicant's score (for the 190) or 15 points (for the 491). For the 491, the applicant must also live and work in a designated regional area of that state or territory for at least three years before becoming eligible to apply for the permanent subclass 191 (Permanent Residence — Skilled Regional) visa.

Each state and territory operates its own nomination portal and invitation schedule separately from Home Affairs. An applicant interested in state-sponsored pathways should check the relevant state migration website directly, as occupation demand and criteria change frequently.

Visa Reviews and Appeals: The Administrative Review Tribunal

When Home Affairs refuses a visa or cancels one, most applicants have a right to seek merits review — a full re-examination of the decision on the facts and the law — by an independent tribunal.

On 14 October 2024 the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) replaced the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) as the body that reviews migration and refugee decisions. All cases that were before the AAT or IAA at the time of the changeover transferred automatically to the ART.

The ART can review a wide range of migration decisions, including refusals and cancellations of most temporary and permanent visas, character-based cancellations, and protection (refugee) visa decisions. Not every visa type is reviewable — some ministerially-made decisions and decisions on humanitarian visas follow different review pathways.

**Deadlines are strict.** In most migration matters an applicant must apply to the ART for review within 28 days of being notified of the adverse decision. Missing this deadline can permanently extinguish review rights, so it is important to act promptly. After review by the ART, further challenge is possible only through federal courts (Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, or Federal Court) on questions of law — not on the merits.

If a case raises significant issues of public interest, the Minister for Home Affairs has a personal power to intervene in certain circumstances, but this is discretionary and cannot be compelled.

What is the minimum points score to migrate to Australia on a skilled visa?

The minimum points score to lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect is 65 points. However, simply reaching 65 points does not mean an invitation will be issued. In practice, invitation cutoff scores for popular occupations in recent rounds have been considerably higher — often 85 points or more for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189). The 190 (state-nominated) and 491 (regional) visas are generally more accessible at lower scores because nomination adds 5 or 15 bonus points respectively.

What is the difference between the 189, 190, and 491 visas?

All three are points-tested skilled visas that use the SkillSelect EOI system, but they differ in what they require and what they grant. The subclass 189 is a permanent visa with no state or employer tie — it allows the holder to live and work anywhere in Australia. The subclass 190 is also permanent but requires nomination by a state or territory government. The subclass 491 is a five-year provisional (temporary) visa that requires state or territory nomination or regional family sponsorship; the holder must live and work in a designated regional area, and after three years may be eligible to apply for the permanent subclass 191.

Do I need a skills assessment before applying for an Australian skilled visa?

For most points-tested visas (189, 190, 491), a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority is a prerequisite for lodging an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect. For employer-sponsored visas (482, 186), a formal skills assessment is not always required, but the employer must be satisfied that the nominee has the qualifications and experience to perform the nominated occupation. Requirements vary by occupation and visa subclass, so it is worth checking the Home Affairs skilled occupation list to find the assessing authority for your specific occupation.

What happened to the Business Innovation and Investment (188/888) visa?

The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP), which included the subclass 188 provisional visa and the subclass 888 permanent visa, was closed to new primary applicants on 31 July 2024. Existing subclass 188 visa holders can still apply for the subclass 888 permanent visa and can apply for extensions where eligible. The program was closed following a review that found the overall economic contribution of some BIIP holders was lower than expected. Australia's primary pathway for exceptional innovators and entrepreneurs is now the National Innovation visa (subclass 858), a permanent invitation-only visa.

What is the ART and how does it relate to visa refusals?

The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) is Australia's federal merits review body for migration matters. It started operations on 14 October 2024, replacing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA). When Home Affairs refuses or cancels a visa, the person affected can apply to the ART for a full review of that decision. The ART looks at the case afresh on its merits, not just for legal errors. Most migration applicants must apply within 28 days of receiving the refusal notice — missing this deadline can permanently end the right to review.

Can a student visa lead to permanent residence in Australia?

A student visa (subclass 500) does not itself provide a pathway to permanent residence, but studying in Australia can strengthen an application for other visas. Graduates may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) after completing their studies, which provides additional time to work in Australia and gain skilled employment experience. That experience, combined with an Australian study bonus (5 additional points on the points test if the Australian Study Requirement is met), can make a subsequent application for a points-tested skilled visa more competitive.