Australian Visa Pathways for Hong Kong Citizens: What's Available in 2026

TL;DR

Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders have two things other applicants don't: a primary subclass 482 visa that runs for five years, and the Hong Kong streams of the subclass 189 and 191, which lead to permanent residence after holding an eligible visa for four years (or three years in a designated regional area) without a SkillSelect invitation or points test. They can also apply for the 485 up to age 49. Everything else, from the points-tested 189/190/491 to employer sponsorship, student visas and family visas, works as it does for applicants from any country.

Introduction

Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders have a few Hong Kong-specific arrangements in Australia's Migration Regulations, alongside the same general pathways open to everyone. Some routes depend on your passport, some on your occupation and work history, and some on which temporary visa you already hold. This guide sets out each pathway as it stands in the Migration Regulations at 1 July 2026, with the visa application charges Home Affairs publishes from that date. For the wider move, see our Hong Kong to Australia overview.

Hong Kong-Specific Arrangements (Subclasses 189, 191, 482 and 485)

Changes made in 2020 and 2021 give holders of a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport longer temporary visas and a route to permanent residence. The Hong Kong streams of the 189 and 191 have been open to applications since 5 March 2022.

Subclass 189 — Hong Kong stream

A permanent visa for a Hong Kong or BN(O) passport holder who has held an eligible 457, 482 or 485 visa for at least four years and been usually resident in Australia for a continuous four years before applying. An eligible visa is one granted before 9 July 2020 that ran to 8 July 2025, or one granted on or after 9 July 2020 with a five-year stay. There is no SkillSelect invitation, points test or skills assessment in the stream criteria; health, character and compliance with the conditions of your visa still apply. The base charge is AUD 6,135 from 1 July 2026.

Subclass 191 — Hong Kong (Regional) stream

The same idea with a three-year holding period and three years' usual residence, during which the applicant must not have lived, worked or studied outside a designated regional area (unless in a class the Minister exempts by instrument). Designated regional areas are defined by postcode in LIN 22/022; broadly, they exclude most of the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane metropolitan areas.

Five-year 482

A primary Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa granted to someone who holds a Hong Kong passport or a BN(O) passport runs for five years from grant. That is long enough to reach the Hong Kong stream holding periods. The base charge is AUD 4,015 in every 482 stream from 1 July 2026.

Subclass 485

The 485 age limit is higher for Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders: under 50, against 35 or younger for most other applicants (Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations). Home Affairs publishes the current stay periods for Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders on the 485 page. The base charge is AUD 5,750 from 1 July 2026.

A BN(O) passport qualifies for all of these in the same way as a Hong Kong passport. If you hold both, which one to lodge with is worth settling before you apply.

Standard Skilled Migration (Subclasses 189, 190, 491)

Outside the Hong Kong arrangements, Hong Kong applicants use the points-tested skilled visas on the same terms as applicants from any other country.

Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent (Points-tested stream)

A permanent visa that doesn't need an employer or a state nomination. You need:

• An occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• A suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority
• A points score at or above the pass mark (use the Migratio points calculator to estimate yours)
• An invitation to apply, issued through a SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI)

The pass mark is 65 points (LIN 19/210). Invitations go to the highest-ranked EOIs in each round, so the score that gets an invitation varies by occupation and round. The base charge is AUD 6,135.

Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated

Needs nomination by a state or territory government, which is worth 5 points on the points test. Each state and territory sets its own occupation lists and nomination criteria, including any commitment to live there. The base charge is AUD 6,140.

Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)

A provisional visa that lets the holder stay for five years from grant. State or territory nomination, or sponsorship by an eligible family member, for the 491 is worth 15 points. After holding the 491 for at least three years, and providing ATO notices of assessment for 3 of those years (there is no minimum income requirement), the holder can apply for permanent residence through the subclass 191. The base charge is AUD 6,140.

Skills assessments for Hong Kong qualifications

Each occupation has its own assessing authority, and each publishes its fees and processing times:

• Accounting occupations: CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA, depending on the occupation.
• Engineering occupations: Engineers Australia.
• ICT occupations: the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

See our guides for Hong Kong finance professionals and Hong Kong IT workers for occupation-specific detail.

Employer-Sponsored Visas (Subclass 482 / 186)

With an Australian employer willing to sponsor you, the employer-sponsored visas don't use the points test.

Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand (Temporary)

The employer nominates you for a position, and the visa runs for the period in the nomination, or five years from grant if you hold a Hong Kong or BN(O) passport. In the Specialist Skills and Core Skills streams you need at least 12 months of full-time work (or equivalent) in the occupation or a related field in the five years before applying, plus the skills and qualifications the occupation requires. The base charge is AUD 4,015.

Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme (Permanent)

In the Temporary Residence Transition stream, you need to have held a 457 or 482 for a total of at least two years in the three years before applying, working full time for an approved sponsor in the nominated occupation, and then be nominated by your employer. The base charge is AUD 6,140. A skilled visa migration agent can advise on timing.

Student Visa (Subclass 500) and Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

How it works

1. Student visa (subclass 500). Enrol in a registered (CRICOS) course at an Australian institution. The base charge for a higher education course is AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026.
2. Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). After completing an eligible qualification, apply for a 485. The application has to be made within 6 months of completing the course, and the qualification needs to meet the Australian study requirement, which is set in the Migration Regulations. Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders can apply up to age 49; the current stay periods are on the Home Affairs 485 page. The base charge is AUD 5,750.
3. Permanent residence. During the 485, work experience in Australia and a higher English score can add points for the 189, 190 or 491. A 485 granted with a five-year stay also counts towards the Hong Kong streams.

Use the cost calculator to estimate tuition, visa charges and living costs.

Partner and Family Visas

Partner visas (subclass 820/801 and 309/100)

If you're in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you may be able to apply for a partner visa.

• Onshore (subclass 820/801): apply while in Australia. The 820 is temporary; the 801 is permanent and is assessed later.
• Offshore (subclass 309/100): apply from Hong Kong or elsewhere outside Australia.

The base charge is AUD 11,710 from 1 July 2026, paid once for the combined temporary and permanent application. For how long applications are currently taking, use the Home Affairs visa processing time guide.

Parent Visas

For Hong Kong citizens whose children are settled in Australia, the parent options include:

• Contributory Parent (subclass 143, or 173 then 143): the direct 143 costs AUD 49,900 for a single applicant from 1 July 2026, in two instalments (AUD 6,300 on application and AUD 43,600 before grant).
• Parent (subclass 103): AUD 8,665 for a single applicant in two instalments (AUD 6,600 and AUD 2,065), with a much longer queue than the contributory visas.

Home Affairs publishes current queue and processing information for each parent visa. Our cost guide for Hong Kong movers includes a breakdown of parent visa expenses.

BN(O) Passport Considerations

Many Hong Kong citizens hold both an HKSAR passport and a British National (Overseas) passport.

Hong Kong arrangements

For the 189 and 191 Hong Kong streams, the five-year 482 and the higher 485 age limit, the Migration Regulations accept either a Hong Kong passport or a BN(O) passport.

English language requirements

Where Home Affairs accepts a passport as English evidence, it is framed around citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland holding that country's passport (the wording it uses for functional English, September 2026). A BN(O) holder is a British national, not a British citizen, so plan on sitting an approved English test for any visa that needs one.

On the points test, proficient English is worth 10 points and superior English 20 points (Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations). The test scores that count as proficient or superior are set by legislative instrument and listed on the Home Affairs English language page.

Which Visa Fits You?

A quick way to sort the options:

• Hong Kong or BN(O) passport holder already on a 457, 482 or 485 in Australia? Count your time against the 189 Hong Kong stream (four years) and the 191 Hong Kong (Regional) stream (three years in a designated regional area).
• Have an Australian employer willing to sponsor you? A 482 granted to a Hong Kong or BN(O) passport holder runs five years, and can lead to the Hong Kong streams or to the 186.
• Skilled occupation and a points score of 65 or more? The points-tested 189, the 190 (state nomination adds 5 points) or the 491 (regional nomination or family sponsorship adds 15 points). Estimate your score with the points calculator.
• Want an Australian qualification first? The student visa (500) to graduate visa (485) route, with the higher 485 age limit for Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders.
• In a relationship with an Australian? Partner visas (820/801 or 309/100).
• Want to bring your parents? Compare the contributory (143/173) and non-contributory (103) charges and queues.

A MARA-registered migration agent can check your circumstances against the criteria. Our guide on how to choose a migration agent explains what to look for.

Next Steps

1. Check your passports. A Hong Kong or a BN(O) passport qualifies for the Hong Kong arrangements; for English evidence, plan on a test.
2. Check your occupation on the Home Affairs skilled occupation lists to see which visa subclasses it can use.
3. Estimate your points score with the Migratio points calculator if you're considering the points-tested 189, 190 or 491.
4. Book your English test if your pathway needs one; proficient or superior English adds points.
5. Start your skills assessment with the assessing authority for your occupation, and check its published processing times.
6. Prepare your documents, including apostilles from the High Court of Hong Kong where needed.
7. Budget your costs with the cost calculator. See our cost of moving to Australia from Hong Kong guide.
8. Talk to a migration agent: a MARA-registered agent can review your visa history and circumstances.

Related Resources

• Hong Kong to Australia: The Complete 2026 Overview
• Cost of Moving to Australia from Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Document Authentication for Australia
• Settling in Australia from Hong Kong
• How to Choose a Migration Agent
• What Is a Skills Assessment?

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What is the Hong Kong stream within subclass 189 and 191?

A permanent-residence route for Hong Kong or BN(O) passport holders who have held an eligible 457, 482 or 485 visa for at least four years (189 Hong Kong stream) or three years in a designated regional area (191 Hong Kong (Regional) stream), with the matching period of usual residence in Australia. Applications have been open since 5 March 2022, and the streams don't use a SkillSelect invitation or the points test.

Can I use my HKICPA qualification for Australian skilled migration?

Accounting occupations are assessed by CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA, depending on the occupation. The assessing authority decides how your Hong Kong qualifications and membership count; each publishes its own criteria, fees and processing times.

Should I apply with my HK passport or BN(O) passport?

For the Hong Kong streams, the five-year 482 and the higher 485 age limit, either passport qualifies. For English evidence, neither is treated like a British citizen's passport, so plan on an English test. A MARA-registered migration agent can advise which to lodge with for a particular application.

Can I get permanent residency faster with the Hong Kong special streams?

The Hong Kong streams skip the SkillSelect invitation and points test, but they need four years holding an eligible visa (or three years in a designated regional area for the 191) before you can apply. Processing times vary; the Home Affairs visa processing time guide shows recent figures.