Which Australian Visa Do I Need? A Decision Guide by Situation

Quick-reference decision table

Before diving into detail, the table below maps common situations to the most likely visa options and the single biggest gate you need to clear.

| Your situation | Most likely visa(s) | Key gate |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled occupation, want permanent residence | 189, 190, 491 | Occupation on MLTSSL; points score |
| Australian employer wants to sponsor you | 482 Skills in Demand, 186 ENS | Occupation on CSOL; salary threshold |
| Australian citizen or PR partner / spouse | 820/801 (onshore), 309/100 (offshore), 300 (fiancé) | Genuine relationship evidence |
| Want to study at an Australian institution | 500 Student | Enrolment + financial capacity |
| Parents want to migrate permanently | 143 Contributory Parent, 103 Parent | Balance of family test; long queue |
| Short visit, tourism, or family visit | 600 Visitor, 601 ETA, 651 eVisitor | Passport eligibility |
| Exceptional talent or significant innovation | 858 National Innovation Visa | Invitation; international recognition |
| Visa was refused and you want to challenge it | ART review, reapplication | Strict deadline (often 28 days) |

The sections below explain each row in more depth.

Situation 1: You have a skilled occupation and want to move permanently

If your occupation is on Australia's skilled occupation lists and you can accumulate enough points, the three main independent skilled visas are subclass 189, 190, and 491.

**Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent (permanent):** This is a permanent visa with no requirement for state nomination or an employer sponsor. Your occupation must appear on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Invitations are issued at periodic rounds; the score needed to receive an invitation varies by occupation and fluctuates with demand. The points test awards scores for age, English proficiency, qualifications, work experience, partner skills, and other factors — the minimum to submit an EOI is 65 points, but competitive scores in popular occupations are often considerably higher.

**Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated (permanent):** This permanent visa requires a nomination from a state or territory government. In return, you may receive 5 additional points added to your score. States have their own occupation lists and requirements, which change regularly. In exchange for nomination, you typically commit to living and working in the nominating state for at least two years.

**Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (provisional):** This is a provisional visa that leads to permanent residency via the subclass 191. You must be nominated by a state or territory government (or sponsored by an eligible relative in a designated regional area). Your occupation may come from the MLTSSL or, depending on the state, from the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) or a Regional Occupation List. Nomination gives you 15 bonus points. After three years living and working in a regional area, you can apply for the permanent subclass 191.

For all three: you need a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing body for your occupation, and you must meet English language requirements. Age (under 45 at invitation) applies for 189 and 190.

Situation 2: An Australian employer wants to sponsor you

Employer-sponsored visas are for workers who have a job offer from an approved Australian sponsor and whose occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). The two main employer-sponsored pathways are the subclass 482 and the subclass 186.

**Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand (temporary):** Formerly the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, the 482 is now called the Skills in Demand visa and has two main streams:
- *Core Skills stream:* for occupations on the CSOL. The employer must pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), which is $76,515 per year for applications lodged before 1 July 2026 (rising to $79,499 from 1 July 2026), and at least the market salary rate for that role.
- *Specialist Skills stream:* for highly paid specialists. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) is $141,210 per year before 1 July 2026 (rising to $146,717). This stream is not limited by an occupation list.

The 482 is a temporary visa but many holders transition to permanent residence through the 186 or 191 pathway.

**Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme (permanent):** This is a permanent visa. The main route for 482 holders is the Temporary Residence Transition stream after two years with the sponsoring employer. There is also a Direct Entry stream for people who meet skills and assessment criteria without prior 482 experience. The employer must still be an approved sponsor and the occupation must be on the CSOL for the Direct Entry stream.

For both visas, the employer — not the applicant — initiates the process by becoming an approved sponsor and lodging a nomination. Labour Market Testing may also be required, demonstrating the employer could not find a suitable Australian worker.

Situation 3: You have an Australian partner or fiancé

Partner visas are for the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. The pathway you use depends on whether you are inside or outside Australia at the time of applying, and your relationship status.

**Applying from outside Australia — 309 and 100:** The subclass 309 (Provisional) is lodged offshore. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you will receive a temporary 309 visa that allows you to move to Australia. After two years from the original application date, if your relationship is ongoing, you can be assessed for the permanent subclass 100.

**Applying from inside Australia — 820 and 801:** If you are already in Australia on another valid visa, you can apply for the subclass 820 (temporary) and 801 (permanent) as a combined application. The 820 lets you stay in Australia while your permanent visa is being assessed. After two years from the original application date, and provided the relationship continues, you transition to the permanent 801.

**Subclass 300 — Prospective Marriage:** If you intend to marry an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the 300 visa (also called the fiancé visa) lets you come to Australia to get married. After the marriage, you apply for the 820/801 partner visa pathway. The 300 is valid for nine months.

All partner visas require evidence that the relationship is genuine and ongoing — financial, social, household, and commitment evidence are all typically needed. Processing times for partner visas can be lengthy. Applicants with a prior visa refusal or with a complex relationship history may find eligibility more complicated.

Situation 4: You want to study in Australia

**Subclass 500 — Student:** The standard visa for full-time study at an Australian registered education provider (CRICOS-registered institution). You must have a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), demonstrate financial capacity to support yourself and any family members, and meet health, character, and English language requirements. Most 500 visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study (full-time during term breaks). The length of the visa matches your course duration plus a small buffer.

**Subclass 485 — Temporary Graduate:** After completing a degree at an Australian institution, many graduates are eligible for a post-study work visa. The Temporary Graduate visa has several streams:
- *Graduate Work stream:* for graduates with qualifications closely related to an occupation on the MLTSSL, allowing 18 months to two years of work.
- *Post-Higher Education Work stream:* for bachelor, master, or doctoral graduates, allowing two to six years depending on qualification level and study location.

Important: changes to the 485 program from 1 July 2024 altered stream durations and eligibility. Check the current requirements carefully before relying on earlier information.

Studying in Australia is often a precursor to skilled migration — the 485 provides time to gain Australian work experience, which can improve points test scores for the 189/190/491 pathway or make a candidate more attractive to an employer who might sponsor a 482.

Situation 5: You want your parents to come to Australia

Parent migration is one of the most oversubscribed areas of Australian immigration. Demand far outstrips the annual program cap, meaning queues are extremely long. The most important trade-off is between cost and waiting time.

**Subclass 143 — Contributory Parent (permanent):** This visa is significantly more expensive than the standard parent visa but has a shorter queue. Total government application charges are approximately $48,640 per parent (paid across two instalments, with a large second instalment due on grant), in addition to other costs. As of early 2026, the queue was processing applications with dates of around late 2018 — meaning new applications may wait 12 to 15 years or more for a grant at current processing rates. The parent must pass the 'balance of family' test, which requires that at least half of their children live permanently in Australia (or more children live in Australia than in any other single country).

**Subclass 103 — Parent (permanent):** Much lower application charges (approximately $7,345 in total) but substantially longer queues — applications lodged today face waits estimated at more than 30 years based on current processing.

**Subclass 600 — Visitor (family stream):** For parents who want to visit rather than migrate permanently, the 600 visitor visa with the family stream allows stays of up to 12 months at a time. No residency rights.

**Subclass 870 — Sponsored Parent:** A temporary visa that allows a parent to live in Australia for up to three years at a time, with a maximum total stay of five or ten years depending on the tier. This is not a pathway to permanent residence. It requires a sponsor (the child in Australia) who must accept financial responsibility.

For parents considering permanent migration, the honest picture is that both permanent visa options involve very long waits. Many families use the 600 or 870 as a bridging strategy while a permanent visa application is in the queue.

Situation 6: You want to visit Australia

For short-term visits — tourism, visiting family, business activities — there are three common options depending on your passport:

**Subclass 600 — Visitor:** Available to most nationalities. Can be applied for online or at a visa application centre. Generally granted for three, six, or twelve months (total stay may be limited to three or six months per entry). Work is not permitted (with narrow exceptions). Applications go through the standard character and health assessment.

**Subclass 601 — Electronic Travel Authority (ETA):** For passport holders from certain countries (including many European, East Asian, and North American nations). Applied for online or through the Australian ETA app. Typically processed quickly. Allows stays of up to three months per visit, multiple times, within a 12-month period.

**Subclass 651 — eVisitor:** Free of charge and available to passport holders from eligible European countries and some others. Similar to the ETA in structure — multiple entries within 12 months, up to three months per stay. Applied for online.

Visitor visas do not allow holders to work (with very limited exceptions), study for more than three months, or receive most Medicare benefits. They are not pathways to permanent residence.

Situation 7: You are exceptionally talented or a recognised innovator

**Subclass 858 — National Innovation Visa (NIV):** This visa replaced the Global Talent visa (subclass 858 in its previous form) from 7 December 2024 and is aimed at people with internationally recognised achievements in eligible fields, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, fintech, medicine and healthcare, energy, resources, and infrastructure.

The NIV is invitation-only. You submit an Expression of Interest to the Department of Home Affairs demonstrating your achievements. The Department assesses EOIs against published program priorities and invites selected applicants to apply. Endorsement from an expert Commonwealth, state, or territory government agency can strengthen an EOI.

There is no formal salary threshold for the NIV, but the assessment is based on the quality and impact of your record, not just your qualifications or job offer. It is a permanent visa. Applicants who do not have an internationally recognised record — even if they are highly skilled — are generally better served by the skilled independent or employer-sponsored pathways.

Note: the Business Innovation and Investment Program (subclasses 188 and 888) is closed to new applicants as of 31 July 2024 and is no longer an available option.

Situation 8: Your visa was refused

A refusal is not necessarily the end. Depending on the visa type and your circumstances, there may be options to seek a review of the decision or to reapply.

**Administrative Review Tribunal (ART):** The ART replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) from 14 October 2024. If your visa was refused or cancelled, you may be able to apply to the ART for a review of that decision. The ART looks at the decision on its merits, not just whether the original decision was procedurally correct.

**Deadlines are strict and missing them is permanent:** Time limits for ART applications are set by law — typically 28 days from when you are deemed to have received the refusal decision, though some categories (such as character-related refusals) have shorter windows of 7 days. Missing the deadline extinguishes your right to review and cannot be extended in most circumstances. If you have received a refusal notice, seeking advice promptly is critical.

**Reapplication:** In some cases, it may be possible to lodge a new application (rather than seek review) if circumstances have changed or if the original application had correctable errors. Whether this is a better option than ART review depends on the reason for refusal and the visa type.

If your visa was refused due to a procedural error, missing documents, or a technicality, reapplication with a corrected application can sometimes be the faster path. If the refusal involved a discretionary or factual finding — for example, about whether a relationship is genuine — ART review may give you the opportunity to present additional evidence.

What to do next

This guide covers the broad landscape, but Australian immigration law is detailed and the eligibility rules for each visa have layers that this summary cannot fully cover. Factors like prior visa history, health and character requirements, age restrictions, occupation-specific assessment criteria, and the interplay between temporary and permanent status all shape what is actually available to you.

The most reliable way to confirm which visa applies to your situation is to speak with a MARA-registered migration agent — an agent who holds current registration with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. MARA registration means the agent is qualified, insured, and bound by a professional code of conduct. Unregistered practitioners cannot legally give migration advice in Australia.

You can compare MARA-registered agents by visa specialisation, location, and language spoken before committing to any paid engagement.