Last updated: 30 March 2026

189 Visa Requirements: Points, Skills and Documents

The subclass 189 visa has a fixed set of requirements you must satisfy before receiving an invitation and before the Department of Home Affairs can grant your visa. These requirements operate at two stages: eligibility criteria that determine whether you can even submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), and lodgement criteria that apply when you formally apply after receiving your invitation.

Understanding where each requirement fits in the process prevents the most common and costly mistakes — submitting an EOI prematurely, lodging with incomplete documents, or misreading which assessing authority handles your occupation.

This page covers every 189 visa requirement in detail: the points test, occupation list, skills assessment process, English language thresholds, age limits, health and character obligations, and the full document checklist you will need at lodgement.

Core Eligibility Requirements

Every 189 visa applicant must meet all of the following criteria. These are non-negotiable. Partial compliance is not assessed — the Department applies all requirements.

These criteria are assessed at the time of invitation, not the time of EOI submission. Your occupation, age, and skills assessment status all need to be valid when the Department invites you — not just when you enter the SkillSelect pool.

Occupation Requirement: The MLTSSL

The 189 visa uses only one occupation list: the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). This list is published and maintained by the Department of Home Affairs and is updated periodically. Only occupations currently on the MLTSSL at the time your EOI is invited are eligible.

Each occupation on the MLTSSL is identified by an ANZSCO code (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations). Your nominated occupation in SkillSelect must match your skills assessment outcome — the assessing authority will assess you against a specific ANZSCO code, and that code must appear on the MLTSSL.

Why the occupation list matters beyond eligibility:

The MLTSSL is also relevant to which assessing authority you use, what evidence standard they apply, and whether your overseas experience is counted as “in the nominated occupation” for points purposes. Claiming points for work in a closely related occupation requires the assessing authority to recognise that relationship — it is not self-declared.

If your occupation appears on the STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List) but not the MLTSSL, you are not eligible for the 189. The subclass 190 or 491 pathways use broader lists and may be available to you.

Always verify your occupation against the current MLTSSL on the Department’s website immediately before submitting your EOI. The list can change between the time you start your skills assessment and the time you are ready to apply.

Skills Assessment Requirement

A positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority is mandatory for the 189 visa. There is no waiver or exemption. The assessment confirms that your qualifications and work experience are suitable for your nominated ANZSCO occupation at the required skill level.

Which authority assesses your occupation?

Each MLTSSL occupation is assigned to a specific assessing authority. The authority, the documentation standards, and the assessment timeframes vary significantly between occupations.

This is not an exhaustive list. Check the Department of Home Affairs occupation list tool to confirm the assessing authority for your specific ANZSCO code.

What the assessment process involves

Most skills assessments require you to submit:

• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (with certified translations if not in English)
• A detailed employment history showing your work experience in the nominated occupation
• Reference letters from employers confirming your duties, dates, and employment type
• Proof of professional registration where applicable (e.g., AHPRA for health practitioners)

Some authorities — particularly ACS and Engineers Australia — also require you to write a competency demonstration report (CDR) or skills narrative explaining how your experience maps to the occupation’s required competencies.

Assessment processing times range from 4 weeks (some straightforward occupations) to 6 months or more (CDR-based assessments, offshore assessments with verification requirements). Start your assessment as early as possible. Your EOI cannot be submitted until you have a valid positive assessment and its reference number.

Skills assessment validity

Most assessments are valid for three years. If your assessment expires before you receive an invitation, you may need to apply for a reassessment or extension. Check your assessing authority’s specific policies on validity and renewal.

Points Test Requirements

The 189 visa applies a points test to rank applicants in SkillSelect. The official minimum is 65 points, but receiving an invitation at exactly 65 is rare for most occupations because invitation rounds are competitive. The cut-off score for each round depends on the number of EOIs in your occupation pool and the number of invitations the Department allocates.

189 Visa Points Table

Points are additive across categories. The maximum score achievable is not capped at 65 — applicants regularly score 80, 90, or higher by combining multiple strong factors.

What is a competitive score?

In 2025–2026 invitation rounds, observed cut-off scores for the 189 have ranged from 65 points for lower-demand occupations to 90 points for high-volume occupations such as software engineers and ICT business analysts.

As a general guide:

• 65–69 points: Only competitive for occupations with low EOI pools. Do not submit an EOI expecting an invitation in a reasonable timeframe for most occupations at this score.
• 70–79 points: Competitive for a range of occupations. May take several rounds.
• 80–85 points: Strong position across most MLTSSL occupations.
• 90+ points: Very strong. Invitations typically arrive in the first available round for most occupations.

Before submitting your EOI, check the most recent SkillSelect round data on the Department of Home Affairs website. This data shows the lowest score invited in each round for each visa subclass — it is the most accurate indicator of whether your score is competitive right now.

Age Requirement

You must be under 45 years of age at the time you are invited to apply. Age is assessed at the date the Department issues your invitation, not the date you submit your EOI.

This means:

• You can submit an EOI at 44 years and 11 months
• If you are invited before your 45th birthday, you meet the requirement
• If you receive an invitation after turning 45, you are not eligible to proceed

Age also affects your points score. The most advantageous age bracket for points is 25–32 (30 points). Applicants aged 40–44 still score 15 points but need to compensate with stronger performance in other categories.

If you are approaching 45, calculate whether your current score is likely to attract an invitation before your birthday. If not, the subclass 190 or 491 — which have the same age cutoff — will not solve the timing problem, but some employer-sponsored pathways have different age provisions.

English Language Requirements

Competent English is the minimum threshold for 189 visa eligibility. Competent English means achieving a score of at least 6 in each of the four test components (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in IELTS Academic, or the equivalent in an approved alternative test.

Accepted English tests and minimum scores

Each band or component must meet the threshold individually. A high overall score does not compensate for a single band that falls below the minimum.

English test validity

Most approved English tests are valid for 3 years from the date of the test. Your results must be valid at the time your EOI is invited, not just when you submit it. If you are in the SkillSelect pool for an extended period, check whether your results will expire before you receive an invitation.

Improving your English score from competent to proficient (+10 points) or superior (+20 points) is one of the most efficient ways to improve your competitive position, particularly if your current score places you near the cut-off for your occupation.

Health Requirements

All applicants — including secondary applicants (partner and dependent children) — must meet Australia’s health requirement. The Department assesses health based on medical examinations conducted by a panel physician (HAP-approved doctor) after you receive your invitation and lodge your application.

What the health examination involves

• Chest X-ray (for applicants over 11 years old in most cases)
• Physical examination by the panel physician
• Blood tests and additional assessments if required based on your personal health history or country of origin
• HIV test for some applicants

Your panel physician uploads the results directly to your ImmiAccount via the eHealth platform. You do not submit health documents yourself.

Health examination results are typically valid for 12 months. If processing extends beyond that period, you may need to undergo a further examination.

The health requirement does not automatically disqualify applicants with health conditions. The Department applies a cost-to-community assessment for pre-existing conditions. In some cases, applicants can seek a health waiver, though this is not available for all visa types and conditions.

Character Requirements

You and all secondary applicants aged 16 and over must meet the character requirement. Character is assessed based on:

• Police clearance certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years
• Disclosure of any criminal convictions, charges, or legal proceedings
• Declarations about membership of or association with organisations the Department considers relevant to character assessment

Police clearances must be obtained directly from the relevant government authority in each country. Processing times vary — some countries take 4 to 8 weeks or longer. Factor this into your preparation timeline so police clearances do not delay your lodgement after receiving an invitation.

Document Checklist

Prepare these documents before your invitation arrives so you can lodge on day one of the 60-day window. Submitting a complete application at lodgement is the single most effective way to reduce your processing time.

Identity documents

• Current passport (all pages, including entry and exit stamps)
• Previous passports (if names or details have changed)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Evidence of de facto relationship (if applicable)
• Change of name documentation (deed poll or equivalent)

Qualifications and education

• Academic transcripts for all degrees claimed in the points test
• Degree certificates and graduation documents
• Certified English translations of all non-English documents
• Professional Year completion certificate (if claiming 5 points)

Skills assessment

• Positive skills assessment outcome letter from the relevant authority
• Skills assessment reference number (required for EOI submission)

Employment evidence

• Reference letters from all employers claimed for points, on company letterhead, signed by an authorised person, specifying job title, duties, dates, and full-time/part-time status
• Payslips or tax records corroborating employment dates
• Employment contracts (if available)
• Statutory declarations where original documentation is not available

English proficiency

• Official test score report (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, OET, or Cambridge C1)
• Results must be valid at the date of invitation

Health and character

• Health examination arranged through a HAP-approved panel physician (results uploaded directly by the physician)
• Police clearance certificates from every country of 12-month+ residence in the past 10 years

Additional documents (if applicable)

• Partner’s skills assessment (if claiming partner skills points)
• Evidence of NAATI credentialled community language certification
• Evidence of regional Australian study
• Evidence of Australian study for the 5-point Australian study requirement

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Submitting an EOI with an expiring skills assessment

If your skills assessment expires before you receive an invitation — which can happen when you are in the SkillSelect pool for an extended period — your EOI becomes invalid. Check your assessment’s expiry date against the likely timeline for receiving an invitation based on your score and occupation.

Claiming points you cannot substantiate

The Department reviews the points claimed in your EOI against the evidence you submit at lodgement. If your reference letters do not clearly establish the dates, hours, and duties for employment you claimed, those points are at risk. Prepare strong employment evidence before you even submit your EOI.

Ignoring the ANZSCO code mismatch

Your skills assessment references a specific ANZSCO code. Your EOI nominates a specific ANZSCO code. Your employment evidence must support that same ANZSCO code. A mismatch between any of these three — even a closely related occupation — can cause your application to be refused.

Letting English results expire mid-queue

If your English test results expire while you are waiting in the SkillSelect pool, you must resit the test and update your EOI. Updating your EOI resets your submission timestamp, which affects tie-breaking at the cut-off score. Monitor your test expiry dates relative to your expected invitation timeline.

Missing the 60-day lodgement window

Once invited, you have exactly 60 days to lodge your formal application through ImmiAccount. This window cannot be extended. If you receive your invitation and are not prepared, you lose it. Begin preparing your documents before you receive the invitation.

How Requirements Connect to the Application Process

The 189 visa requirements map to specific stages in the process:

1. Before submitting EOI: Skills assessment complete and valid. English test complete and valid. Points calculated accurately. Occupation confirmed on current MLTSSL.
2. At EOI submission: All eligibility criteria declared in SkillSelect. Skills assessment reference number entered.
3. On invitation: Age under 45 confirmed. All declared points remain accurate and can be evidenced.
4. Within 60 days of invitation: Application lodged through ImmiAccount with all documents.
5. During processing: Health examinations completed. Police clearances submitted. Any Department requests responded to promptly.

What to Do Next

If you have confirmed that your occupation is on the MLTSSL and you have a rough sense of your points score, the practical next step is contacting the assessing authority for your occupation and understanding their specific requirements. This is the step with the longest lead time — skills assessments can take months — and everything else depends on it.

Before that, verify your occupation and points score carefully. A MARA-registered migration agent can review your profile and confirm whether your score is likely to be competitive before you invest in the assessment process.

For a full overview of the 189 visa — including how invitation rounds work, processing times, and costs — see our subclass 189 visa overview. For context on where the 189 fits within Australia’s broader permanent residency in Australia framework, see our PR overview.

Frequently Asked Questions About 189 Visa Requirements

Can I apply for the 189 visa if my occupation is on the STSOL but not the MLTSSL?

No. The subclass 189 exclusively uses the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). If your occupation is only on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), you are not eligible for the 189. You may be eligible for the subclass 190 or 491 depending on your state’s nomination list and the occupation lists those visas use.

Do I need a skills assessment before submitting my Expression of Interest?

Yes. Your skills assessment reference number is required to submit an EOI through SkillSelect. You cannot lodge an EOI without a completed and positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your occupation. The assessment does not need to be completed before you start preparing, but it must be finalised and have a valid reference number before you can submit the EOI.

What happens if my English test expires between my EOI submission and my invitation?

Your English results must be valid at the time your EOI is invited, not just when you submit it. Most approved tests have a 3-year validity window. If your results expire before you receive an invitation, you will need to resit the test and update your EOI — which resets your submission timestamp for tie-breaking purposes when multiple applicants have the same score at the cut-off.