Top Migration Consultant in Perth for the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa — requirements, application steps, processing times and your pathway to citizenship and Australian permanent residency.
The Subclass 189 visa, the Skilled Independent Visa, is a permanent residency visa for skilled professionals seeking to live and work permanently in Australia. It is 100% points-based — it requires no state nomination, no employer sponsorship and no federal nomination of any kind.
Applicants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect and are invited to apply based entirely on their points score. Once granted, holders can live and work anywhere in Australia with no state or regional obligation, and it paves the way to become an Australian citizen.
To qualify, applicants must have an occupation on Australia’s Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), a positive skills assessment, demonstrate English proficiency, be under 45 years of age, and score at least 65 points on the points test. Due to high demand, applicants with scores well above 65 have a significantly better chance of receiving an invitation.
Unlike the Subclass 190 (state nominated) or Subclass 491 (regional), the 189 carries no obligations to live in a particular state — making it the most flexible skilled migration pathway to Australian permanent residency.
The requirements for the Subclass 189 Skilled Nominated Visa are as follows:
Before submitting your EOI, ensure your occupation is on the MLTSSL, obtain a positive skills assessment, and calculate your points score. You need a minimum of 65 points — but in practice, recent invitation rounds have required 80+ for many occupations. Contact our team for a free points assessment.
Use the SkillSelect platform to submit your EOI, detailing your nominated occupation, skills, qualifications, work experience and other attributes. No nomination is required — your EOI enters a pool ranked by points score alone.
Based on your points score and occupation ceiling, you may receive an Invitation to Apply from the Department of Home Affairs. Only the highest-ranked applicants in each occupation round are invited. Invitations are typically issued in quarterly rounds.
After receiving your invitation, you have a 60-day window to submit your formal visa application. Gather all documents including your skills assessment, English test results, work references, health examinations and police clearances. Ensure all details are accurate to avoid delays.
Processing durations fluctuate monthly due to application volume, seasonal surges and complexity. The projected times below are indicative only — actual times may differ. All times are from date of application.
Processing times are sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and are updated regularly. Contact our team for the most current estimates based on your specific circumstances.
The initial government application charge varies depending on the number and age of dependants included in your application:
These are the government lodgement fees only. Our agency fee will be determined based on your specific situation. Contact us for a transparent, obligation-free fee assessment.
The 189 visa is a permanent residency visa granted immediately upon approval — with no obligations to live in any particular state or region. You can live and work anywhere in Australia and begin your citizenship journey from day one.
There is no obligation to live in any particular state or territory as a 189 visa holder. You have complete freedom to live and work anywhere in Australia from day one — making it the most flexible skilled migration pathway available.
To apply for Australian citizenship you must have lived in Australia for 4 years total (including at least 1 year as a permanent resident). Given the complexity of immigration policy, we recommend consulting with an OMARA-registered migration agent Perth specialist.
Book Free Consultation“We used Ultimate Migration to sponsor employees and the whole process was easy and cost effective. These people know what they are doing and are on top of how everything works.”
“Ultimate Migration guided me through the employee sponsorship process for my business. From SBS to visa approval, they executed every step professionally. I wholeheartedly recommend them.”
“Very knowledgeable and they care about the quality of outcome for their clients. Highly recommended.”
“It’s a great immigration consultant firm. I was very happy to migrate to Australia — they fully supported me up to settlement.”
“The team at Ultimate Migration helped with my AAT hearing. They handled my complex case with utmost care, and I got a favourable outcome. I highly recommend Ultimate Migration Perth.”
“I wholeheartedly endorse Ultimate Migration. They helped me with my 188 Visa — I was informed and guided at every step of the application.”
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