Australia Skilled Migration 2027: Subclass 189, 190 and 491 Explained

Australia's points-tested visas are still the main way to move there permanently without an employer sponsor. The Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas all run through the same system: get your skills assessed, lodge an expression of interest, wait for an invitation, then apply.

What has changed is who gets invited. The 2026–27 Migration Program gives more places to the 189 and to employer-sponsored visas, cuts regional 491 places by more than half, and tells the department to favour people already living in Australia.

This guide is for skilled workers abroad and for temporary visa holders in Australia who are weighing up a points-tested application in 2027. It explains how each visa works, how to score points, what recent invitation rounds actually required, and what the whole thing costs.

The blunt answer for most offshore applicants: 65 points is the legal minimum, but outside a handful of trades it will not get you an invitation. Plan for 80 or more, or a state nomination.

The three visas side by side

The 491 leads to permanent residence through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, subclass 191, once you have lived and worked in a regional area for three years and met a minimum taxable income for three income years. The 191 itself costs AUD 630.

Who is getting priority in 2026–27

The 2026–27 Permanent Migration Program stays at 185,000 places, but the mix has moved. Skilled Independent places rise from 16,900 to 21,090 and employer-sponsored places from 44,000 to 58,040, while the regional category falls from 33,000 to 14,110. Across the program, 129,590 places are set aside for people already in Australia.

Processing follows the same logic. Under Ministerial Direction No. 122, the department was processing 189 applications lodged up to June 2026 for priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture and resources) and onshore applicants, but only up to November 2025 for applicants who were offshore when they lodged. If you are abroad and not in a priority sector, expect to wait longer than someone applying from Sydney.

The points test

You need at least 65 points, but your real target is whatever the last round demanded for your occupation. These are the main factors from the official 189 points table.

Employment points are capped at 20 combined, and only count for work in your nominated or a closely related occupation in the last ten years, at least 20 hours a week.

English is where most people find points. Competent English (IELTS 6 in each band) gives nothing; Proficient (IELTS 7 in each) gives 10; Superior (IELTS 8 in each) gives 20. The approved tests and score equivalents changed on 7 August 2025, and PTE Academic scores in particular are not comparable with older results, so check the current table before you book.

Skills assessment

Before you can lodge an expression of interest, your occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list and a designated authority must assess your qualifications and experience as suitable. The common ones are:

• ACS for ICT occupations
• Engineers Australia for engineers
• ANMAC for nurses and midwives
• VETASSESS for many general professional occupations
• TRA for trades, often with a practical or technical interview
• CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA for accountants
• AITSL for teachers

Fees range from a few hundred dollars to well over AUD 1,000, and trades assessments can cost several thousand once practical tests are included. Allow two to four months. The assessment also decides how many years of your experience count as "skilled", which can quietly cost you points. Many assessing bodies deduct the first two years after graduation.

Nurses should also look at our guide to nursing jobs abroad, which covers ANMAC and AHPRA registration.

Expressions of interest and SkillSelect

You lodge an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, free of charge, claiming points you can prove on the day you submit. One EOI can cover the 189, 190 and 491 at once. It stays live for two years. Ties between people with the same score go to whoever reached that score first.

The latest round at the time of writing, on 4 June 2026, invited 10,000 people for the 189. A sample of minimum scores from the SkillSelect invitation rounds page:

Software and accounting occupations did not appear on the invited list for that round, which tells you how oversubscribed they are. No 189 invitations had been issued in the 2026–27 program year by the end of September 2026.

State nomination

States and territories pick candidates for the 190 and 491 from SkillSelect, each using its own occupation lists and rules. Some want you to live or work in the state already; others run separate offshore streams for priority occupations. You may need to lodge a separate registration of interest with the state as well as your EOI.

Nominations in the first two months of 2026–27 were very slow. Between 1 July and 31 August 2026, Tasmania nominated 206 people for the 190, the Northern Territory 91, Western Australia 17, New South Wales 11 and Victoria none. Allocations are usually released later in the year, and activity picks up after that. Healthcare, construction trades, teaching and early childhood education are the common priority areas across most states.

If you are offshore, the smaller states and territories are usually the more realistic route for a 491. A New South Wales 190 generally goes to people already working in the state in a priority occupation.

The Skills in Demand visa

If the points maths does not work, employer sponsorship may. The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the old TSS visa in December 2024. It has three streams:

• Specialist Skills: for highly paid roles, with an income threshold of AUD 146,576 for nominations from 1 July 2026.
• Core Skills: for occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List, with a threshold of AUD 79,423 from 1 July 2026.
• Labour Agreement: for employers with a negotiated agreement.

The base fee is AUD 4,015 for the main applicant and each adult family member. Time on a 482 counts toward the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), the permanent employer route that just received 58,040 places. The Core Skills Occupation List applies to employer-sponsored visas; the points-tested visas still use the older skilled occupation lists.

Fees and total costs

A single applicant should budget around AUD 8,000 to 9,500. A couple with two children will be closer to AUD 14,000 to 16,000 before flights. There is also a second instalment of AUD 4,885 for any adult family member without functional English, so get your partner tested early.

Medicare and health insurance

Permanent residents on a 189 or 190 can enrol in Medicare from the day the visa is granted. Subclass 491 holders can also enrol. The Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income, and higher earners without private hospital cover pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge on top.

Employer-sponsored 482 holders usually cannot use Medicare unless they are from one of the 11 countries with a reciprocal health care agreement, such as the UK, Ireland or New Zealand, and must hold private health insurance as a visa condition. Our guide to international health insurance for expats covers what to look for in a policy.

Registered migration agents

You can apply without help, and the forms are manageable. If you use an agent in Australia, they must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), and you can check their registration number online. Lawyers with a current practising certificate can also give immigration assistance. Offshore "agents" who are not registered are a common source of fake job offers and fabricated work references. Fraudulent documents can lead to a refusal and a ban on future visas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points do I need for Australian PR in 2027?

The legal minimum is 65. In the June 2026 round, trades such as electricians and carpenters were invited at 65, nurses at 75 and most professional occupations at 80 to 95.

Is the 491 visa a good option?

It can be, especially for offshore applicants who cannot reach the 189 score, because a regional nomination adds 15 points. Places fell to 14,110 in 2026–27, so competition for state nominations will be stiffer.

How long does the 189 visa take?

It depends on processing priorities. In late 2026 the department was working on onshore and priority-sector applications lodged by June 2026, but offshore non-priority applications lodged by November 2025.

Can I include my family?

Yes. Your partner and dependent children can be included, at AUD 3,070 per adult and about AUD 1,540 per child. Adults without functional English will be charged a second instalment of AUD 4,885.

What is the difference between the Core Skills Occupation List and the skilled occupation lists?

The Core Skills Occupation List governs the employer-sponsored Skills in Demand visa. The 189, 190 and 491 use separate skilled occupation lists, so check the right list for the visa you want.

Final Thoughts

Work backwards from the invitation scores, not forwards from the 65-point minimum. If your occupation was last invited at 85 and you have 75, the cheapest 10 points are almost always in English. A few months of preparation for Superior English is worth more than a second degree.

If you are offshore in a non-priority occupation, look seriously at state nomination in the smaller states and at employer sponsorship. And once you have a grant, our guide to living and working in Sydney covers rent, tax and the first weeks on the ground.