Visa
This is a general orientation, not a promise for any individual case — official processing times move around month to month and differ a lot by occupation and how complete your application is. Also remember that waiting for an invitation is a separate clock from processing the visa itself once you've applied.
Australian visa pathways at a glance
| Pathway | What you need | Processing guide | PR outcome / cost note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | A points-tested Expression of Interest in a suitable occupation, a positive skills assessment, and at least 65 points — with no state or employer sponsor involved. | Generally the fastest of the points-tested pathways to process once you're invited, since there's no separate state-nomination step. Getting an invitation in the first place is a separate — and often longer — wait. | Grants permanent residence immediately on approval. Run the official pricing estimator before lodging — skills assessment and English test fees come on top of the visa application charge. |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | State or territory nomination, which adds 5 points on top of a suitable occupation, skills assessment and a competitive EOI. | Sits in the same skilled-permanent processing queue as the 189, plus a separate state nomination step whose timeline depends on the nominating state. | Grants permanent residence immediately on approval. Budget for the visa application charge plus skills assessment, English test and any state nomination fee — and expect a commitment to live in the nominating state for a period after grant. |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional | Regional state nomination or eligible family sponsorship, which adds 15 points — the largest nomination bonus of the skilled pathways — plus a requirement to live and work in a designated regional area. | Assessed under the same skilled priorities as the 189 and 190; regional and in-demand occupations can move through faster. | A five-year provisional visa, not permanent residence itself. After meeting the regional-residence and income requirements for three years, it opens a pathway to permanent residence through the 191 visa. |
| 482 Skills in Demand | Employer sponsorship plus a nominated occupation on the relevant skilled list — which stream you fall into (Core, Specialist or Essential Skills) and the salary on offer both matter. | Usually the quickest visa on this list once lodged, especially in the Specialist Skills stream where decision-ready applications can be prioritised. Processing benchmarks are published monthly and shift stream by stream, so check the current figures directly. | A temporary visa, usually valid for up to four years. Many holders later move onto the 186 once their employer nominates them for it. |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | Employer nomination in an eligible occupation, plus meeting your stream's requirements — commonly Temporary Residence Transition (if you've already worked for the sponsoring employer on a 482) or Direct Entry (for everyone else). | Processed within the same skilled-permanent queue as the 189 and 190; regional, healthcare, teaching and accredited-sponsor cases can be prioritised. | Grants permanent residence immediately on approval. Your own visa application charge is separate from what your employer pays — and by law, employers can't pass certain sponsorship costs on to you. |
| 309 / 820 Partner | Evidence of a genuine spouse or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen — this pathway is evidence-based, not points-tested. | Usually the longest wait on this list: the temporary/provisional stage alone often runs well over a year, and the permanent stage typically isn't assessed until roughly two years after you first applied. | Starts as a temporary visa (309 offshore or 820 onshore), then progresses to the permanent 100/801 visa. Partner visa charges are among the highest on this list — confirm the exact current fee directly before paying. |
A note on processing times: The Department of Home Affairs publishes processing times based on visas it has recently granted, not on applications still in the queue. Your own outstanding application can take materially longer (or shorter) than the published figure, especially if your case needs extra checks.
Further reading: Smart Visa Guide — run by a registered migration agent who publishes and aggregates a wider range of visa information than we cover here.
This table is a general orientation, not migration advice — visa rules, points requirements and processing times change often. Confirm your options with the official Home Affairs website or a registered migration agent before acting.