189 vs 190 vs 491 Visa: Which Australian Skilled Visa Is Right for You?

The 189, 190 and 491 are Australia’s three points-tested skilled visas. The 189 is permanent and needs no sponsor, the 190 is permanent but needs a state or territory to nominate you (+5 points), and the 491 is a 5-year provisional visa for regional Australia that needs state nomination or family sponsorship (+15 points) and leads to PR through the 191. As of October 2026, all three need at least 65 points and an age under 45 at invitation.

Key points

• All three use SkillSelect, the same points test and the same 65-point minimum.
• The 189 is the most flexible but the most competitive. The 4 June 2026 round needed 65 to 100 points depending on occupation.
• The 190 and 491 trade flexibility for extra points and a state’s backing.
• Fees from 1 July 2026: AUD 6,135 (189) and AUD 6,140 (190 and 491) for the main applicant.
• 2026–27 places: 189 up to 21,090, 190 up to 35,500, Regional (491) down to 14,110.

Side-by-side comparison

	189 Skilled Independent	190 Skilled Nominated	491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
Visa type	Permanent	Permanent	Provisional, 5 years
Sponsor or nomination	None	State or territory	State or territory, or eligible relative in a designated regional area
Points from nomination	0	+5	+15
Minimum points	65	65	65
Age at invitation	Under 45	Under 45	Under 45
Where you live	Anywhere in Australia	State expects you to live and work there (check its conditions)	Must live, work and study in a designated regional area
Who invites you	Home Affairs rounds	State nomination triggers the invitation	State nomination, or Home Affairs rounds for family-sponsored
Occupation ceilings	Apply	Do not apply	Do not apply to state-nominated
Base fee (from 1 July 2026)	AUD 6,135	AUD 6,140	AUD 6,140
2026–27 places	21,090	35,500	14,110 (Regional category)
Route to PR	Is PR	Is PR	Subclass 191 after 3 years

Fees are from the Home Affairs visa pricing table for applications lodged from 1 July 2026. Use the Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact amount.

Subclass 189: Skilled Independent

The 189 is the “gold standard” because you need no employer, state or relative. Once granted, you are a permanent resident and can live and work anywhere in Australia.

The catch is competition. Home Affairs invites the highest-scoring EOIs first, by occupation. In the 4 June 2026 round, construction trades such as Carpenter and Electrician were invited at 65 points, many health and teaching roles at 75, and most professional occupations at 80 to 95. As of 11 October 2026, no 189 invitations had been issued in 2026–27, and Home Affairs says the next round is on 15 October 2026.

The 189 suits you if you have a high score (often 80+ for professional occupations) or work in a construction trade that is invited at lower scores.

Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated

The 190 is also permanent. The difference is that a state or territory government nominates you, which adds 5 points and triggers your invitation. Each state publishes its own criteria and occupation lists, and these change during the year. Some ask for a job offer or work experience in the state; others focus on graduates of local universities.

States expect nominees to live and work in the nominating state for a period after grant. Check the specific commitment with the state before you accept a nomination.

The 190 suits you if your score is near the 65 to 75 range, your occupation is on a state’s list, and you are happy to settle in that state. Places rose to 35,500 in 2026–27, the largest skilled points-tested category.

Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)

The 491 adds 15 points, the most of any nomination. In return:

• It is a 5-year temporary visa, not PR.
• You and your family on the visa must live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia.
• You cannot apply for most other permanent visas (including 186, 189 and 190) until you have held the 491 for 3 years (491 visa page).
• After 3 years you may apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), which has a minimum income requirement.

There are two ways in: state or territory nomination, or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area. Home Affairs runs invitation rounds for the family-sponsored stream.

The big change for 2026–27 is that Regional places fell from 33,000 to 14,110, a drop of about 57%. Fewer 491 nominations are likely this year, so do not rely on the 491 as an easy fallback.

Costs compared

Charge (from 1 July 2026)	189	190	491
Main applicant	AUD 6,135	AUD 6,140	AUD 6,140
Each family member 18+	AUD 3,070	AUD 3,070	Check estimator
Each family member under 18	AUD 1,535	AUD 1,535	Check estimator
Second instalment (18+ without functional English)	About AUD 4,885	AUD 4,885	Check estimator

Other costs include skills assessment, English tests, health checks, police certificates and, for the 491, the later 191 application.

How to choose

Ask yourself these questions in order:

1. Is my score high enough for a 189 in my occupation? Compare it with the latest round results. If yes, lodge an EOI for the 189 and keep the others selected as back-ups.
2. Is my occupation on a state’s list, and would I live there? If yes, the 190 adds 5 points and is permanent.
3. Am I willing to live in a regional area for at least 3 years? If yes, and your score is still short, the 491 adds 15 points.
4. Do I have an employer? If so, employer sponsorship may be faster. See our Skills in Demand (482) guide.

You can select more than one visa in your EOI, so many people register interest in all the visas they qualify for.

Three example profiles

These are illustrations, not assessments of real cases.

• Electrician, 70 points. An electrician aged 30 with Proficient English, a recognised trade qualification and 5 years’ overseas experience scores 30 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 60, plus 10 if single = 70. In the June 2026 round, Electrician (General) 189 invitations went to EOIs with 65 points, so the 189 is realistic.
• Accountant, 75 points. Accounting roles did not appear in the June 2026 list of 189 invitations. A 190 or 491 nomination from a state that wants accountants may be the more realistic route, if one is available.
• Software engineer, 70 points, happy to move regionally. A 491 nomination would lift the score to 85, but only if a state or territory is nominating that occupation for regional areas. With fewer Regional places in 2026–27, check each state’s current list.

Processing order

All three visas are processed under Ministerial Direction 122 from 19 September 2026. Applications in priority sectors (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, plus law enforcement and defence interests) are processed first, then onshore applicants, then offshore applicants applying alone, then everyone else (processing priorities).

What to do next

1. Calculate your score with our Australia points test guide.
2. Check the latest SkillSelect invitation round results for your occupation.
3. Read the nomination criteria of each state you would consider living in.
4. Lodge an EOI and keep it up to date.
5. Get advice from a registered migration agent before accepting a state or regional commitment you are unsure about.

For every route to PR, see the Australia PR pathways guide and the Australia hub. Rule changes are tracked on our updates page.