489 Visa

New applications for the 489 visa are no longer being accepted.

Applicants must be in possession of subclass 475, 487, 495, or 496 visas (Extended Stay pathway).

To be eligible, applicants must be sponsored by either a relative who lives in a designated area or a State or Territory Government. (Invited route)

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• have an occupation on the relevant occupation list
• have a successful skill assessment for the relevant occupation
• be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency or an eligible relative

Interest Expression

Applicants can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and the Department of Immigration will invite them to apply for this visa. To be eligible to apply for the 489 Visa, applicants must score at least 65 points; however, you may need more points to receive an invitation. Take a look at the most recent invitation round to see how many invitations were issued.

To find out how many points you have, take our Online Points Test.
Applicants must lodge their Regional Sponsored 489 Visa within 60 days of receiving an invitation.

If you meet the following requirements, you may be able to apply for a Regional Sponsored Visa (Subclass 489).

SPONSORSHIP FOR RELATIVES

If you have an eligible relative who lives in a designated area, you may be able to apply for a Regional Sponsored Visa.

An eligible relative must be a citizen of Australia, a permanent resident of Australia, or a citizen of New Zealand.

In addition, an eligible relative must be one of the following to the applicant:

• Parents
• Brothers and Sisters
• Uncles and Aunts
• Nephews and Nieces
• First Cousins

Applicants who have been sponsored by a relative for two years and have worked full-time in a regional or low-population area for at least 12 months may be eligible for a Skilled Regional Subclass 887 Permanent Visa.

NOMINATION OF A STATE OR TERRITORY

You must be nominated by a state or territory in Australia. Each state and territory government has its own list of eligible occupations and may have specific skill and work experience requirements.

SKILLS & OCCUPATION

Your occupation must be on the list of qualified skilled occupations.

To demonstrate that you have the skills and qualifications to work in your chosen occupation, you must successfully complete a skill assessment through an authorized assessing authority.

TEST OF POINTS & INVITATION

You must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in order to be invited to apply for this visa.
To be invited to apply, you must have at least 65 points.
When you are invited to apply for the visa, you must meet the points score eligibility.
Make a point total.

ENGLISH

You can demonstrate your proficiency in English.

AGE

When you receive an invitation to apply, you are under the age of 45.

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR

You must be in good health and have good character.

New applications for the 489 visa are no longer being accepted.

Applicants may include the following people in their application for transitional permanent residency:

• Dependent or step-children
• Dependent child or children of the partner
• Collaborator

PARTNER

Your married or de facto partner can be of either sex. Applicants must demonstrate that:

• the relationship is genuine and ongoing
• your partner is at least 18 years old at the time the application is submitted (there are some exceptions)
• You are not related by blood or marriage (if you are in a de facto relationship)
• you and your partner have made a mutual commitment to a shared life at the expense of all others, and
• you live together or do not live separately on a permanent basis.

CHILDREN

A child must meet the following requirements to be included or added to a 189 visa:

• be your child or a stepchild from a current or previous relationship (under certain conditions);
• not be married, engaged to be married, or have a de facto partner; and must be:
  under 18 years of age or
• over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23, and be dependent on you or your partner, or
• over 23 years of age and be unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and be dependent on you or your partner. (Note: The child will still need to meet Australia’s health requirements.)
• a dependent child of a child who meets the criteria in 1, 2, or 3 above.

ENGLISH

To be exempt, applicants over the age of 18 must demonstrate. Functional English or pay an additional application fee. Otherwise, if you want to improve your English, our English Language School partner can assist you.

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR

All members of the family must meet certain health and character requirements. All applicants over the age of 16 are required to provide police clearances.