We prefer that you have any health checks before you apply for the visa. .

Find out the examinations you need and how to arrange them.

You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) to let us know you want to apply for this visa.

If you score enough points, a state or territory government agency may nominate you for the visa and we will invite you to apply.

If you advised in your EOI that you will be sponsored by an eligible relative we may invite you to apply for a visa in an invitation round.

Check that your occupation is on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations for a Skilled Regional (subclass 489) visa.

The list relevant to you will depend on whether you are being:

• nominated by a state or territory government agency
• sponsored by an eligible relative

You must have a suitable skills assessment at the time we invite you to apply.

The assessment must be undertaken by an assessing authority listed against your occupation in the list of eligible skilled occupations. You might have to pay for the assessment.

To be eligible for a visa your skills assessment must have been obtained within the 3 years before the date of invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed.  We can’t accept a skills assessment issued more than 3 years before the invitation date.

If your skills were assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.

Medical practitioners

For medical practitioners we accept evidence of registration issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. You must hold either:

• unconditional or general medical registration
• conditional specialist registration – which allows you to practice only in your particular specialty with no further training or supervision requirements

You must show that you hold this registration at the time we invite you to apply.

Barristers and solicitors

A suitable skills assessment for barristers and solicitors is evidence of admission to practice as a lawyer in an Australian state or territory.

The relevant legal admissions authority must have admitted you to practice at the time we invite you to apply.

You must be able to obtain at least 65 points on our points test to be eligible for this visa. If you cannot obtain 65 points we will not invite you to apply.

If we invite you to apply for the visa, you must prove the claims you make in your EOI when we assess your application.

Use the points table to check how many points you might score.

Check that you meet all other eligibility criteria for the visa.

If we invite you to apply for the visa, you will have to prove the claims you make in your EOI. You will also need to show you meet the other eligibility criteria.

See what documents you will need to prove your claims before you submit your EOI in the Gather documents section.

If you receive an invitation to apply for the visa after you submit your EOI, you will need to provide documents that:

• prove all of the claims you make in your EOI
• support other eligibility criteria for the visa

You should have all these documents before you submit your EOI.

Submit your EOI via SkillSelect. You can submit it from within or outside Australia.

Your EOI is not a visa application. There is no fee for submitting an EOI.

Select the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) Invited pathway.

You will receive an email confirming your EOI has been submitted.

SkillSelect will estimate your points score based on the claims made in your EOI.

You must have an estimated score of at least 65 points to be invited to apply for this visa.

If you score enough points and there are places allocated for your occupation, we might invite you to apply.

An EOI is not a visa application. Submitting an EOI does not mean you will get a bridging visa.

If your current visa is about to expire, you must apply for another visa to remain in Australia lawfully.

You are not eligible for a bridging visa because the EOI is not a visa application. You are only eligible for a bridging visa after you are invited and apply for this visa.

Let us know through SkillSelect if:

• you want to apply for a different skilled visa
• your circumstances change – for example, if you change your occupation or your family structure changes
• you could score more points – for example, you have completed a higher qualification or gained new work experience
• your employment circumstances change and you are no longer working at least 20 hours per week in your nominated occupation

You must be able to meet the points score on your invitation letter if we invite you to apply.

SkillSelect will update your indicative points score when you make changes to your EOI. You can change your EOI at any time before we invite you to apply for a visa.

We allocate places for the skilled migration program to meet the Australian Government’s migration planning levels. Find out more about how we allocate places and priority processing.

Once invited, you have 60 calendar days to apply for the visa. We cannot extend this time.

You could receive an invitation up to 2 years after submitting an EOI. If we invite you to apply you will receive an email from SkillSelect. Getting an invitation does not mean you will be granted the visa.

The invitation will include an indicative points score based on your EOI claims.

When you apply for the visa, you must show that you:

• can meet the points score on your invitation (which will include proving any claims you made in your EOI) and
• can meet all other eligibility criteria

If you do not apply for the visa after two invitations, your EOI will be removed from SkillSelect.

We will not process your visa application if you are 45 at the time of your invitation.

If you can’t show you meet the points score on your invitation or the other visa criteria, then do not apply for the visa.

Your EOI will be suspended if an invitation is issued, but you can update information once the 60-day invitation period has passed. If this is your second invitation, you will have to submit another EOI if you still want the visa.

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.

Also provide:

• a national identity card, if you have one
• proof of change of name

Documents that prove a change of name include:

• a marriage or divorce certificate
• change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
• documents that show other names you have been known by

If you are or have been married, widowed, divorced or permanently separated, provide proof such as divorce documents, death certificates, separation documents or statutory declarations.

If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).

Provide an Australian police certificate if you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16.

We only accept complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. We do not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police.

For immigration purposes, Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Also provide:

• an overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16.
• military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country

Complete and provide the following forms:

• Form 80 – Personal particulars for character assessment (554KB PDF)
• Form 1221 Additional personal particulars information (290KB PDF)

We need to see evidence of your partner‘s identity and relationship with you.

Provide:

• identity documents and photos
• character documents
• marriage certificate, if applicable
• documents about other relationships, if applicable

For de facto relationship provide either:

• evidence that your relationship is registered by an Australian State or Territory
• enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply

For both married and de facto applicants you must provide evidence that you are in a genuine and continuing relationship. Evidence can include but is not limited to:

• joint bank account statements
• billing accounts in joint names
• joint leases or mortgages
• documents that show your partner has lived at the same address as you

For every dependant 18 years old or younger who is applying with you, provide:

• copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children
• copies of the adoption paper, if applicable.

Parental responsibility documents

You must get consent for a dependent child to migrate to Australia from anyone who:

You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:

• has a legal right to decide where the child lives and
• is not coming to Australia with the child

They must complete either:

• Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (168KB PDF)
• statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to migrate to Australia on this visa

Alternatively, you can show us:

• an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or
• that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate

Include:

• an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence
• adoption papers or other court documents if applicable

You don’t have to prove that your dependant under 18 years of age has functional English.

Note: If your child is likely to turn 18 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you. See the section ‘Dependants over 18 documents’ below for further information. A child who turns 18 while your application is being processed and who is not dependent on you cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.

To include your child who is over 18 in your visa application, they must be:

• over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23, and dependent on you or your partner, or
• over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner

If your child is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you due to disability.

Provide:

• identity documents
• documents about their other relationships, if applicable

You must also provide proof the child is dependent on you.

• proof of your relationship with the dependant such as a birth certificate or adoption papers
• a completed Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (241KB PDF)
• proof of financial dependency such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts
• if the child is aged 23 or is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you must also provide a report from a qualified medical practitioner that states they are dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions

Note: A child who turns 23 while your application is being processed and who does not meet these requirements cannot satisfy the criteria for this visa.

New step description

You must provide documents that support the claims you made in your EOI. To check the documents you need use the points table. Depending on your claims this could include evidence of your:

• skills assessment
• English language skills
• Australian and/or overseas skilled employment
• educational qualifications
• Satisfying the Australian study requirement
• specialist education
• accredited community language
• study in regional Australia
• partner skills
• Professional Year in Australia

Medical practitioners

One of these certificates issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency:

• unconditional or general medical registration
• conditional specialist registration – which allows you to practice only in your speciality with no further training or supervision requirements

You must be registered at the time we invite you to apply.

Barristers and Solicitors

Proof of admission to practice as a lawyer in the relevant state or territory. You must be admitted to practice at the time we invite you to apply.

You must provide documents to prove all of the claims you made in your EOI. Use the points table to check the documents you need.

If you are being sponsored, provide:

• Skilled Regional (class SP) 489 (provisional) visa Sponsor declaration (51KB PDF) completed by your sponsor
• proof that your sponsor is an eligible relative
• proof that your sponsor has turned 18
• proof that your sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen
• proof that your sponsor is usually resident in a designated area of Australia

To prove that your sponsor is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, provide:

• citizenship certificate, or
• passport bio-data page

To prove your sponsor is usually resident in a designated area of Australia, documents you can provide include, but are not limited to:

• drivers licence
• mortgage/tenancy agreements
• utility bills

To prove the sponsor’s relationship with you, documents you can provide include, but are not limited to:

• birth certificate
• marriage certificates
• death certificates
• adoption certificates
• family status certificates or family books if officially issued and maintained

To nominate someone to:

• receive your correspondence, use Form 956a Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (300KB PDF)
• provide immigration advice, use Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (297KB PDF)
• act for you but not provide immigration assistance, let us know in writing what they can do on your behalf (such as submit or withdraw an application for you). Upload your written notification in ImmiAccount

See more about getting help with your application.

Have all non-English documents translated into English.

Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited. But on each translation, they must include their:

• full name
• address and telephone number
• qualifications and experience in the language they are translating

These details must be in English.

Note: You do not need to have any documents certified.

Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour.

The scans and photos must be clear.

If a document is more than 1 page, save it all as 1 file.

1. Log into your SkillSelect account. In SkillSelect, click on the ‘Apply for visa’ button. This will take you to our online system, ImmiAccount.
2. Log in or create an ImmiAccount. Your ImmiAccount login and password will not be the same as your SkillSelect login and password.
3. Attach your documents
4. Pay the first visa application charge. We will not process your application until you pay this first instalment of the visa application charge.
5. Note your transaction reference number (TRN).

Each family member must have their application charge paid and documents attached to their application.

If you are in Australia, you don’t have to tell us if you want to travel outside Australia while we process your application. This is because you can be outside Australia when we make a decision.

But if you leave Australia, make sure your visa allows you to return. To see if you can return on your current visa, check VEVO.

Learn about visa expiry.

If you applied outside Australia, don’t arrange travel to Australia, leave your job or sell your home until we advise you in writing that you have been granted the visa.

If you did not attach all documents when you applied, attach them as soon as you can to your ImmiAccount.

We might also ask you to provide more information, however we are not obliged to do so and may make a decision on your application without asking for more documents.

If you are in Australia, make sure you stay lawful by holding a valid visa while we process your application.

When you applied for this visa, you were granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). If your current visa expires before we decide on your application, the BVA will come into effect. You can stay in Australia on the BVA while we process your new visa application.

Do not ask to have the visa you currently hold cancelled. If your visa is cancelled:

• you will be staying in Australia unlawfully
• your BVA will cease

Learn more about visa expiry.

You can add dependent children to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa.

Use Form 1436 Adding an additional applicant after lodgement (392KB PDF), pay using ImmiAccount, attach the form and supporting documents to your ImmiAccount.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Family members who are not coming to Australia do have to meet our character requirement and might have to meet our health requirement.

Let us know if you no longer want someone to:

• receive your correspondence – complete Form 956a Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (300KB PDF)
• provide immigration advice – complete Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (297KB PDF)
• act for you – let us know in writing by uploading your advice in ImmiAccount

See more about withdrawing your nomination.

Things you need to let us know about after you have applied include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your marital or de facto status
• the birth of a child
• you want to withdraw your application

See how to tell us if your situation changes.