Skilled migration to Australia, made clear. Registered migration agents in Brisbane cover the 189, 190, 491, 191 and 485 visas. Book a consultation with BYD.
If you have skills and experience that Australia needs, skilled migration can take you from a temporary stay to permanent residency, and in most cases you don’t need an employer to sponsor you. This is the group of points-tested visas that let workers live and work here on the strength of their occupation, age, English and qualifications. Our registered migration agents in Brisbane help you work out which one fits, get your points right, and lodge an application that holds up.
There’s more than one skilled visa, and the differences matter. Picking the wrong one, or aiming at the most competitive visa when a state-nominated pathway was the smarter play, costs people months. Here’s the full group, with a plain description of each and a link to the detailed page.
Skilled Migration overview: start here if you’re not sure where you fit. This page explains the points test, SkillSelect, the skills assessment, and how the different visas connect.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): permanent residency that isn’t tied to any state or employer. The most flexible skilled visa, and usually the most competitive on points.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190): permanent residency nominated by a state or territory. The nomination adds points, in return for a commitment to live and work in that state.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491): a five-year provisional visa for people nominated by a state or sponsored by an eligible relative in regional Australia. It’s a common route to permanent residency.
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191): the permanent visa that a 491 holder moves on to after meeting the regional living and income requirements.
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): for recent graduates of Australian courses who want to work here after study and build points toward a permanent skilled visa.
Most of these visas run on a points system. You submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, you’re ranked against other applicants by your score, and you wait to be invited to apply. Before you can claim points for your occupation, you need a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, and each occupation has its own authority and its own rules.
Your points come from your age, English test results, skilled work experience in Australia and overseas, qualifications, state nomination or regional study, and factors like a partner’s skills. Small differences add up. A stronger English result or a partner skills assessment can be the few points that move you into an invitation round.
The right visa depends on your occupation, your score, and how flexible you are about where you live. If your points are strong and your occupation is in demand, the 189 might be within reach. If you’re a few points short, a 190 state nomination or a 491 regional pathway is often faster. Recent graduates usually start on a 485 while they lift their points and gain local experience.
We map your realistic options rather than pinning your hopes on the most competitive visa and leaving it there. If a regional route gets you to permanent residency sooner, we’ll say so.
We calculate your points accurately and find the legitimate ways to improve them.
We guide your skills assessment so it’s right the first time and doesn’t stall for months.
We prepare and submit your Expression of Interest, and target the states that want your occupation.
We manage your full visa application once you’re invited, and your move from a 491 to the permanent 191 when the time comes.
We keep graduates on the right stepping stones, from a 485 through to a permanent skilled visa.
It’s a group of points-tested visas for workers in occupations Australia needs. You’re ranked on points like age, English, experience and qualifications, and invited to apply for permanent or provisional residency. Most don’t need an employer to sponsor you.
No, not for the 189, 190 or 491. These are points-based and don’t require employer sponsorship. You do need a suitable occupation and a positive skills assessment.
It depends on your occupation, your points and how flexible you are on location. The 189 offers the most freedom, the 190 adds points through state nomination, and the 491 opens a regional pathway. We’ll tell you which is genuinely within reach.
There’s a minimum to be eligible, but in practice you’re competing against other applicants, so a higher score gives you a much better chance. We’ll tell you where your score sits and how to lift it.
It’s an assessment by the authority for your occupation confirming your qualifications and experience meet Australian standards. You generally need a positive result before you can claim points for your occupation, so it’s the first thing we sort out.
The 189 isn’t tied to any state and gives full flexibility. The 190 is nominated by a state, which adds points but comes with an expectation you’ll live and work there.
Yes. If your partner has a suitable skilled occupation, competent English, or is under the age limit, you may be able to claim extra points. It’s one of the most overlooked ways to boost a score.
The 491 is a five-year provisional visa. Once you’ve lived and worked in a designated regional area and met the income requirement, you can apply for the permanent Skilled Regional visa (191).
Yes. A Temporary Graduate visa (485) lets you work here after study, and that experience can feed into a points-tested skilled visa later. Planning this early makes a real difference.
It varies with your occupation, your points and how quickly you’re invited. The skills assessment and the invitation round are the two big variables, and we’ll give you a realistic timeframe for your situation.
