Knowledge Centre
189 Visa Processing Times & How the Points Test Works
Written and reviewed by the Reliance Law Group immigration team · Last reviewed August 2026
The 189 is the cleanest visa in the skilled program: permanent residence, no sponsor, no state commitment, live and work anywhere. You do not even need to work in your nominated occupation. That is exactly why it is the hardest to get. For most applicants the processing time is the least of their worries; the invitation is the bottleneck. Expression of interests that do not attract an invitation will expire after 2 years from initial lodgement.
Short answer: once invited and lodged, a 189 is commonly finalised within about 5 to 10 months. Getting invited is the real wait, and it depends entirely on your points score against others in your occupation.
The two waits
| Stage | What determines it | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
|
Expression of interest to invitation |
Your points score versus other applicants in your occupation |
Weeks to indefinitely |
|
Invitation to decision |
Completeness of your application |
About 5 to 10 months for most applications. |
Two people with identical applications can have wildly different total timelines, because one had 90 points and the other had 70. The published processing time only describes the second stage.
How the points test works
Points come from a defined set of factors, and you must reach at least 65 to submit an expression of interest:
- Age. The highest points sit in the 25 to 32 bracket, dropping after that and falling away sharply from 45
- English. Competent, proficient and superior levels attract increasing points, and moving up a band is often the fastest available gain
- Skilled employment. Counted separately for Australian and overseas experience, and it must be in a closely related occupation
- Qualifications. Doctorate, bachelor, diploma and trade qualifications levels attract different points
- Extras. Australian study, a professional year, credentialled community language, study in regional Australia, and a partner's skills or English
What score do you actually need?
65 is the floor, not the target. Because invitations go to the highest scorers first within each occupation, the practical cut-off depends on demand in your field. Competitive occupations such as accounting and most IT roles currently require scores far above the minimum, while more in demand occupations clear can often invite from 65 points onwards.
Anyone telling you a single magic number for all occupations is guessing. What matters is the recent invitation pattern for your occupation.
What slows the application stage?
After invitation, delay comes almost entirely from evidence. An expired skills assessment, work references that do not demonstrate the duties claimed, missing police certificates, and health examinations left until requested are the recurring causes. You have 60 days from invitation to lodge, so preparation should happen before the invitation arrives, not after.
The risk of overclaiming
Claiming points you cannot evidence is the most damaging error available. It does not merely reduce your score at assessment; it can lead to refusal and, in serious cases, findings about providing incorrect information that affect future applications.
Every claim should be documented before you submit an expression of interest. Our skilled visa team audits claims against the evidence for exactly this reason, and our 189 visa page sets out the criteria.
Frequently asked questions
It lets you submit an expression of interest but rarely wins an invitation. Competitive occupations often require substantially more, so treat 65 as the entry requirement rather than the goal.
The usual levers are a higher English result, more skilled experience, a partner skills assessment, Australian study or a professional year. Each has its own evidence requirements.
No. It is skilled independent, with no employer or state sponsor, which is precisely why it is the most competitive option.
You generally have 60 days from invitation to lodge a complete application. Miss it and you return to the pool.
Yes. Your occupation must appear on the relevant skilled occupation list and you must hold a positive skills assessment for it. Lists are reviewed periodically.
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