Australia visa guide 2026: skilled worker, permanent residency and WHV

Australia’s immigration system is among the most established points-based systems globally — but the specific pathways, salary thresholds, and invitation scores change frequently. Here is the current map for 2026.

Australia’s main immigration routes

The points test — what score do you need?

Australia’s general skilled migration uses a points test (SkillSelect) with a maximum of 130 points. Points are awarded for: age (maximum 30 points for ages 25–32, declining thereafter), English language ability (up to 20 points for Superior English at IELTS 8 in all bands), skilled employment overseas (up to 15 points for 8+ years), skilled employment in Australia (up to 20 points for 8+ years), educational qualifications (20 points for a doctorate), Australian study requirement (5 points for two years at Australian institution), and specialisation bonuses (STEM field, professional year, partner skills, Credentialled Community Language).

The minimum to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to SkillSelect is 65 points. However, the actual invitation round cut-offs are significantly higher — for the Skilled Independent 189 visa, cut-offs in the most recent rounds ranged from 90 to 100+ points for most occupations. The 190 State Nomination adds 5 points and the 491 Regional adds 15 points to your SkillSelect score, improving your chances significantly.

Occupation lists and Skills Assessment

Your nominated occupation must appear on a relevant skilled occupation list: the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL, used for TSS 482 short-term), the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL, for 189/190/491/482 medium-term/186), or state-specific occupation lists. Not all occupations appear on all lists. Your overseas qualifications must be assessed by the relevant Australian assessing authority for your profession (Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS for IT, AHPRA for healthcare, etc.) as equivalent to an Australian qualification.

State nomination — a strategic accelerator

Each Australian state and territory runs its own immigration programme targeting specific occupations in demand locally. A state nomination adds 5 points (190) or 15 points (491) to your SkillSelect score and significantly increases your chance of receiving an ITA. States and territories compete for skilled migrants by targeting different occupations — for example, South Australia has actively targeted healthcare workers and teachers, while New South Wales has prioritised technology and finance roles. Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia each have separate programmes with distinct priority lists updated quarterly.

Working Holiday Visa (417 and 462)

Australia’s Working Holiday scheme is one of the most generous globally. Subclass 417 is available for citizens of UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and several others — age limit 18 to 30 (extended to 35 for some nationalities from 2023). Subclass 462 is for US, Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Argentinean, Chilean, Peruvian and several other nationalities — also age 18 to 30.

The first Working Holiday grants 1 year. It can be extended for a second year by completing 3 months of specified regional work (farm work, construction, bushfires support, tourism in designated regional areas), and extended for a third year by completing an additional 6 months of specified regional work or 6 months of COVID-19 or natural disaster work. The regional work requirement has been one of the more controversial aspects — standards and conditions in some agricultural work have drawn scrutiny — but the regional work extension remains the primary pathway to multi-year Working Holiday stays.

The Graduate Temporary 485 visa — post-study work

International students who complete a degree at an Australian institution can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) for post-study work. Duration depends on the level of study: bachelor’s degree graduates get 2 years (extended to 4 years if the institution is in a regional area), honours/master’s graduates get 2 years (regional 4 years), and PhD graduates get 4 years. The 485 allows unrestricted work rights in any occupation in Australia. It is the ideal window to secure employer sponsorship for a TSS 482 or build the Australian work experience that boosts points for the 189/190.

English language requirements

All skilled migration visas require English language proof. The accepted tests are IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, and PTE Academic. ‘Competent English’ (minimum for 65 SkillSelect points) = IELTS 6.0 in all bands. ‘Proficient English’ (10 bonus points) = IELTS 7.0 in all bands. ‘Superior English’ (20 bonus points) = IELTS 8.0 in all bands. Some nationalities are exempt from the test requirement — citizens of UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Republic of Ireland are typically deemed to have Competent English without testing.