Australia is preparing to hold another invitation round for its Skilled Independent visa before the end of September, creating a new opportunity for qualified Nigerian and other foreign professionals seeking permanent residence without employer or state sponsorship.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs said the next invitation round for the points-tested Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is expected to take place by September 30, 2026.
Eligible candidates must submit an Expression of Interest through the government’s SkillSelect system to be considered. However, Australia has not yet announced the exact date, number of invitations, occupational priorities or minimum points scores for the forthcoming round.
The September timetable is consequently an advance notice, not confirmation that invitations have already been issued or that every eligible occupation will receive invitations.
Applicants should use the period before the round to complete their English-language tests, obtain the required skills assessment and ensure that their SkillSelect profiles contain accurate information.
What Is Australia’s Skilled Independent Visa?
The Skilled Independent visa is a permanent-residence route for qualified professionals whose occupations are needed in Australia.
Unlike employer-sponsored and state-nominated visas, the subclass 189 visa does not require:
- An Australian employment offer
- Sponsorship from an Australian employer
- Nomination by a state or territory
- Sponsorship by a family member
Applicants must instead qualify through Australia’s points-based skilled-migration system and receive an invitation before they can lodge a visa application.
A successful applicant can:
- Live in Australia permanently
- Work and study anywhere in Australia
- Enrol in Australia’s Medicare public healthcare programme
- Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- Travel to and from Australia during the visa’s travel-facility period
- Apply for Australian citizenship after meeting the applicable residence and other requirements
The official visa conditions and eligibility requirements are available on the Australian Department of Home Affairs subclass 189 page.
Can Nigerians Apply?
Nigerian citizens can submit an Expression of Interest if they meet the subclass 189 requirements. The route is not restricted to people already living in Australia, and applicants may begin the process from Nigeria.
A person does not need to have studied or worked previously in Australia. However, qualifications and professional experience obtained in Nigeria must be assessed by the Australian authority responsible for the applicant’s nominated occupation.
Eligibility does not depend on nationality but on factors including:
- Age
- Occupation
- Skills assessment
- English-language ability
- Educational qualifications
- Skilled employment experience
- Total migration points
- Health and character requirements
Principal Eligibility Requirements
A Nigerian seeking an invitation under the points-tested stream will generally need to:
- Be younger than 45 when invited to apply
- Nominate an occupation eligible for the subclass 189 visa
- Obtain a positive skills assessment for that occupation
- Demonstrate at least competent English
- Score at least 65 points
- Submit a valid SkillSelect Expression of Interest
- Receive an invitation from the Australian Government
- Satisfy health and character requirements
- Provide evidence supporting every point claimed in the Expression of Interest
Meeting the 65-point threshold only makes a candidate eligible to compete. It does not guarantee an invitation.
Invitations are normally issued to the highest-ranking eligible candidates in the occupations selected for a round. Some occupations may require scores substantially above 65 because of limited places and strong competition.
Check Whether Your Occupation Is Eligible
The first step is to confirm that the applicant’s occupation appears on the list applicable to the subclass 189 points-tested stream.
The occupation must correspond to the applicant’s actual qualifications, experience, tasks and responsibilities. Applicants should not choose an occupation simply because its title appears similar to their Nigerian job title.
Australia uses Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations codes to define individual professions. Each listed occupation has an approved skills-assessing authority.
Applicants can use the official skilled-occupation list to identify:
- The recognised occupation title
- The applicable ANZSCO code
- The skilled-migration list containing the occupation
- The authority responsible for assessing the profession
- The visa subclasses available for the occupation
The subclass 189 route generally relies on occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. The Core Skills Occupation List used for certain employer-sponsored visas should not automatically be treated as the subclass 189 list.
Candidates must select the visa subclass on the government occupation page to confirm that their profession is specifically eligible for the points-tested subclass 189 route.
Obtain a Skills Assessment
Before submitting a complete Expression of Interest, an applicant must obtain a suitable skills assessment from the authority assigned to the nominated occupation.
Different authorities assess different professions. Examples may include bodies responsible for engineering, nursing, teaching, information technology, accounting, trades and other regulated or skilled occupations.
The assessing authority determines:
- Whether the applicant’s qualification is relevant
- Whether the institution and course meet its standards
- Whether the person has sufficient professional experience
- Which employment periods can be recognised
- Whether professional registration or additional examinations are required
Applicants may need to provide:
- Degree or professional certificates
- Academic transcripts
- Detailed employment references
- Payslips
- Employment contracts
- Tax or pension records
- Professional licences
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Passport identification page
- English-language results, where required by the authority
Requirements, fees and processing periods differ by profession. Applicants must apply directly through the official website of the assessing authority identified on Australia’s occupation list.
General government guidance is available on the skills-assessment page.
A skills assessment should remain valid when the applicant receives an invitation and when the visa application is submitted. Candidates should check the validity period specified by their particular assessing authority.
English-Language Requirement
The main applicant must demonstrate at least competent English.
Nigerian citizenship or possession of a degree taught in English does not, by itself, provide the passport exemption available to citizens holding valid passports from Australia’s recognised English-speaking countries.
A Nigerian applicant will therefore generally need an approved English-language examination.
Australia expanded its list of accepted English tests in August 2025. Applicants should use the current official competent-English table to confirm the required minimum score for each component.
The recognised examinations include approved versions of tests such as:
- IELTS
- PTE Academic
- TOEFL iBT
- Cambridge C1 Advanced
- CELPIP General
- LANGUAGECERT Academic
- Michigan English Test
- Occupational English Test, where applicable
Applicants must take the correct test format at an approved test centre. At-home or unsupported versions may not be accepted.
Competent English satisfies the basic language requirement but does not attract additional migration points. Higher recognised levels can improve an applicant’s score:
- Proficient English: 10 points
- Superior English: 20 points
Candidates should verify the minimum scores and validity conditions that apply to tests taken before or after August 7, 2025, through the Australian Government’s English-language guidance.
How Australia Calculates Skilled-Migration Points
An applicant must claim at least 65 points, although competitive occupations frequently require more.
Points can be awarded for the following factors.
Age
- 18 to 24 years: 25 points
- 25 to 32 years: 30 points
- 33 to 39 years: 25 points
- 40 to 44 years: 15 points
A candidate must be under 45 when invited. Turning 45 before receiving an invitation can make the person ineligible, even if a valid Expression of Interest was previously submitted.
English Ability
- Competent English: No additional points
- Proficient English: 10 points
- Superior English: 20 points
Skilled Employment Outside Australia
Applicants may receive:
- Three years: 5 points
- Five years: 10 points
- Eight years: 15 points
Only employment that meets the programme’s requirements and is recognised as skilled experience can be counted.
Skilled Employment in Australia
Candidates with recognised Australian skilled experience may receive:
- One year: 5 points
- Three years: 10 points
- Five years: 15 points
- Eight years: 20 points
Combined overseas and Australian employment points are subject to the maximum allowed under the points test.
Educational Qualifications
Points may be available for:
- A doctorate from a recognised institution
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree
- An Australian diploma or trade qualification
- A qualification or award recognised by the assessing authority as appropriate for the nominated occupation
Additional Points
Other factors that can contribute include:
- Specialist educational qualifications
- Completing an eligible Australian study programme
- Study in a designated regional area
- Accreditation in a community language
- Completing a professional year in Australia
- A partner with suitable skills and competent English
- A partner with competent English
- Being single or having a partner who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident
The subclass 189 visa does not award state-nomination or family-sponsorship points. Those apply to other skilled routes.
Applicants should calculate their likely score using the official points calculator and confirm each category against the subclass 189 points table.
How to Submit an Expression of Interest
An Expression of Interest is not a visa application. It is an online profile used by Australia to rank potential skilled migrants.
Candidates can start the process through the official SkillSelect portal.
The applicant should:
- Confirm that the occupation is eligible for subclass 189.
- Obtain a valid skills assessment.
- Take an approved English test and receive the result.
- Calculate the likely points score.
- Create a SkillSelect Expression of Interest.
- Enter personal, educational and employment information.
- Provide the nominated occupation and skills-assessment details.
- Enter the English-language result.
- Include partner information where applicable.
- Review the indicative points score.
- Submit the Expression of Interest.
Applicants do not normally upload supporting documents when creating the EOI. Nevertheless, every claim must already be accurate and capable of being proved if an invitation is issued.
Submitting an EOI through SkillSelect is free. Costs arise from services such as the English examination, skills assessment, document certification, translations and the eventual visa application.
Applicants should use only Australia’s official Expression of Interest guidance.
Existing Candidates Should Update Their Profiles
Applicants with active Expressions of Interest do not need to submit another profile merely because a new invitation round is approaching.
Instead, they should sign in and update their existing EOI if they have:
- Completed additional skilled employment
- Obtained a higher qualification
- Improved their English score
- Received a new skills assessment
- Married, divorced or had a child
- Changed their passport
- Changed their employment or contact details
An Expression of Interest remains active for two years. It can be updated before an invitation is issued but becomes locked after an invitation.
Candidates should ensure that tests, assessments and other supporting claims remain valid. Official instructions for maintaining a profile are provided on the SkillSelect post-submission page.
What Happens During an Invitation Round?
Australia ranks eligible candidates according to their points and other applicable selection rules.
Where candidates have the same score, the date on which they reached that score may be used to determine priority. The government can also limit invitations according to programme planning needs, occupation and available places.
The Department of Home Affairs has not announced the following details for the expected September round:
- The exact invitation date
- The number of subclass 189 invitations
- The occupations to be selected
- The minimum score for each profession
- Whether particular sectors will receive priority
Applicants should therefore avoid websites or agents claiming to possess guaranteed September cut-offs or invitation lists before the government publishes the results.
Official round information will appear on the SkillSelect invitation-round page.
Invitation Does Not Mean Automatic Approval
A selected candidate receives an invitation to apply for the visa, not a visa grant.
The person will have 60 days from the invitation date to submit the complete application through Australia’s ImmiAccount platform.
The information and points claimed in the application must be consistent with the Expression of Interest. If the Department determines that the candidate could not legitimately claim the invited score, the application may be refused.
Applicants should prepare supporting records before the invitation round because 60 days may be insufficient to obtain missing employment evidence, police certificates or family documents.
The official online visa-application platform is ImmiAccount.
Documents to Prepare Before an Invitation
Potential applicants should begin assembling:
- Current passport
- Birth certificate or other identity records
- English-language test result
- Positive skills-assessment letter
- Degree certificates and academic transcripts
- Professional registration documents
- Employment-reference letters
- Payslips and employment contracts
- Tax, pension or bank records supporting employment
- Detailed curriculum vitae
- Marriage certificate, where applicable
- Birth certificates for dependent children
- Evidence of partner qualifications and English ability where partner points are claimed
- Police certificates
- Certified English translations of documents issued in another language
Employment references should generally describe the position, dates, working hours, salary and duties. A job title alone may be insufficient to prove that the employment corresponds to the nominated occupation.
Police certificates may be required for the applicant and accompanying family members aged over 16 from every country in which they lived for a cumulative 12 months during the preceding 10 years after turning 16.
Applicants must also provide complete residential and travel histories and may be required to complete health examinations and biometrics.
The Department has published a skilled-visa document checklist to help applicants avoid incomplete submissions.
Can Family Members Be Included?
A successful primary applicant may include eligible members of the family unit, such as a spouse or partner and dependent children.
All included family members must meet the applicable identity, health and character conditions. Adult family members who cannot demonstrate the required level of functional English may attract an additional visa charge.
Applicants claiming partner points must ensure their partner meets the precise requirements for the points category selected. For example, claiming skilled-partner points may require the partner to be under 45, have competent English and possess a suitable assessment in an eligible occupation.
A false partner claim can reduce the applicant’s score below the invitation threshold and place the entire application at risk.
Application Fees and Other Costs
There is no government fee for submitting an Expression of Interest. A visa charge becomes payable only after the candidate receives an invitation and submits the subclass 189 application.
Visa charges can change and depend on:
- Whether the applicant is the primary candidate
- The number and ages of accompanying family members
- Whether an adult dependant has functional English
- The date of application
Applicants may also pay separately for:
- Skills assessment
- English-language examination
- Medical examination
- Police certificates
- Biometrics
- Certified translations
- Professional registration
- Document verification
Rather than relying on an agent’s figure, applicants should obtain the current amount from Australia’s official visa-pricing estimator.
Visa-application charges are generally not refunded merely because an application is refused or withdrawn.
Applicants Outside Australia May Face Longer Processing Priority
Under Ministerial Direction 119, which took effect on July 25, 2026, certain skilled applications receive higher processing priority.
Law-enforcement and defence-related applications receive the highest priority, followed by construction, healthcare and teaching occupations in the specified order. Applicants already in Australia are generally prioritised ahead of comparable applicants outside Australia.
This does not prevent Nigerians living outside Australia from being invited or obtaining the visa. It means an offshore applicant may be processed after applications falling into higher-priority categories.
The direction affects processing order, not the legal eligibility threshold, and does not guarantee an invitation to anyone working in a prioritised field.
Details are available in the official skilled-visa processing priorities.
Important Warnings for Nigerian Applicants
Candidates should keep the following limitations in mind:
- September 30 is the date by which a round is expected, not necessarily the exact draw date.
- An EOI is not a visa application and does not create immigration status in Australia.
- A job offer is not required for subclass 189.
- Sixty-five points do not guarantee an invitation.
- Previous invitation scores do not guarantee the next round’s threshold.
- Only work recognised under migration rules should be used for points.
- Applicants must be under 45 when invited.
- An invitation cannot normally be extended beyond its 60-day validity.
- A candidate should not inflate English scores, work experience or partner qualifications.
- Payment to an agent cannot secure an invitation.
- Only registered Australian migration agents, Australian legal practitioners or other authorised persons may lawfully provide certain immigration assistance.
Candidates who choose professional assistance can verify an adviser through Australia’s official register of migration agents.
What Applicants Should Do Before September 30
Prospective Nigerian candidates should immediately:
- Check whether their occupation qualifies for the subclass 189 visa.
- Identify the approved skills-assessing authority.
- Confirm the authority’s documentary and professional requirements.
- Complete or renew the skills assessment.
- Take an approved English test.
- Calculate their points using the government calculator.
- Submit or update their Expression of Interest.
- Check that every claimed point can be supported with evidence.
- Begin preparing documents for a possible 60-day application period.
- Monitor only the official invitation-round page for the final results.
Australia’s announcement provides a preparation window for qualified professionals, but the invitation process remains competitive. Candidates with eligible occupations, valid assessments, strong English results and accurately documented work experience will be best placed to compete when the next subclass 189 round is conducted.