04/06/2026
Congratulations to all successful applicants who received their Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa invitations today.
You are now invited to apply for your 189 visa, which is a PR visa pathway for skilled applicants and does not require employer sponsorship or state nomination.
Next step: make sure all your supporting documents are up to date, accurate and consistent with your EOI, and keep track of the visa application deadline.
Based on the current published processing times, around 50% of Subclass 189 applications are processed within 6 months, while 90% are processed within 7 months. (Updated as of 25 May 2026 via DHA)
This means receiving an invitation is only the first step. The visa application, supporting documents and assessment stage are just as important.
Looking at the 2025–2026 program trends, nursing, education, and selected construction and trade occupations remain relatively strong pathways.
However, for highly competitive occupations such as accounting, ICT, certain engineering roles, chefs and motor mechanics, applicants should not rely solely on the 189 pathway and may need to consider 190 state nomination, 491 regional visas or other alternative options.
A strong migration plan is not about waiting blindly for one pathway. It is about assessing your occupation, points, English results, location, work experience and current policy direction to build a more realistic strategy.
If you are unsure whether to keep waiting for 189 or start preparing for 190 / 491 at the same time, contact AEMS for a clearer assessment of your migration pathway.
