Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) Document Checklist: Your Complete 2026 Guide

📋 Quick Overview

• 💰 Application Fee: AUD 4,640
• 💼 Visa Type: Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
• ⏱️ Processing Time: 6-12 months

• ✅ Your occupation is on the relevant Skilled Occupation List
• ✅ You have a valid, positive skills assessment for that occupation
• ✅ You are under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
• ✅ You have at least Competent English (IELTS 6.0 in all bands or equivalent)
• ✅ You score at least 65 points on the points test (realistically 85+ for most occupations)
• ✅ You have submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect and received an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

• ✅ Current passport — clear colour scan of the biographical page
• ✅ Birth certificate — certified copy
• ✅ National identity card (if applicable)
• ✅ Proof of name change — marriage certificate, deed poll, or other legal documentation if your name has changed

• ✅ Copy of your submitted EOI — download this from SkillSelect before lodging
• ✅ Invitation to Apply letter — the official invitation from the Department of Home Affairs

• ✅ Skills assessment outcome letter from the relevant assessing authority (e.g., Engineers Australia, ACS, VETASSESS, TRA, ANMAC, AITSL, etc.)
• ✅ Ensure your skills assessment is still valid at the time of lodgement — most assessments are valid for three years

• ✅ IELTS (General or Academic)
• ✅ PTE Academic
• ✅ TOEFL iBT
• ✅ OET
• ✅ Cambridge C1 Advanced

• ✅ Employment reference letters on company letterhead, including your job title, duties performed, dates of employment (start and end), hours worked per week, and whether the role was full-time or part-time
• ✅ Payslips — at least two per year of claimed employment
• ✅ Bank statements showing salary deposits
• ✅ Tax records — income tax returns or payment summaries for each relevant financial year
• ✅ Superannuation records (for Australian employment)
• ✅ Employment contracts (where available)

• ✅ Degree certificates and academic transcripts for all qualifications
• ✅ Course completion letters from Australian institutions (if claiming Australian study points)
• ✅ Professional Year certificate (if applicable)
• ✅ NAATI credential (if claiming community language points)
• ✅ Specialist qualification evidence (if applicable)

• ✅ Australian study requirement evidence — CoEs, course completion letters, and transcripts for courses completed in Australia
• ✅ Regional study evidence — proof that you studied and lived in a designated regional area
• ✅ Partner skills evidence — your partner’s skills assessment and English test results (if claiming partner points)
• ✅ Single applicant declaration (if claiming points for not having a spouse/partner)
• ✅ Eligible family member evidence — proof that a close family member resides in a designated regional area of Australia (ID and proof of address)

• ✅ Health examination results — complete your medical examination through a Bupa Medical Visa Services panel physician. Generate your HAP ID in ImmiAccount first.
• ✅ Police clearance certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16. Australian Federal Police (AFP) checks can be done online.
• ✅ Military service records or discharge papers (if you have ever served in the armed forces of any country)

• ✅ Passport and birth certificate for each family member
• ✅ Marriage certificate or proof of de facto relationship (joint bank statements, joint lease, statutory declarations from friends/family, photos, communication records)
• ✅ English language test results for your partner (at least Functional English, or pay a second VAC if not met)
• ✅ Health examinations for all included family members
• ✅ Police clearances for all family members aged 16 and over
• ✅ Dependent children evidence — birth certificates, custody documents, and evidence of dependency for children aged 18-23

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Our MARA-registered agents will handle everything for you.

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Disclaimer: This blog post provides general information only and does not constitute migration advice. Visa requirements are subject to change. Always verify the latest requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website or consult a MARA-registered migration agent.