In Brief 60-Sec Explainer: Subclass 189 vs 190 Visa

You are likely to have encountered these two terms when looking up about Australia’s skilled migration programme.Subclass 189 and Subclass 190. They both lead to the same place — permanent residency — but they travel there by different routes. For applicants, choosing the wrong one or not finding out about the trade-offs involved can result in months of waiting and an unavoidable rejection. Full explanation in simple terms is here:

The One-Line Version

189 = Independent PR. No nomination, no strings attached — live and work anywhere in Australia. 190 = State-Nominated PR. A state or territory nominates you, you get +5 points, but you commit to living and working in that state.

Everything else about these two visas flows from that one distinction: sponsorship.

What Is Subclass 189?

The visa subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) visa is as the name suggests — independent.  There’s no employer, no family member, and no state or territory involved in your application. Your invitation is based entirely on your points score, ranked against every other applicant with your occupation in the pool. If you’re invited and your application is approved, you get full permanent residency with complete geographic freedom. You can live in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, or move between all three, with zero obligation to any single location.

This makes the 189 appealing for applicants who would rather everything else remain fluid — but that also means you’re on a meritocratic playing field. No boost, no shortcut, and no net. When your points score is on the lower side for your occupation, you could be waiting through multiple invitation rounds before receiving an invite — if at all.

What Is Subclass 190?

Here we have a middleman and the Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) visa fills the gap between you and that middleman by introducing a state or territory government. So the states have their own lists of occupations and their own nomination criteria — but if a state nominated you it means you get 5 points added to your score by default. In return, you must reside and work in this state for a set number of years following your visa approval (this varies by state so as always be sure to check current details).

For this reason competition for the 190 is often not as fierce compared to the 189 as states are really chasing skills in healthcare, teaching, engineering, IT and trades. That 5 points from nomination is a wide gulf between being invited this cycle and not invited – or indeed, not invited at all – for many applicants sitting just under 189.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Why This Decision Actually Matters

It’s tempting to think of this as a minor technical choice, but it shapes your entire migration timeline and your life afterward.

If your points score is comfortably above the invitation cut-off for your occupation, the 189 is usually the cleaner path — you get permanent residency with zero location commitment and no need to justify where you settle. There’s also only one application stage, which simplifies the process.

If your score is borderline, though, the 190 can be the more realistic and often faster route. The extra 5 points from nomination, combined with a state actively wanting your occupation, can turn a “maybe next year” into an invitation this quarter. The trade-off is the settlement commitment — but for many applicants, that’s a small price for certainty and speed.

Another practical nuance: there are many occupations that appear on state occupation lists but don’t show up nationally so things may actually work out for the 189.Because if so, your only viable pathway may be the 190 (or we can provide you a regional Subclass 491).

Answer the following questions yourself before making your decision:

• Point score – How much over the occupation cutoffs in the past few rounds is my points score? If you are near or above the threshold, 189 is able to be acquired. If you are short, then 190 could cover the amount

1. Is my occupation on a state occupation list? Check the specific state’s current list — some occupations are only accessible through nomination.
2. Do I have a strong preference about where I live in Australia? If you’re genuinely flexible, the 190’s settlement expectation rarely feels like a real downside.

Bottom Line

Both the Subclass 189 and 190 are visas that grant Australian permanent residency. The 189 trades a more competitive process for total freedom. The 190 trades a location commitment for extra points, faster invitations, and access to occupations that might not otherwise be available to you.

There’s no universally “better” option — only the one that fits your points score, occupation, and lifestyle preferences.

Not sure which pathway fits your profile? Get in touch for a free points assessment, and we’ll map out your fastest route to Australian PR.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute migration advice. Visa rules, occupation lists, and points thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with a registered migration agent before applying.