What is the difference between the two types of Australian PR Visas, Skilled Independent Visa and Employer Sponsored Visa?

If you are considering skilled visa subclass 190 or skilled visa subclass 189 to Australia, you may have come across two stark contrasting options for permanent skilled visa — Skilled Independent visa subclass 189 and the employer sponsored visa subclass 482 to subclass 189 or subclass 190. They both result in the same outcome – permanent residence and a job in Australia but the pathway, criteria and scenarios are very different. This is a straight-forward option guide to determine which option is right for you.

SIV (Subclass 189) – What is it?

The Subclass 189 visa is a non-sponsored permanent visa; which means that you are not sponsored by an employer, state government or family member for this visa. They will invite your application for this visa if you score enough points on their points tested visa administered in Australia (SkillSelect), and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Key features:

• Employers who won’t offer you a job.No employers or job offers.
• After grant, no limitation on where to work and live in Australia.
• All points based: age, English language, qualifications and work experience all count.
• Generally, there is a minimum of 65 points to submit an EOI, but in reality, invitation rounds in 2026 have been far higher — which is why they are so competitive for occupations such as accounting, engineering and ICT (which are 65+ minimum).
• Select those occupations or other fields which are in demand that may be invited at lower point levels.

Ideal for: individuals who have a positive skills profile and a positive skills assessment result, are not currently employed by an employer in Australia and have not had an employer-employee relationship in Australia for the past 12 months, and who would like to have the greatest flexibility regarding their ultimate destination.

Employer Sponsored Visa is a visa that is applied for by the employer of the employee.

Typically, the subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa will lead to the subclass 186 visa. There is also the subclass 194 visa which is a subclass 194 visa based on a regional employer sponsorship visa, that will result in permanent residency after 3 years in a regional area.

Key features:

• Must have job offer from an approved sponsoring employer.
• The employer must also have sponsorship arrangements and the job must meet salary requirements (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold which will be raised to around AUD 79,499 from 1st July 2026). 
• The occupation needs to feature on the appropriate skilled occupation list.
• The length of employment with the sponsoring employer will typically be at least 2 years with a 482 for the 186 visa’s TR stream or 4 years for the Direct Entry stream, without this requirement.
• Cods your visa with your employer, at least initially

For: those who actually offer a genuine job in Australia, or can find one, (previously completed some type of paid work in Australia under a temporary visa and employer expressed interest in sponsoring for PR visa).

Head-to-Head Comparison

What is the best choice?

There is no one best option: depending on your profile, you may choose the best path:

• Consider the Skilled Independent visa if: your occupation is regularly invited to apply for visas independently, you have a high points score (or could achieve a high score through further study, English test results or work experience), and you prefer freedom of where you can settle in Australia.

• Consider an employer sponsored visa if: You have an actual job offer from an employer, or You’re in Australia on a temporary visa and your employer can help you to apply for permanent visa. You don’t need to have a high point tally to beat this route, but it can be more certain than waiting for an 189 invitation.

• A hybrid approach – many applicants maintain an EOI for the 189 visa but also work towards employer sponsorship or state nomination so that they can progress towards the pathway that is first available to them.

Final Thoughts

The two paths are aimed at the same end, however, different strategies are involved: permanent residency in Australia. The Skilled Independent visa is for people with an excellent, well-documented points profile and is a visa that requires patience, and the employer sponsored visa is for people who have (or find) a good job and employer relationship. Prior to making your final decision, you should have a realistic evaluation of your points and a honest evaluation of what occupations are in demand this year and next, as they are subject to change from year to year.

The information provided in this article is for general purposes and is not an advice to migrate. If you need specific advice, see a registered migration agent or the Australian Department of Home Affairs.