Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Overview

The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa grants permanent residence immediately to skilled workers who score enough points on the SkillSelect points test and whose occupation appears on one of Australia's skilled occupation lists. No employer sponsorship or family ties are required. It is one of the most independent immigration pathways available.

Australia is an increasingly popular destination for Israeli tech and engineering professionals, offering a high quality of life, a strong job market, good schools, Mediterranean-like climate in many cities, and a Jewish community of around 120,000.

Who qualifies

To receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Subclass 189, you need:

• Your occupation to be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Subclass 189-eligible occupation list
• A skills assessment from the relevant Australian assessing authority for your occupation
• A minimum score of 65 points on the points test (in practice, recent ITA cutoffs are typically 85–90+ due to competition)
• Be under 45 years old at the time of invitation
• IELTS 6.0 overall or equivalent (Competent English)
• Meet health and character requirements

The Points Test

Occupation eligibility

Check your occupation at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list. Common eligible occupations for Israeli professionals:

• Software Engineer / Developer (ANZSCO 261313)
• ICT Security Specialist (262112)
• Data Scientist (262111)
• Electrical/Electronics Engineer (233411)
• Biomedical Engineer (233913)
• Accountant (221111)
• Civil Engineer (233211)

Skills Assessment

You must have your qualifications assessed by the relevant authority before submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI):

• Engineering: Engineers Australia
• ICT: ACS (Australian Computer Society), which assesses Israeli degrees and work experience
• Accounting: CPA Australia or Chartered Accountants ANZ
• Medicine: AMC (Australian Medical Council)

ACS assessments for Israeli computer science degrees generally produce positive results for graduates from Technion, Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, and Bar-Ilan University.

Assessment processing time: 4–16 weeks depending on the authority.

Steps

1. Assess your points — Use the official SkillSelect calculator
2. Get your skills assessed by the relevant authority
3. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
4. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) — issued in regular rounds; timing depends on your score relative to the cutoff in that round
5. Apply for Subclass 189 — 60 days to submit from receiving ITA
6. Provide health examinations and police clearances (Israeli and any country you lived in for 12+ months in the past 10 years)
7. Processing time: 12–36 months from application (varies significantly by caseload)
8. Grant of permanent residence — You may travel to Australia anytime within 5 years of visa grant

Costs

• Skills assessment: AUD $500–$700
• IELTS test: ~AUD $400
• EOI submission: free
• Visa application fee (Subclass 189): AUD $4,640 per main applicant; AUD $2,320 per additional adult applicant; AUD $1,160 per child (2024 figures)
• Health examinations: AUD $300–$600 per person
• Police clearances: variable

Path to citizenship

• You receive permanent residence immediately on grant.
• After 4 years total, with at least 1 year as a permanent resident (and 3 years on any valid Australian visa), you can apply for Australian citizenship.
• No renunciation of Israeli citizenship is required by Australian law (though Israel imposes restrictions on dual citizenship for some categories, so verify with Israeli authorities).