Short answers to the 20 questions applicants ask most about the 189, 190 and 491 skilled visas, in 6 sections: EOI and points, Invitations, State nomination, After you lodge, After the grant and About this app. Answers are as of 13 Oct 2026 and are general information, not migration advice.
Official data: Department of Home Affairs, SkillSelectSkilled Visa Tracker is not affiliated with any government entity. Not migration advice — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au is the official source.
These answers explain how this app works and general skilled migration (GSM) rules as of 2026. They are not migration advice. Rules change; always check the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website or a registered migration agent before acting on anything here.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) is your SkillSelect profile: your occupation, points and the visas you want (189, 190, 491). The date of effect is the date you reached your current points score. When scores tie, an earlier date of effect usually ranks ahead. Check SkillSelect for the date shown on your EOI.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · 189 EOI pool by points
It can. A change that alters your points score can reset the date of effect to the day you update, which may push you behind people with the same score. Only update when the change matters, and check SkillSelect or ask a registered migration agent first.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
Points are awarded for age, English, skilled employment, education, partner skills and other factors. As of 2026 the pass mark has been 65 points, but invitations usually go to people well above it. State nomination adds 5 points for the 190 and 15 for the 491. Use the points calculator in the app and check the DHA website for current values.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · Points calculator
For the 189 and the family-sponsored 491, DHA invites the highest-ranked EOIs in each round, ranked by points and then date of effect. Each round publishes how many invitations were issued and the lowest points invited. For the 190 and state-nominated 491, a state or territory nominates you first. Round timing and cut-offs change often.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · Every invitation round
The invite signal compares your points with official SkillSelect EOI data for people recently invited in your subclass (and your occupation and state where there is enough data). It shows whether your score is inside, near or below the recently invited range. It describes the past; it is not a prediction or a promise.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
Queue position counts how many EOIs in your subclass (and occupation, if you chose one) are at your points score or higher, using official SkillSelect numbers. The official data does not expose date-of-effect ordering, so it cannot rank you within your points score. It moves as new EOIs arrive and invitations go out. Treat it as a rough guide; DHA does not publish individual positions.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · 190 EOI pool
You generally have 60 days from the invitation date to lodge your visa application. If the 60 days pass, the invitation lapses and you would need to be invited again. Collect your documents (skills assessment, English test, police checks) before the invitation arrives. The app shows a countdown once you add an invitation milestone.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
The 189 is not tied to a state: DHA invites from the SkillSelect pool by points. For the 190 and 491 a state or territory must nominate you first, using its own occupation list, criteria and allocation, and then you are invited. Each state runs its own process, so read its website. Nomination also adds points (5 for the 190, 15 for the 491).
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · Compare state nomination
The 190 is a permanent visa. The 491 is a provisional visa for living and working in a designated regional area for five years, with a pathway to the permanent 191. Both normally need state or territory nomination (the 491 can also be family-sponsored). Check DHA for current conditions.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · Compare state nomination
States usually expect you to live and work in that state for a set period after the visa is granted. Two years is common for the 190, but each state sets its own terms, so read your nomination conditions carefully. The app tracks your nomination applied and approved milestones, not state rules.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
Ministerial Direction 122 (in force since September 2026, replacing MD-119) sets how DHA prioritises skilled applications. In order: priority occupations (such as construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, resources, law enforcement or defence); other applicants who were in Australia when they applied; applicants outside Australia applying alone; and applicants outside Australia with family members on the application. The app places your timeline in a queue from your answers, but DHA decides your actual priority.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
DHA publishes, for each visa and queue, the month it is currently processing: applications lodged in or before that month. The app shows that month next to your queue so you can compare it with your lodgement date. Benchmarks can move backwards and are not a guaranteed decision date.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
It is the middle half of recent community grants: about a quarter were granted faster than the lower figure and about a quarter took longer than the upper figure. It uses timelines shared by app users with the same subclass and, where there is enough data, the same occupation. Small samples can mislead and it is not a DHA estimate.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · 190 processing times
Most applicants and family members need health examinations arranged through their ImmiAccount with an approved panel physician. Many people do them right after lodging to avoid delays. Results are valid for a limited time (commonly 12 months) and DHA may ask for them to be repeated, so follow the request you receive.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
Applicants aged 16 and over usually need a police certificate from Australia (AFP) and from each country where they lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. Certificates are generally accepted for a limited time (commonly 12 months), so a long wait can mean getting a new one. Check the DHA police certificate page for your countries.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
A section 56 (S56) request is DHA asking for more information or documents while it assesses your application. Reply by the deadline in the letter with everything requested. It does not mean refusal and many applicants receive one. You can add it as a milestone on your timeline.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
If you are in Australia on a substantive visa when you lodge, you generally get a bridging visa A that starts when your current visa ends and lasts until a decision. To travel and return you usually need a bridging visa B. Applicants outside Australia do not get one. Check your ImmiAccount and the DHA website.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
As of 2026 you can apply for the 191 after holding the 491 for three years, having lived and worked in a designated regional area, and showing taxable income from that work (ATO notices of assessment, usually for three of the five years). Regional areas are everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Check DHA for current requirements.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules
Timelines are entered by app users, plus public posts collected from Reddit and Facebook groups. Scraped Reddit and Facebook posts are reviewed by an admin before they appear in the community feed. Statistics use all non-hidden timelines, both user-entered and scraped. It is self-reported, so treat it as indicative, especially when a sample is small.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules · Methodology
No. This is an independent community app. It is not legal or migration advice and it cannot see your DHA file. Confirm anything important with the DHA website or a registered migration agent.
As of 13 Oct 2026 · check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au for current rules