How to Apply for Australian Skilled Visas (189 and 190): A Step-by-Step Guide for Filipinos

The 189 and 190 are the skilled visas that give Filipinos permanent residency on grant - one without a sponsor, one with state nomination. They use the same points test and the same SkillSelect system, so the process is mostly shared, with a few important differences.

Here is the application in the order you actually do it, plus the realistic numbers and the mistakes that cost applicants an invitation.

189 vs 190: the key difference

Both are points-tested and both grant PR. The difference is who selects you and what you commit to:

• 189 (Skilled Independent) needs no sponsor or nominator - selection is purely on your federal points ranking, so cut-offs are usually the highest. You can live anywhere in Australia.
• 190 (Skilled Nominated) requires a state or territory to nominate you, which adds +5 points - but you commit to living and working in that state (commonly two years), and your occupation must be on that state's list.
• For many Filipinos sitting just below the cut-off, the 190's +5 points (or the regional 491's +15) is the realistic route.

The step-by-step (both visas)

1. Check your occupation is on the relevant eligible skilled occupation list for the visa.
2. Get a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for your occupation (it must be valid at the time of invitation).
3. Sit an accepted English test and meet at least Competent English (results valid within three years at invitation).
4. Calculate your points - age, English, qualifications, skilled work experience, partner skills and more.
5. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect - you enter your details; no documents are uploaded yet.
6. (190 only) Apply for state or territory nomination and meet that jurisdiction's specific criteria.
7. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through SkillSelect in an invitation round.
8. Create an ImmiAccount and lodge within 60 days of the invitation, paying the Visa Application Charge.
9. Complete health exams, biometrics and police clearances (NBI) and attach your supporting documents.
10. Await the decision - on grant, the visa is permanent residence.

190 only: state nomination

For the 190, a state or territory government is the gatekeeper. Each runs its own occupation list, criteria, quotas and timing, and these change through the year. The +5 points can be the difference between waiting forever and being invited - but you commit to living and working in the nominating state, commonly for two years. Applying to a state that has already filled its quota for your occupation is wasted effort, so timing and occupation-matching are critical.

Points, costs and timing

65 points is the floor to be invited - not a guarantee. Because more people qualify than there are places, the highest scorers are invited first, so treat your real target as the recent cut-off for your occupation (often 75-95). The visa application charge is around AUD 4,910 for the primary applicant (indicative, indexed each July), on top of the skills assessment and English test. End-to-end timelines often run many months.

See our companion guide on how many points Filipino professionals actually need.

How Visa Alliance Philippines can help

The skilled route is competitive, and small errors cost invitations. Here is where we help:

• A free assessment to estimate your points and check your occupation and list.
• Skills-assessment and document guidance so your evidence holds up at invitation.
• EOI and state-nomination support, and help lodging within the 60-day window.
• Professional migration advice at Visa Alliance Australia for the formal advice and lodgement.

Start with a free assessment - we'll tell you honestly where you stand.

Avoid these common mistakes

• Letting English or your skills assessment lapse. Both must be valid at the date of invitation, not just at EOI.
• Overstating points. Claiming experience the assessing authority has not recognised leads to refusal after invitation.
• Assuming 65 points means an invitation. Invitations are competitive and capped by occupation ceilings and state allocations.
• Loose documents. Unverifiable PH employment references or missing the 60-day lodgement deadline after your ITA.

Not sure of your real score or which list your occupation sits on? That honest mapping is exactly what we do in a free assessment.