Every route to Australian PR

Six of these grant permanent residency. Three are temporary or provisional visas that lead to it. Knowing which is which saves years.

Visa	Type	Points test	Grants PR
Skilled Independent visa Subclass 189	Points-tested	Yes	Yes, immediately
Skilled Nominated visa Subclass 190	Points-tested + state nomination	Yes	Yes, immediately
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa Subclass 491	Provisional, leads to PR	No	No - leads to PR
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa Subclass 191	Conversion to PR	No	Yes, immediately
Employer Nomination Scheme visa Subclass 186	Employer-sponsored	No	Yes, immediately
Skills in Demand visa Subclass 482	Temporary, leads to PR	No	No - leads to PR
Partner visa Subclass 820/801 and 309/100	Family	No	Yes, immediately
National Innovation visa Subclass 858	Talent	No	Yes, immediately
Temporary Graduate visa Subclass 485	Bridge, not PR	No	No - leads to PR

Permanent

Skilled Independent visa

Subclass 189

Permanent residency with no sponsor, decided purely on your points score.

Permanent

Skilled Nominated visa

Subclass 190

Permanent residency with a state or territory backing your application. Adds 5 points.

Leads to PR

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

Subclass 491

Five-year provisional visa worth 15 points, converting to PR via the subclass 191.

Permanent

Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa

Subclass 191

The permanent visa that 491 and 494 holders convert to after three regional years.

Permanent

Employer Nomination Scheme visa

Subclass 186

Direct permanent residency through an Australian employer. No points test.

Leads to PR

Skills in Demand visa

Subclass 482

The employer-sponsored temporary visa that feeds the 186 permanent pathway.

Permanent

Partner visa

Subclass 820/801 and 309/100

Permanent residency through an Australian partner. No points, no occupation list.

Permanent

National Innovation visa

Subclass 858

Direct permanent residency for internationally recognised, exceptional talent.

Leads to PR

Temporary Graduate visa

Subclass 485

The post-study visa that buys you time to build a real PR case.

General information, not migration advice. myPRJourney summarises publicly available information about Australian visas so you can understand your options. It does not assess your case, and it is not a substitute for advice from a registered migration agent (MARN) or Australian legal practitioner. Migration rules, occupation lists, income thresholds and state nomination criteria change frequently and sometimes without notice. This page was last reviewed on 21 July 2026. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Department of Home Affairs at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.