Four routes people outside Australia actually use in 2026. Each suits a different kind of case — open the one that matches your background for the full picture.
Australia replaced its old Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa with the new Skills in Demand visa, offering a clearer, demand-driven framework for employer-sponsored workers. Alongside it, the points-tested skilled visas (subclass 189 and 190) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) remain the main routes to permanent residence, within a Permanent Migration Program capped at 185,000 places for 2025-26.
Each has its own full guide — eligibility, how it works, and current 2026 notes.
The successor to the old subclass 482 — the main temporary employer-sponsored route into Australia.
Read the full guide Points-tested · PermanentA permanent visa for points-tested skilled workers who don't need a sponsor or nomination.
Read the full guide Points-tested · State nominatedA permanent visa for points-tested workers nominated by an Australian state or territory.
Read the full guide Employer-sponsored · PermanentA direct, permanent employer-sponsored route — PR possible after as little as two years on a temporary visa.
Read the full guide