Applying for a points-tested 189 after a 491 or 494 visa: Check the three-year holding period
If you hold a subclass 491 or 494 visa when you apply for a points-tested subclass 189, or if either was your last substantive visa, Home Affairs says you must have held that visa for at least three years at the time of application. Compare the date you meet that requirement with the expiry of your invitation before you lodge.
Put the visa grant and invitation on one timeline
Start with the 491 or 494 grant notice. Identify the holder, subclass and grant details. Then check the 189 invitation, including the invitation date and the deadline to lodge. A SkillSelect expression of interest, an invitation and an application submitted through ImmiAccount are separate steps. Home Affairs gives invited applicants 60 days to lodge, so use the actual invitation to plan the available time.
Suppose the three-year date falls after your invitation expires. Under the ordinary rule, that invitation gives you no window to lodge while meeting the requirement. The date the department later assesses the application does not replace the date the application was made. Where the dates are close, confirm the exact timeline and your visa status before you pay and submit.
Check your last substantive visa if you now hold a bridging visa
Your current permission to stay and the identity of your last substantive visa are separate questions. If the last substantive visa was a 491 or 494, holding a bridging visa does not remove the three-year issue. A separate onshore application rule also applies. Check whether the visa you will hold when you lodge is a substantive visa or an eligible bridging visa listed on the points-tested 189 page.
Keep the visa history separate from your first arrival, employment start and move to a regional area. Those dates can matter for other purposes. If there have been successive grants, a cancellation or a gap, obtain the actual records before drawing conclusions about the holding period or any possible exception.
What to put in the application file
Keep the grant notices, current visa details and invitation together. Record the earliest date you can lodge under the holding rule and the latest date permitted by the invitation. Separately check the evidence for your nominated occupation, skills assessment, English and points. For a file review with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, start with a short visa timeline and the key dates from the invitation.
Recalculate your points for the 189. Remove regional nomination or sponsorship points used for a previous 491 and check the score stated in your 189 invitation. The assessed score must meet both the invitation score and the applicable qualifying score. Clause 189.224A allows exceptions specified in a legislative instrument. Verify that a current instrument actually covers your circumstances before relying on an exception.
Official sources checked on 6 November 2026.
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