There are visa options for skilled workers, which do not require sponsorship by an employer. These include:
- Subclass 189 Skilled independent visas
- Subclass 190 Skilled nominated visas (nominated by a State/Territory government)
- Subclass 491 Skilled work regional (provisional) visa (nominated by a State/Territory government)
- Subclass 191 Skilled regional (permanent) visa – available to subclass 491/494 visa holders, after they have lived and worked in a regional area for 3 years.
Applicants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through Skillselect and may be invited to apply for a visa, depending on their personal attributes (which are ranked according to a points test system).