Secure Your PR Pathways in Information Technology

Current Visa Pathways for IT Professionals (2026)

Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa For international graduates of CRICOS-registered courses, offering time to gain local work experience as a stepping stone toward PR. Applicants generally must be under 35 years of age at the time of application, hold an eligible visa, and have recently completed a qualifying Australian qualification.

Subclass 189 – Skilled Independent Visa A points-tested visa requiring no employer, family, or state sponsorship, however you must be invited to apply and should be under 45 years to be invited.  Your occupation must be on the MLTSSL, you need a positive skills assessment, and a minimum of 65 points — though in practice, invitation rounds in 2026 are competitive, and higher scores are usually needed.

Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated Visa Requires nomination by a state or territory government, plus the standard points-test requirements. You must be 45 years of age or under at the time of application.

Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa A five-year provisional visa requiring state/territory nomination or eligible family sponsorship in a designated regional area, plus 65+ points (with a 15-point regional bonus). After three years of regional work, holders can transition to the Subclass 191 permanent visa. You must be 45 years of age or under at the time of application.

Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa An employer-sponsored, non-points-tested regional visa. After three years, holders can move to permanent residency via Subclass 191.You must be 45 years of age or under at the time of application.

Subclass 482 – Skills in Demand (SID) Visa As of 7 December 2024, this visa replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. It now runs on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), with a Core Skills stream, Specialist Skills stream, and Labour Agreement stream. Work experience requirements dropped from two years to one, and it leads to PR through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, now reachable after just two years of full-time work with an approved sponsor. This visa has no age requirements.

Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (Direct Entry or Temporary Residence Transition) A direct, employer-sponsored path to permanent residency, now also assessed against the CSOL for Direct Entry applicants. You must have a subclass 457, 482 or eligible bridging visa. You must be 45 years of age or under at the time of application, and must have worked in eligible sponsored employment for a total of 2 years in the 3 years before application.