Skilled Independent
Document Checklist

Clear colour scan of your current valid passport photo page.

Official birth certificate showing your full name and date of birth.

Marriage certificate, deed poll or other official proof if your name has changed.

Screenshot or confirmation of your submitted EOI including your EOI ID and points score.

Official invitation to apply for the 189 visa issued by the Department of Home Affairs via SkillSelect.

Positive outcome letter from the assessing authority for your nominated ANZSCO occupation (e.g. Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS, AHPRA).

Certified copies of your degree, diploma or trade qualification(s) relevant to your nominated occupation.

Official transcripts for each qualification submitted with your skills assessment.

Reference letters on company letterhead from each employer, stating your job title, duties, employment dates and hours per week.

Evidence of salary payments during claimed work experience periods.

IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET or Cambridge CAE results meeting the required band scores for your claimed points level.

Tax file number declarations, payslips, superannuation statements or ATO income summaries for Australian work claimed in points test.

Transcripts and completion letter from an Australian institution if claiming the Australian Study Requirement points.

Certificate of completion from an approved Professional Year program (IT, accounting or engineering) if claiming those points.

Spouse or de facto partner's skills assessment, English test results or Australian citizenship/PR evidence if claiming partner points.

National police certificates from each country you have lived in for 12 or more months since age 16 (including Australia).

Completed Form 80 for Character Assessment, for you and any adult family members included. Fill for free →

Bio-data page of your spouse or de facto partner's current passport.

Official birth certificate for your spouse or de facto partner.

Marriage certificate or evidence of de facto relationship for your spouse/partner.

Bio-data page for each dependent child included in the application.

Official birth certificate for each dependent child included.

What documents do I need for a Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) application?

The Skilled Independent typically requires 22 documents across 6 categories: Identity documents, SkillSelect & invitation, Skills assessment, Points evidence, Health & character, Family members. Use the personalised builder above to filter this list to your exact circumstances.

How do I prepare my documents for the Skilled Independent?

Scan or photograph each document as a PDF or image. Compress any file that exceeds the 5 MB upload limit using the built-in Compress tool. Combine multi-page documents (e.g. bank statements) into a single PDF using Merge. VisaPacks then exports everything as a correctly-named ZIP bundle, ready to attach to your ImmiAccount lodgement.

Is this checklist official Department of Home Affairs guidance?

No. This checklist is based on publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance but is maintained by VisaPacks as a convenience tool only — it is not legal advice and does not replace the assessment of a registered migration agent. Always verify current requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website.