Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
482 Skills in Demand vs 189 Skilled Independent
A migrant with an employer offering a 482 and a points score that might earn a 189 invitation is choosing between a visa now and a better visa later. The 482 is temporary, tied to the sponsor and the occupation, granted in months, and leads to the 186 after two years; the 189 is permanent and free from day one, but depends on an invitation that may not come for the occupation at that score. Taking the 482 does not close the 189: the expression of interest stays in the pool, and a 189 granted later replaces the 482. The usual answer is both, the 482 for certainty and the 189 if it arrives, with the withdrawal of whichever is no longer wanted before grant.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status
- Temporary, up to 4 years · Permanent on grant
- Depends on
- An employer, a nomination, an occupation on the list · Your points and an invitation
- Time to grant
- Months · Unpredictable: the invitation, then months
- Tied to
- The sponsor and the nominated occupation · Nothing
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 482 Skills in Demand | 189 Skilled Independent | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Temporary, up to 4 years | Permanent on grant |
| Depends on | An employer, a nomination, an occupation on the list | Your points and an invitation |
| Time to grant | Months | Unpredictable: the invitation, then months |
| Tied to | The sponsor and the nominated occupation | Nothing |
| Charge | $4,015, plus the employer’s charges | $6,135 |
| Path to PR | 186 after 2 years with the sponsor | Already permanent |
| Running both | Yes; the EOI stays in the pool while the 482 is held | Yes; a 189 granted later replaces the 482 |
| Watch out | Losing the job starts the 180 days | The occupation ceiling and the score creep each year |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A migrant with an employer offering a 482 and a points score that might earn a 189 invitation is choosing between a visa now and a better visa later. The 482 is temporary, tied to the sponsor and the occupation, granted in months, and leads to the 186 after two years; the 189 is permanent and free from day one, but depends on an invitation that may not come for the occupation at that score. Taking the 482 does not close the 189: the expression of interest stays in the pool, and a 189 granted later replaces the 482. The usual answer is both, the 482 for certainty and the 189 if it arrives, with the withdrawal of whichever is no longer wanted before grant.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
482 Skills in Demand or 189 Skilled Independent — which is better?
A migrant with an employer offering a 482 and a points score that might earn a 189 invitation is choosing between a visa now and a better visa later. The 482 is temporary, tied to the sponsor and the occupation, granted in months, and leads to the 186 after two years; the 189 is permanent and free from day one, but depends on an invitation that may not come for the occupation at that score. Taking the 482 does not close the 189: the expression of interest stays in the pool, and a 189 granted later replaces the 482. The usual answer is both, the 482 for certainty and the 189 if it arrives, with the withdrawal of whichever is no longer wanted before grant.
What is the main difference between the 482 Skills in Demand and the 189 Skilled Independent?
Status: 482 Skills in Demand — Temporary, up to 4 years; 189 Skilled Independent — Permanent on grant. Depends on: 482 Skills in Demand — An employer, a nomination, an occupation on the list; 189 Skilled Independent — Your points and an invitation. Time to grant: 482 Skills in Demand — Months; 189 Skilled Independent — Unpredictable: the invitation, then months.
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