189 vs 190 vs 491 — a detailed comparison for Vietnamese applicants counting points in 2026

The three points-tested skilled visas — 189, 190 and 491 — are the core PR doors for skilled applicants. This blog already covers the PR pathways for international students; today’s post compares the three subclasses head-to-head for everyone counting points — including applicants still in Vietnam.

One truth first: 65 points is the score to lodge an EOI, not the score that gets invited. The gap between those two numbers is where most PR plans quietly fail.

Quick comparison

189 — total freedom, the fiercest race

No nominator, live anywhere, PR from day one. In exchange, it is a pure points race — and recent invitation rounds have set a high bar for white-collar occupations.

The latest round at the time of writing (November 2025, ~10,000 invitations): trades (carpenters, plumbers, electricians…) invited from 65–70 points; health, nursing and engineering mostly 75–85; IT, accounting and general business realistically 85–90+. Every round differs — but this relative ordering has held for years: the more “popular with international students” an occupation is, the higher its cut-off.

The pragmatic read: the 189 suits applicants with very strong standalone points (superior English worth 20 points, long experience, the right age band, partner/NAATI points) or in-demand trades. For a 70–80-point white-collar profile, pinning hopes on the 189 is a passive waiting strategy.

190 — trading a 2-year commitment for 5 points and a separate queue

Immediate PR like the 189, plus 5 nomination points, assessed in each state’s own queue — where competition is shaped by what the state needs, not just the total score.

The price: each state sets its own criteria and changes them each program year — commonly: living/working in the state for a minimum period, a job or offer in your field in that state, minimum salary, or a ~2-year residence commitment. The national 2026–27 allocation for the 190: 12,850 places — with open/closed occupation lists differing sharply across NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and TAS.

The pragmatic read: the 190 suits people already in a state working in an occupation that state wants (a major advantage for graduates of that state), or offshore applicants whose occupation appears on a state list open to overseas candidates (fewer, but they exist — especially health and selected engineering roles).

491 — the widest door, the longest string attached

+15 points is the biggest jump the system allows: a 70-point profile becomes 85 — above the competitive bar for most occupations. The 2026–27 allocation: 7,500 places. State criteria for the 491 are typically softer than for the 190, and several states accept offshore applicants.

The price, to be understood in full before signing: a 5-year provisional visa, bound to living, working and studying in regional Australia (everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — Perth, Adelaide and Canberra all count as regional); PR comes via the 191 after 3 compliant years plus 3 tax notices of assessment. For the conditions and what breaks the pathway, read our dedicated 491 → 191 post. The valuable news: the AUD 53,900 minimum income requirement was abolished in 2023 — the pathway’s biggest barrier is gone.

The pragmatic read: the 491 suits applicants 10–15 points short of their occupation’s realistic cut-off who will trade 3 regional years for PR; it is especially rational in health, education and trades — where regional jobs are plentiful and pay is close to city levels.

Three self-placement questions

1. What is my real score? Compute it against the official points table, honestly per item (English requires an actual test result; experience must meet the post-qualification definition with documents). Then compare against the real cut-offs for your occupation in recent rounds — not against “65 to pass”.

2. How much geographic commitment will I accept? None → only the 189 remains (and it demands a very high score). One state for 2 years → the 190 opens. Regional for 3 years → the 491 opens, the widest door.

3. Which state is calling my occupation? State lists change every program year (July) and can close mid-year when quotas fill. The correct strategy is choosing the state by occupation — not by where your cousin lives.

The combined strategy — what careful planners do

An EOI can select multiple visas at once: switching on 189 + 190 + 491 in one EOI (across several states) is the standard probability-maximising play — take whichever door opens best. A technical note: accepting a state’s nomination and then declining can damage your standing with that state — only switch on options you are genuinely prepared to take.

The bottom line

The 189 is the door for very high scorers and trades; the 190 for those standing in the right state with the right occupation; the 491 the widest door for those who will trade 3 regional years — with its income barrier now removed. All three doors are real; what is not real is a plan built on “65 points to pass” and the promises of automated points calculators.

And if the points race simply isn’t your game — because your edge is an internationally recognised achievement rather than a points total — there is a door outside this table entirely: the National Innovation Visa 858, a non–points-tested talent visa that grants PR directly. It is a narrow door (over 9,000 EOIs drew only ~304 invitations), but for the right profile it is the cleanest PR route Australia offers.

Want to know which door is genuinely open this program year for your specific profile (occupation, points, English, location)? Book a free assessment with VisaAffairs.

References

• SkillSelect — Invitation rounds — official round results and cut-offs by occupation.
• Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Independent visa (189) — official criteria.
• Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (190) and Skilled Work Regional (491) — with links to each state’s nomination criteria.

This article is general information current at publication; cut-offs change every round, and state allocations and lists change every program year. Check the date and contact VisaAffairs before relying on it for your own case.