Australia PR from Nepal has never been more achievable. With 185,000 permanent residency places available in 2026 and the majority allocated to the skilled stream, the Australian government’s commitment to skilled migration creates exceptional opportunities for qualified Nepali students, graduates, and professionals. Whether you have just completed an Australian degree, are working in a high-demand occupation, or are planning your migration from Nepal directly, this complete guide covers every pathway, requirement, and strategy to secure Australian permanent residency in 2026.
As MARA-registered migration agents and experienced education consultants, Nepcoms has helped hundreds of Nepali students and professionals navigate the Australian PR process successfully. This guide gives you the complete picture.
What is Australian Permanent Residency?
Australian permanent residency (PR) grants you the legal right to live, work, and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely. As an Australian PR holder, you gain access to Medicare (public healthcare system), freedom to work for any employer across any industry, ability to sponsor eligible family members to join you, pathway to Australian citizenship after four years as a PR holder, access to subsidized higher education (HECS-HELP loans), and full social security entitlements.
For Nepali citizens, Australian PR represents the most life-changing migration milestone — transforming temporary student or work visa status into permanent settlement rights in one of the world’s most liveable countries.
Australia PR Pathways for Nepali Citizens 2026
1. Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
The Subclass 189 is the gold standard of Australian PR, granting permanent residency without requiring employer sponsorship or state nomination. This purely points-based visa allows you to live and work in Australia permanently from the day of grant.
Key Requirements:
- Occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
- Positive skills assessment from the relevant authority
- Minimum 65 points on the points test (competitive scores are 85-90+ in 2026)
- Age under 45 years
- Competent English minimum (IELTS 6.0 equivalent)
2026 Reality: The 189 visa is highly competitive. Invitation rounds in 2026 prioritize National Priority occupations, including healthcare professionals, teachers, engineers, and specialists. Most Nepali applicants need 85-95 points to receive invitations in mainstream rounds.
2. Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
State-nominated permanent residency provides 5 bonus points toward your points test score. Each Australian state and territory maintains specific occupation lists and nomination criteria reflecting their local workforce priorities.
2026 State Nomination Highlights:
- South Australia: Actively inviting offshore Nepali candidates in construction and digital infrastructure
- Tasmania: Strong nominations for healthcare, education, and IT occupations
- Queensland: Targeting engineers, nurses, and IT professionals for regional areas
- NSW: Precision-targeting model for senior engineers and cloud specialists with 90+ points
Key Advantage: State nomination adds 5 points and lowers the competitive threshold compared to independent 189 applications, making it the most accessible permanent pathway for most Nepali applicants.
3. Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)
The 491 is a 5-year provisional visa that allows you to live and work in regional Australia, with a direct pathway to permanent residency through Subclass 191 after 3 years. Regional nomination provides 15 bonus points versus 5 points for state nomination, making it the highest points pathway available.
PR Pathway Requirements (Subclass 191):
- Hold a 491 visa for a minimum of three years
- Minimum taxable income of AUD 53,900 per year for three years
- Continued residence in regional Australia
- Compliance with all visa conditions
Regional areas for 491 purposes include Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Gold Coast, and all of Australia outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, covering significantly more of Australia than most applicants realize.
4. Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
Direct permanent residency pathway through Australian employer sponsorship. Particularly accessible for Nepali graduates who have been working for Australian employers on temporary visas.
Transition Stream: For Skills in Demand or TSS visa holders employed by a nominating employer for a minimum of two years (reduced from three years in 2026), this is the most direct employer-sponsored PR pathway available.
Direct Entry Stream: For applicants with a minimum of three years overseas skilled work experience in a nominated occupation, without requiring a prior Australian employer relationship.
Australia PR Points Test 2026
The points test determines eligibility and competitiveness for General Skilled Migration visas. You need a minimum of 65 points to submit an Expression of Interest, but competitive invitation scores in 2026 are significantly higher.
Points Breakdown:
| Factor | Points Available |
|---|---|
| Age 18-24 years | 25 points |
| Age 25-32 years | 30 points |
| Age 33-39 years | 25 points |
| Age 40-44 years | 15 points |
| Bachelor degree | 15 points |
| Doctorate degree | 20 points |
| Competent English (IELTS 6.0) | 0 points |
| Proficient English (IELTS 7.0) | 10 points |
| Superior English (IELTS 8.0) | 20 points |
| Overseas work experience (8-10 years) | 15 points |
| Australian work experience (5-8 years) | 20 points |
| Australian study qualification | 5-15 points |
| State nomination (190) | 5 points |
| Regional nomination (491/489) | 15 points |
| Partner skills | 5-10 points |
| Professional Year completion | 5 points |
| NAATI CCL certification | 5 points |
Competitive Score Strategy for Nepali Applicants: Most Nepali applicants targeting 189 visas in 2026 need 85-95 points. Common scoring combinations include age under 32 (30 points) + bachelor’s degree (15 points) + Australian work experience (10-15 points) + proficient English (10 points) + Australian study (5-15 points) = 70-85 points. Adding Superior English, state nomination, or partner skills pushes competitive scores into the invitation range.
Skills Assessment for Australia PR from Nepal
Every Australian PR application from Nepal requires a positive skills assessment before submitting an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect. The assessing authority depends on your occupation.
Common Assessing Authorities for Nepali Applicants:
- Engineers Australia (EA): Civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers requires Competency Demonstration Report (CDR)
- Australian Computer Society (ACS): IT professionals, software engineers, and data scientists require RPL or a formal qualification assessment
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC): Nurses require AHPRA registration as a prerequisite
- CPA Australia / CA ANZ: Accountants require academic assessment and work experience verification
- AASW: Social workers require degree accreditation verification
- AITSL: Teachers require a qualification and experience assessment
- Vetassess: Covers 360+ occupations across diverse industries
Nepal-Specific Skills Assessment Considerations: Work experience gained in Nepal is fully counted toward skills assessment, but documentation must be meticulous. Employment reference letters must be on company letterhead with specific duties, dates, and supervisor contacts. Nepal-issued academic certificates require authentication. ACS specifically notes that experience before your “Skill Level Requirement Met Date” is not counted, making accurate work history documentation critical for Nepali IT professionals.
Step-by-Step Australia PR Process from Nepal
Step 1: Check Occupation on Skilled Lists Confirm your occupation appears on MLTSSL (for 189/491) or state occupation lists (for 190).
Step 2: Get Skills Assessment. Submit to the relevant authority with all academic certificates, employment evidence, and required assessments. Processing typically takes 8-16 weeks.
Step 3: Achieve the required English Score in IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL, achieving the target proficiency level. Superior English (IELTS 8.0, PTE 79) adds 20 critical points.
Step 4: Calculate and Maximize Points. Work with Nepcoms migration agents to identify all available points, including Professional Year, NAATI CCL, partner skills, and regional study claims.
Step 5: Submit Expression of Interest (EOI). Lodge EOI through SkillSelect detailing your points claims, occupation, and visa preferences. EOIs remain active for two years.
Step 6: Receive Invitation Department of Home Affairs conducts invitation rounds. Higher-scoring EOIs receive invitations first. State nomination applications run independently through each state’s system.
Step 7: Lodge Visa Application. Once invited, you have 60 days to lodge the complete visa application with all supporting documents, health examinations, and police clearances from all countries of residenc,e including Nepal.
Step 8: Await Grant Processing times vary: Subclass 189 (8-12 months), Subclass 190 (8-10 months), Subclass 491 (9-12 months).
High-Demand Occupations for Australia PR from Nepal 2026
Choosing the right occupation is the most critical strategic decision for Australian PR applications. These occupations combine high invitation rates with accessible skills assessments for Nepali professionals.
Highest Invitation Rates in 2026:
- Registered Nurse: Priority health occupation; state nomination widely available; competitive scores 75-85 points
- Software Engineer/Developer: ACS assessment; strong demand nationwide; scores 85-95 needed
- Civil/Structural Engineer: Engineers Australia CDR; infrastructure boom driving demand; state nomination accessible
- Accountant (various specializations): CPA/CA ANZ assessment; consistent demand; state nomination options
- Early Childhood Teacher: Priority education occupation; regional nomination available; 189 invitations at lower scores
- Social Worker: AASW assessment; regional shortage; state nomination widely available
- ICT Business Analyst: ACS assessment; finance and tech sector demand; strong Sydney/Melbourne prospects
- Construction Project Manager: Vetassess; infrastructure boom; regional opportunities abundant
Maximizing Your Australia PR Points from Nepal
Professional Year Program
The Professional Year Program is a structured 44-week employment program for Australian graduates in IT (ACS), engineering (Engineers Australia), or accounting (CPA Australia/CA ANZ). Completion provides 5 additional points and significantly strengthens employment prospects.
NAATI CCL (Credentialed Community Language)
Nepali language holders who pass the NAATI CCL test earn 5 additional points toward PR. The test assesses your ability to perform community-level interpretation between English and Nepali, taking approximately three months to prepare.
Strategic Regional Study
Studying in regional Australia provides 5 bonus points for regional study, plus 15 points if pursuing a 491 regional nomination afterward, totaling 20 strategic points from location choice alone.
Partner Skills
If your partner has a skills assessment and meets English requirements, you earn 5 points (competent English) or 10 points (proficient or superior English) regardless of whether your partner applies as a secondary applicant.
Benefits of Becoming an Australian PR Holder
Achieving Australia PR from Nepal transforms your life opportunities:
- Medicare: Full access to Australia’s public healthcare system is worth thousands annually
- Work Freedom: Work for any employer, anywhere in Australia, without visa restrictions
- Education Access: Children have access to public school education; subsidized higher education through HECS-HELP
- Family Sponsorship: Sponsor partner visa, parent visa, and dependent children for PR
- Citizenship Pathway: Apply for Australian citizenship after four years as PR holder (one year as citizen)
- Social Security: Access to Centrelink payments after waiting period
- Travel Document: Apply for Australian travel document as PR holder
- Business Rights: Start or invest in Australian businesses without restriction
Why Choose Nepcoms for Your Australia PR from Nepal
Navigating Australia’s complex PR system requires deep expertise in occupation selection, points maximization, skills assessment requirements, and state nomination strategies. Mistakes at any stage delay or prevent PR grants.
As MARA-registered migration agents with proven success helping Nepali citizens achieve Australian PR, Nepcoms provides complete migration services including free PR eligibility assessment and pathway mapping, occupation selection and points calculation, skills assessment application preparation, state nomination strategy and applications, English test preparation guidance for maximum points, EOI submission and SkillSelect management, complete visa application lodgement and documentation, and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) representation if required.
Book your free PR consultation today to assess your current points, identify your strongest pathway, and develop a personalized strategy for achieving Australian permanent residency from Nepal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points do I need for Australia PR from Nepal?
Minimum 65 points to submit an EOI, but competitive invitation scores in 2026 require 85-95 points for Subclass 189 and 70-80 points for Subclass 190 state nomination.
Can I apply for Australia PR directly from Nepal?
Yes, offshore PR applications are accepted, and South Australia and other states actively invite offshore Nepali candidates who align with their workforce needs in 2026.
How long does the Australian PR take from Nepal?
Skills assessment takes 8-16 weeks, EOI may wait months for an invitation, then visa processing takes 8-12 months. The total process typically takes 18-36 months from skills assessment to PR grant.
Does my Nepal work experience count toward PR points?
Yes, overseas work experience in your nominated occupation counts for points. However, Australian work experience earns significantly more points (up to 20 points vs 15 points for overseas).
What is the age limit for an Australian PR from Nepal?
The maximum age is 45 years at the time of invitation. Applicants aged 25-32 receive a maximum of 30 age points. Age is the single largest point category, making early application strategically important.
Can my spouse be included in my PR application?
Yes, your spouse or de facto partner can be included as a secondary applicant, subject to health and character requirements. If your partner has relevant skills and English proficiency, you earn additional partner skills points.
Start Your Australia PR Journey with Nepcoms
Australia PR from Nepal is achievable with the right occupation, points strategy, and professional guidance. With 185,000 PR places available in 2026 and Australia actively seeking skilled Nepali professionals and graduates, your pathway to permanent Australian residency has never been clearer.
Ready to make Australia your permanent home?
📧 Email: ktm@nepcoms.com 📞 Phone: 9801292944
Book your free PR assessment today and let our MARA-registered migration agents map your strongest pathway to Australian permanent residency.
