A real, step-by-step record of my Australian 491 visa journey
No recycled government pages. I write down what I actually did, what it cost, how long it took and what I would do differently, so your own journey feels less like guesswork.
The journey, step by step
Follow the posts in the order I lived them.
- Choose your pathway189, 190 or 491: why my points score made the choice for me.
- Get the skills assessmentA construction trade assessed in eight days, after months of gathering proof.
- Win a state nominationFrom EOI to a Queensland nomination in 25 days, and how we chose three states.
- Gather your documentsThe real checklist, what each item cost and the order I collected it in.
- Lodge the applicationThe three weeks between nomination and "Received", with every form and upload.
- Avoid the mistakes we nearly madeReal near-misses from our own application, and what I would do differently.
Latest posts
What Our 491 Visa Has Cost Us So Far: Every Payment in Australian Dollars
The real payments for our 491 application so far: RPL, skills assessment, agent, Queensland nomination and the visa charge, AUD 17,701.55, and how an unused fee became a credit.
Our 70 Points, Category by Category: How a 491 Score Really Added Up
The real points breakdown from our 491 EOI: age, English, work, education, partner and nomination, and why 55 points was not enough.
How I Rebuilt Ten Years of Addresses and Trips for Form 80
How I rebuilt ten years of addresses and trips for Form 80 from passport stamps, emails, photos, Google Timeline and old paperwork.
Read this first: I share my own experience as an applicant. I am not a registered migration agent and this is not immigration advice. Rules, fees and processing times change, so always confirm current details with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent. More about me and this blog.