Commonwealth of Australia vs Islamic Republic of Iran

A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.

Last reviewed: 28 June 2026

Commonwealth of Australia

Australia operates a points-based SkillSelect system for permanent and provisional skilled visas alongside employer-sponsored subclasses (482 TSS, 186 ENS, 494 Regional), Working Holiday Maker subclasses, and student and global talent visas.

Official portal: Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
Languages: English
Currency: Australian dollar

Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran publishes public non-immigrant visa guidance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal and the MFA traveller pages. The source-backed packet covers visa-waiver tourism entry, tourist, entry, pilgrimage, education, temporary work, transit, media, investment, marital and medical visa categories, while avoiding unsupported permanent-residence or citizenship claims.

Official portal: Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran
Languages: Persian
Currency: Iranian rial

How Commonwealth of Australia and Islamic Republic of Iran differ

Dimension	Commonwealth of Australia	Islamic Republic of Iran
Total routes covered	9	11
Routes without employer sponsor	6	5
Routes leading to permanent residence	7	0
Typical full settlement timeline	Arrival on 482 → 186 ENS after 2 years (Specialist Skills Pathway) or 3-4 years (Core Skills) → PR → citizenship after 4 years from arrival (minimum 12 months as PR).	—
Dominant skilled visa	Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)	Temporary Work Visa
Skilled visa salary minimum	—	—
Skilled visa processing time	Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply.	—
Skilled visa government fees	The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$5,400 in Home Affairs fees for a single primary applicant, before skills-assessment and English-test costs.	—
Official languages	English	Persian
Currency	Australian dollar	Iranian rial
Primary regulator	MARA	MFA
Policy changes (last 12 months)	1	0

Skilled-route head-to-head

Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.

Commonwealth of Australia

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

Salary minimum: —
Government fees: The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$5,400 in Home Affairs fees for a single primary applicant, before skills-assessment and English-test costs.
Processing time: Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply.
Sponsor required: No
Leads to settlement: Yes

Islamic Republic of Iran

Temporary Work Visa

Salary minimum: —
Government fees: —
Processing time: —
Sponsor required: Yes
Leads to settlement: No

Routes unique to Commonwealth of Australia

Routes unique to Islamic Republic of Iran

Visa routes side by side

Commonwealth of Australia (9)

Islamic Republic of Iran (11)

Frequently asked questions

Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Commonwealth of Australia or Islamic Republic of Iran?+

Commonwealth of Australia’s Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the dominant skilled route; Islamic Republic of Iran’s Temporary Work Visa is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.

Does Commonwealth of Australia or Islamic Republic of Iran have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+

Commonwealth of Australia has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 5 for Islamic Republic of Iran. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.