Commonwealth of Australia vs Republic of Kiribati
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:
Source basis
This comparison combines Commonwealth of Australia and Republic of Kiribati government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Immigration and citizenship
Department of Home Affairs (Australia) - verified
- Kiribati Immigration
Kiribati Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration - verified
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Department of Home Affairs - verified
- Kiribati Work Visa application form
Kiribati Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration - verified
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
Republic of Kiribati
Kiribati Visa Atlas coverage is source-backed from Kiribati Immigration materials published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. The source packet covers visa exemption checks, visitor visas, group visitor visas, transit visas, work visas, religious-worker sponsorship, student visas, investment visas, sponsorship forms, medical forms and temporary-entry checklist handling. Applicants should confirm the current fee, email filing route, supporting evidence and visa conditions with Kiribati Immigration before travelling, working, studying, sponsoring, investing or relying on temporary-entry status.
- Languages
- English, Gilbertese
- Currency
- Australian dollar
How Commonwealth of Australia and Republic of Kiribati differ
| Dimension | Commonwealth of Australia | Republic of Kiribati |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 9 | 8 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 6 | 6 |
| 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) | Work Visa |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | The Home Affairs processing-time tool, checked 10 September 2026 for subclass 189 Points-Tested, reports 50% processed in 7 months and 90% in 8 months. These are observed processing percentiles for recently decided visa applications, not a minimum/maximum range or a guaranteed decision date. SkillSelect invitation waiting is separate. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | The subclass 189 points-tested visa application charge is A$6,135 for the primary applicant, plus A$3,070 per additional adult and A$1,540 per child under 18. A couple pays A$9,205 in first-instalment charges. Conditional English charges and separately paid assessment, testing and document costs are extra. | — |
| Official languages | English | English, Gilbertese |
| Currency | Australian dollar | Australian dollar |
| Primary regulator | MARA | Immigration |
| 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 subclass 189 points-tested visa application charge is A$6,135 for the primary applicant, plus A$3,070 per additional adult and A$1,540 per child under 18. A couple pays A$9,205 in first-instalment charges. Conditional English charges and separately paid assessment, testing and document costs are extra.
- Processing time
- The Home Affairs processing-time tool, checked 10 September 2026 for subclass 189 Points-Tested, reports 50% processed in 7 months and 90% in 8 months. These are observed processing percentiles for recently decided visa applications, not a minimum/maximum range or a guaranteed decision date. SkillSelect invitation waiting is separate.
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Kiribati
Work Visa
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Recent policy activity
Last 6 months. Each entry links to its primary government source.
- 25 July 2026Commonwealth of Australia
Australia changes skilled-visa processing priorities under Direction 119
Direction 119 replaced Direction 105 on 25 July 2026, changing the priority order for covered skilled nominations and visa applications, including applications already waiting.
Australian Department of Home Affairs
Routes unique to Commonwealth of Australia
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
skilled-migration
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
skilled-migration
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
skilled-migration
Working Holiday Maker visa (subclass 417/462)
youth-mobility
National Innovation visa (formerly Global Talent)
work-unsponsored
Visa routes side by side
Commonwealth of Australia (9)
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years; Hong Kong passport holders may be granted up to 5 years.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 5 years provisional, with pathway to permanent residence.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Working Holiday Maker visa (subclass 417/462)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 12 months per grant; up to 3 visas with qualifying specified work.
National Innovation visa (formerly Global Talent)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Australian Student visa (subclass 500)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Programme length plus small buffer.
Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial provisional to permanent residence.
Republic of Kiribati (8)
Visa Exemption Check
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Short-stay entry only; confirm the stay limit and conditions in the current exemption order or with Kiribati Immigration.
Visitor Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary visitor stay; confirm the granted duration and any limited-purpose condition on the visa issued by Kiribati Immigration.
Group Visitor Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Same temporary visitor stay as the linked individual visitor applications; confirm the approved stay on each visa.
Transit Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Transit only; confirm the permitted transit time and conditions with Kiribati Immigration.
Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary work visa; confirm the granted work period and employer or purpose conditions on the visa.
Religious Worker Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary work visa; the religious-worker sponsorship form refers to support for one year from the first day as a Religious Worker work visa holder.
Student Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary study stay tied to the approved programme dates; confirm the visa validity and any work or guardian condition on approval.
Investment Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary investment-related stay; confirm the approved validity and any business conditions on the visa issued by Kiribati Immigration.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Commonwealth of Australia or Republic of Kiribati?+
Commonwealth of Australia’s Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the dominant skilled route; Republic of Kiribati’s Work Visa is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, Commonwealth of Australia or Republic of Kiribati?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for Commonwealth of Australia, 0 for Republic of Kiribati. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Commonwealth of Australia vs Republic of Kiribati immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/australia/vs/kiribati. Last verified 25 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons