Immigration > Australia
All applications for Skilled Migration are considered against a points test.
Offshore applicants can apply for Australian skilled migration through three popular visa subclasses:
All applications for skilled migration are assessed against a points test, with the minimum eligibility threshold set at 65 points.
- Skilled Independent – Subclass 189
- Skilled (Nominated) – Subclass 190
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa – Subclass 491
Subclass 189 [Skilled Independent Visa]:
This visa offers direct permanent residence to applicants. It allows invited skilled workers to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
- You don’t need a sponsor or nominator
- You must be invited to apply
- You must be under 45 to be invited
- You must have a positive skills assessment
- Your occupation must be listed on the MLTSSL list of the DHA
- You must have at least a competent level of English
- You must score at least 65 points (higher-scoring applicants have a better chance of receiving an invitation to apply)
- You and any family members applying for the visa with you must meet the health requirements (including required medical examinations)
- You and any family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements (including required police clearances)
- You and any family members must have repaid any debt owed to the Australian Government
- You and any family member 18 years of age or older must sign the Australian Values Statement.
Subclass 190 [Skilled Nominated Visa]:
This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant. You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa.
- You must have been nominated for this visa by an Australian state or territory government agency.
- You must be invited to apply
- You must be under 45 to be invited
- You must have a positive skills assessment
- You must have at least a competent level of English
- You must meet at least 65 points
- You and any family members applying for the visa with you must meet the health requirements (including required medical examinations)
- You and any family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements (including required police clearances)
- You and any family members must have repaid any debt owed to the Australian Government
- You and any family member 18 years of age or older must sign the Australian Values Statement.
Subclass 491 [Skilled Work Regional- Provisional Visa]:
This is a provisional visa that allows you to stay in Australia for 5 years from the date the visa is granted.
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- Live, work and study in a designated region of Australia.
- Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
- apply for permanent residence, if eligible, through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) – which starts on 16 November 2022. You can’t apply for other permanent visas until you have held your subclass 491 visa for 3 years.
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- You must have been nominated for this visa by an Australian state or territory government agency OR sponsored by an eligible Australian relative.
- You and all members of your family unit who also hold the visa will need to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia. Your nomination must not be withdrawn, or the visa will not be granted.
- You must be invited to apply
- You must be under 45 to be invited
- You must have a positive skills assessment
- You must have at least a competent level of English
- You must meet at least 65 points
- You and any family members applying for the visa with you must meet the health requirements (including required medical examinations)
- You and any family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements (including required police clearances)
- You and any family members must have repaid any debt owed to the Australian Government
- You and any family member 18 years of age or older must sign the Australian Values Statement.
Point System
AGE
Applicants are awarded points based on their age, which is “frozen” at the time of lodging the application. The main applicant must be under 45 years of age at the time of lodgement.
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- 18 – 24 years old 25 points
- 25 – 32 years old 30 points
- 33 – 39 years old 25 points
- 40 – 44 years old 15 points
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITY:
- Superior English [8 Bands in each component of the IELTS test or 79 each in PTE [A] – 20 points
- Proficient English [7 Bands in each component of the IELTS test or 65 each in PTE [A] – 10 points
- Competent English [6 Bands in each component of the IELTS test or 50 each in Pte [A] – 0 points
Applicants with passports from countries where English is the first language, such as the UK, Ireland, Canada, the USA and New Zealand, do not have to sit an English proficiency test unless they wish to claim 10 points for Proficient English or 20 points for Superior English.
OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT:
- Less than 3 years 0 points
- At least 3 years but less than 5 years 5 Points
- At least 5 but less than 8 years 10 Points
- At least 8 years 15 Points
To be eligible for work-experience points, applicants must have been in full-time paid employment (more than 20 hours per week) and be able to demonstrate this through evidence such as employment references, salary slips and tax returns.
AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYMENT:
- Less than 1 year 0 points
- At least 1 but less than 3 years 5 points
- At least 3 years but less than 5 years 10 Points
- At least 5 but less than 8 years 15 Points
PROFESSIONAL YEAR:
In certain occupations, students can undertake a Professional Year programme in Australia, offered by relevant professional groups. The programme is intended to equip applicants with a higher level of skills to enter the Australian workforce. 5 points
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Overseas Study
- Attained a qualification or award recognised by the relevant skills assessment authority for your nominated occupation 10 Points
- Offshore-recognised apprenticeship / AQF III/IV completed in Australia, or a diploma completed in Australia 10 points
- Bachelor’s degree (including a bachelor’s degree with honours or a master’s degree) 15 points
- PhD or Doctorate 20 points
Australian Study:
Recognition of Australian study (minimum 2 years of full-time study) 5 points
To meet the two-year study requirement, applicants must complete one or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications awarded by an Australian educational institution through a course or courses that are:
- Registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS);
- Completed through at least two academic years of study (or the equivalent), totalling no less than 16 calendar months, while the applicant studied in Australia on a visa that permitted study and all instruction was conducted in English.
- Course duration will be calculated from the date classes begin to the date all academic requirements have been met for that qualification.
SPECIALIST EDUCATION QUALIFICATION:
A master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years of study in a relevant field. 10 Points
The postgraduate research degree (doctorate or master’s) must be awarded by an Australian educational institution after at least two academic years of study in an eligible science, technology, engineering, mathematics or specified information and communication technology (ICT) field:
CREDENTIALLED COMMUNITY LANGUAGE:
Those accredited as a professional interpreter (Level 3) by NAATI in a community language 5 points
NAATI is the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Although an applicant may be highly fluent in a community language through their upbringing, school or university education, they will not be awarded these points unless they pass the required NAATI test. DIAC lists the community languages included in the programme.
STUDYING AND LIVING IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA:
You must have at least one degree, diploma or a trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that satisfies the Australian study requirement obtained while living and studying in an eligible area of regional Australia. 5 Points
Must meet the Australian study requirement.
To be eligible for these points, your educational qualification must:
- Have been obtained while you lived in and studied at a campus in a designated regional area.
- Not include study undertaken through distance education.
PARTNER SKILLS:
Your spouse must also be an applicant for this visa and meet the age, English-language and skills criteria. 10 Points
For you to be eligible for these points, your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or citizen. Additionally, you will need to provide evidence that, when you were invited to apply for this visa, they:
- Were under 45 years old.
- Had competent English.
- Had nominated a skilled occupation on the same skilled occupation list as your nominated occupation.
- Had a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority.
Your spouse has competent English. 5 Points
You are single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. 10 Points
NOMINATION OR SPONSORSHIP:
You were nominated by a state or territory government agency for a Subclass 491 visa. 15 Points
or
You were sponsored by an eligible relative for a Subclass 491 visa. 15 Points
You were nominated by a state or territory government agency for a Subclass 190 visa. 5 Points