At Remitly, we know that navigating the Australian visa process can be challenging. There are many different types of visas available, and it can be difficult to know which one’s the right one to go for.
In this guide, we’ll look at two of Australia’s main points-based visas that offer permanent residence for skilled professionals: the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190). You can apply for these types of visas whether you’re currently living overseas or you’re already living in Australia as an immigrant.
Overview of the points system
Australia’s points-based immigration system allows skilled professionals who work in certain fields to apply for a visa that allows you to stay in the country permanently. It was recently updated to reflect the changing needs of the country’s labour market.
If you secure a points-based visa, you’ll have the right to live, work, and study in the country, enroll in the public health system, and sponsor your relatives to join you.
You can also include family members in your visa application, such as your partner and dependent children. In fact, including your spouse may even give you additional points, as we’ll talk about later, although you can also earn points for being single.
Steps to apply for a points-based visa in Australia:
- Check if your occupation is on the accepted skilled occupation list.
- See if you meet the minimum number of points (65 points).
- Get your skills assessed by an accepted authority.
- Check all other requirements.
- Submit an expression of interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect website.
After you submit your EOI, you may be invited to apply for a skills-based visa. You can only apply if you have received an invitation through the SkillSelect website.
Purpose and benefits of the points-based approach
The purpose of this visa system is to bring skilled workers into Australia. It’s a win-win situation: the government is able to fill gaps in the labour market, choosing professionals who they believe will benefit the country’s economy and society.
At the same time, aspiring immigrants can participate in a transparent visa process where their skills, work experience and qualifications are valued and taken into account.
Understanding the points test for Australian skilled migration
There are different points awarded depending on a wide range of criteria, from your age to your marital status, your ability with languages and of course your work experience:
- Age (15–30 points)
- English language skills (0–20 points)
- Years of work experience in your skilled occupation (0–20 points)
- Educational qualifications (10–20 points)
- Certain study or work experiences in Australia (5–25 points)
- Knowing another language* (5 points)
- Your qualified spouse or partner who’s also an applicant for the visa (5–10 points)
- Your partner who’s an Australian citizen or permanent resident (10 points)
- Being single (10 points)
*The language must be on the official list of credentialed community languages, and you have to present a valid qualification—more on that later. There are over 50 languages on the list so there’s a good chance your native tongue might be on there.
How points are awarded
You can estimate the number of points you’ll score using the points calculator. You’ll also see your estimated number of points when you complete your EOI.
However, keep in mind that the final award of the points won’t happen until the application process, and you’ll have to submit documentation proving your claims. Points are awarded at the discretion of government authorities.
Minimum points required for eligibility
Remember that while you’ll need at least 65 points to be eligible for a points-based visa, the more points you have, the stronger your application will be.
Key factors influencing points
With such a long list of point-scoring criteria, it’s already quite a complicated system. Some aspects of your profile are more important than others—your work skills and educational background, for example, can get you a lot of points and have an enormous impact on your application.
Here’s a bit more detail on these criteria, and the specific conditions that have to be met in some of them:
International work experience and qualifications
You can be awarded up to 15 points for work experience outside Australia in your skilled occupation, or a closely related skilled occupation.
You can also gain 10-20 points with your educational qualifications, whether you have a diploma or trade qualification related to your occupation, a bachelor’s degree or a PhD. The higher your degree, the more points you’ll earn.
Education and work experience in Australia
If you have experience working in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation in Australia itself, you can be awarded up to 20 points.
You can earn 10–20 points with your educational qualifications from Australia, just as you can with your diplomas and degrees from outside the country.
If you have a master’s or doctorate from an Australian university, with at least two years’ study in certain fields related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or ICT, you may be awarded an extra 10 points.
If you’ve earned a degree, diploma, or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution, you may be eligible to meet the Australian study requirement. That’s worth five points. English language courses don’t qualify, and the program must have lasted at least two academic years.
You may be awarded an extra five points if you completed a Professional Year in Accounting, ICT/Computing, or Engineering provided by one of:
- Australian Computer Society
- CPA Australia
- Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Institute of Public Accountants
- Engineers Australia
Importance of age and language proficiency
You must be between the ages of 18 and 44* to apply for a points-based Skilled Independent or Skilled Nominated visa. You’ll be awarded points based on your age:
- Age 25–32: 30 points
- Age 18–24: 25 points
- Age 33–39: 25 points
- Age 40–44: 15 points
*If you were 44 when you submitted the EOI but turned 45 after receiving your invitation to apply, you can still apply for the visa.
You must have at least a Competent level of English to be eligible for this type of visa. The Aussie government recognises that there are a lot of different English testing bodies around, so here’s what Competent means with some of the main certifiers:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training)
Competent: score eight for each of the four components - Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT)
Competent: 12 (listening), 13 (reading), 18 (speaking), 21 (writing)
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
Competent: 50 for each of the four components
- Occupational English Test (OET) (specifically for health professionals)
Competent: a mark of “B” for each of the four components - Cambridge C1 Advanced
Competent: 169 in each of the four components
All scores must be from official English tests taken at a secure test centre within the last three years before the date of invitation. The Australian government won’t accept online or at-home test results.
Having a Competent level is the bare minimum. You’ll be awarded more points if you have a higher English level:
- Competent: 0 points
- Proficient: 10 points
- Superior: 20 points
There’s more information on the minimum scores you need for each English level here, and we’ll talk about how important it can be to raise your English to higher than Competent later.
Partner’s skills and their contribution to your points score
Your partner or spouse must also apply for the same visa subclass and have Competent English. In this case, five points will be added to your score.
You’ll get 10 points if your partner or spouse applies for the same visa subclass and fits all of these criteria:
• They have Competent English.
• Their occupation is skilled, on the same list as yours, and they’ve had a skills assessment done.
• They’re under the age of 45.
• They’re not an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
If you’re single, or your partner is Australian or permanently resident in Australia, you’ll get 10 points.
Visa categories under the points-based system
Another complication is the many different types of visas available. The ones we’re focusing on here are the most common types for highly skilled people:
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Any skilled worker who meets the requirements can submit an EOI for this visa. If your points score is high enough and Australia needs professionals in your occupation, you may be invited to apply.
The first steps are to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and submit your EOI online. Then you’ll have to wait to see if you’re invited to apply—even if you meet all the criteria and submit your expression of interest, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a visa.
State-Sponsored visa (subclass 190)
Also called the Skilled Nominated visa, you must be nominated to apply for this visa by an agency of an Australian State or Territory government. This is a way for specific regions of the country to bring in the type of professionals they need.
Remember, though, that if you get this type of visa you’ll probably be expected to live in the region that nominates you. For the Skilled Nominated visa, the first step is to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements. The eligible skilled occupations aren’t the same as the ones for the Skilled Independent visa, and you’ll still have to submit an EOI.
When you’ve done that, the state and territory governments will review it and, If they need professionals with your skillset, they might nominate you. If you’re nominated, you’ll be invited to apply. And while it may seem like a guaranteed way to get a visa, that’s not the case—you’ll certainly have a good chance, but there are no guarantees.
Other relevant visa options
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, subclass 491
- Short-stay, temporary, and permanent work visas for Australia
- Bridge visas
- Transitioning from a student visa to permanent residency
- Working as a digital nomad in Australia
Strategies to maximise your points
There are a few different ways you can maximise your chances of getting a points-based visa. First of all, your age. We understand there’s nothing you can do to change this, of course, but you get the most points for being between the ages of 25 and 32.
So if you’re close to 25, you might as well wait until your birthday before submitting your EOI. On the other hand, applicants over 40 are at a disadvantage, so you may want to speed up your process if you’re approaching that age.
Enhancing qualifications
Next, your educational qualifications. If time is on your side, you can earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree (15 points) or PhD (20 points) from any recognised educational institution to increase your score. Or you could go for a diploma or trade qualification from an Australian institution, which would get you 10 points.
Keep in mind that you’ll only receive points for your highest level of education; these are not cumulative, so you won’t get 35 points if you have both a master’s and a PhD.
If you’re able to study at an Australian university as an international student, there are some ways to get additional points for educational experiences in Australia, including:
- Master’s research or doctoral degree with at least two academic years of study in one of the relevant fields (10 points)
- Two years of academic study that meet the Australian study requirement (5 points)
However, perhaps the fastest way to increase your education qualifications is to improve your English proficiency. As we mentioned, with 10 points for Proficient level and a whopping 20 points for Superior, studying English to a high standard is a must if it isn’t your native tongue.
Here’s what you’ll need to score with the main certifiers:
- IELTS Academic or General Training
Proficient: seven for each of the four components
Superior: eight for each of the four components - TOEFL iBT
Proficient: 24 (listening), 24 (reading), 27 (speaking), 23 (writing)
Superior: 28 (listening), 29 (reading), 26 (speaking), 30 (writing) - PTE Academic
Proficient: 65 for each of the four components
Superior: 70 for each of the four components - OET (remember, specific to health professionals)
Proficient: B for each of the four components
Superior: A for each of the four components - Cambridge C1 Advanced
Proficient: 185 in each of the four components
Superior: 200 in each of the four components
Keep in mind that if you’re already living in Australia, you might be able to access free English classes for immigrants.
Demonstrating your skills
Finally, adding years of work experience in your skilled occupation is a good way to gain more points. And if you can work in Australia, even better: just one year of working in Australia will give you five points, while you’ll need three years working internationally to get the same number of points, for example.
In both cases, there’s a jump in points after three years, five years, or eight years of working. So if you’re close to reaching one of those numbers, you may want to wait to apply so you can rack up more points.
For example, if you’ve been working for four years internationally you’ll earn five points, but if you wait until you’ve been working for five years, you’ll earn 10 points. Those five extra points earned through a bit of patience could make all the difference.
Utilising migration agents and resources
You can do the entire visa application process by yourself. Although there’s a lot of information to take in, the official websites about each visa process are at least relatively straightforward and easy to understand. They include links to relevant resources, too.
However, if you’d like assistance with the process, you can use a registered migration agent, a registered legal practitioner, or an exempt person such as your nominator or sponsor, a close family member, an international organisation, etc. Exempt people are not allowed to charge you a fee for their help.
While it might make things quite a bit simpler for you, using immigration assistance will not make the visa processing period go faster, nor will it guarantee you a visa. Good luck with your application!
FAQs
What’s Australia’s point-based immigration system?
There are certain types of points-based visas that Australia uses to bring specific types of skilled workers into the country. Applicants are awarded points based on their age, education, professional qualifications, and experience.
What’s the new points system in Australia 2024?
The points system was redesigned in 2024 to reflect the country’s current labour needs. Changes included favouring younger applicants and assigning more value to English skills, practical work experience, educational qualifications, and the skills of the applicant’s partner.
What are some common challenges and tips for success?
It’ll take time to gather all the documentation you need to prove each of your claims. Be sure to research all the requirements thoroughly and check estimated visa processing times before you submit your EOI. That’s the best way to ensure you’ll have everything you need ready within the validity period if and when you’re invited to apply.