All applications for Skilled Migration are considered against a points test.
The Australia Skilled Migration for Offshore applicants can be applied through the three popular visa subclasses:
All applications for Skilled Migration are considered against a points test wherein the minimum points required in order to be eligible is 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 a direct permanent residence to the applicants. This visa lets invited workers with skills 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
- Have at least a competent level English
- You must meet at least 65 points [Higher scoring applicants have better chances of getting an invitation to apply]
- You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet the health requirements [clear the medical examinations]
- You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements [obtain Police Clearances]
- You and any family member must have paid back your debt 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
- Have at least a competent level English
- You must meet at least 65 points
- You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet the health requirements [clear the medical examinations]
- You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements [obtain Police Clearances]
- You and any family member must have paid back your debt 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 stay in Australia for 5 years from the date we grant you the visa
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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 You must have been nominated for this visa by an eligible Australian relative
- You and all members of your family unit who are also holders of the visa, will need to live work and study in a designated regional area of Australia. Your nomination must not be withdrawn, or you will not be granted the visa.
- You must be invited to apply
- You must be under 45 to be invited
- You must have a Positive Skills Assessment
- Have at least a competent level English
- You must meet at least 65 points
- You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet the health requirements [clear the medical examinations]
- You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet the character requirements [obtain Police Clearances]
- You and any family member must have paid back your debt 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 will be awarded points based on their age, which is “frozen” at the time of lodging an application. The main applicant must be under 45 years 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 UK, Ireland, Canada, USA and NZ do not have to sit for an English Proficiency test except where they wish to score 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/week] and be able to demonstrate this in various ways, 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 of study in Australia, which is offered by certain occupations groups. This year is intended to equip the applicant with a higher level of skills to enter the work force in Australia. 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 recognized apprenticeship/ AQFIII/IV completed in Australia, Diploma completed in Australia 10 points
- Bachelor Degree [including a Bachelor degree with Honours or Masters] 15 points
- PhD or Doctorate 20 points
Australian Study:
Recognition of Australian Study [minimum 2 years fulltime study] 5 points
To meet the two year study requirement, applicants will have to complete one or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications for award by an Australian educational institute as a result of a course or courses that are:
- Registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS);
- Completed as a result of at least two academic years’ study (fully equivalent) or completed in a total of no less than 16 calendar months that the applicant studied in Australia, while holding a visa that allowed study for which 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:
Master’s degree by research or a Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years study in a relevant field. 10 Points
The postgraduate degree by research (doctorate or masters) must be awarded from an Australian education institution after at least two academic years of study in the following science, technology, engineering, mathematics or specified information and communication technology [ICT] fields:
CREDENTIALLED COMMUNITY LANGUAGE:
Those accredited as a professional Interpreter [level 3] by the NAATI in a community language 5 points
NAATI is the National accreditation Authority of Translators and Interpreters
Although an applicant may be extremely fluent in a community language from their upbringing and school and university education, unless they pass the required NAATI test they will not be awarded these points. DIAC lists all the community languages on the program.
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 the award of points your educational qualification:
- have been obtained while you lived in, and studied at a campus in a designated regional area
- not include study undertaken by distance education
PARTNER SKILLS:
Your spouse must also be an applicant for this visa and meet age, English and skill criteria 10 Points
For you to be eligible for the award of these points your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen. Additionally, you will need to provide evidence that when you were invited to apply for this visa that they:
- were under 45 years old
- had competent English
- had nominated a skilled occupation that is on the same skilled occupation list as your nominated skilled 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 491 visa 15 Points
or
You were sponsored by an Eligible Relative for a 491 visa 15 Points
You were nominated by a State or Territory government agency for 190 visa. 5 Points