Background and Progress of Australia’s 2026 Skilled Migration Points Reform
A busy week — plenty of people have been asking about the points-test reform, so here are a few of my own modest observations. On the 29th of last month the Department released more than 200 submissions. Public consultation actually opened back in April 2024, so we’re almost two years in, and the Department’s decision to publish the submissions it received may, to some extent, signal that the points-test reform is entering its formal public phase.
First, a look at the direction the consultation paper signals for the new points test
- More strongly reward applicants who can secure skilled employment in Australia
- Better target the skills Australia needs now and into the future
- Younger migrants to help Australia respond to population ageing
- Greater recognition of the potential contribution of secondary applicants
- A reform transition that balances fairness and certainty
- Regular review
Below are the more representative proposals, or those that drew broader support (from state skills-assessing authorities, think tanks such as the Grant Institute, and similar bodies)
- Agreement that age points should shift to a tiered structure
- Partner points should include qualifications, with additional credit for Australian qualifications
- Lift the English-language threshold — the current four 6s is seen as too low; stronger language proficiency could attract more bonus points
- More granular points for qualifications, with no additional points for STEM
- Lower the years-of-experience requirement for work-experience points, and no longer distinguish between overseas and onshore work experience
- Extra points for currently holding a job, no support for a job-offer points category, and opposition to a purely high-salary-wins model
- Sharp disagreement on how the occupation list should change
- A tiered regional-points system — more remote areas should attract more points
- On PY points, state governments are mostly neutral or lean toward removal, while skills-assessing authorities unanimously back retention
- A properly managed transition buffer period
See figures 2–7 for details
Predicted Points Mechanism and Implementation Timing
Overall, I lean toward expecting the age-points mechanism to mirror the Canadian model. As MIA has suggested, a full-points band from 25–35, with one point deducted for each additional year of age beyond that, would make the drop-off in age points much smoother. It also fits Australia’s current preference for skilled talent with substantial work experience, and avoids an over-reliance on youth alone.
On work experience
The weighting on Australian local experience is expected to increase further — after all, employment should be one of the most important considerations in skilled migration. Regional-area points, PY and NAATI remain the three most contested items. I think regional points are very likely to stay, but the definition of which regions qualify may be redrawn. For PY and NAATI, support is clearly weaker (other than from the skills-assessing authorities).
As for implementation timing
I don’t think it’s far off. Every stakeholder has stressed the need for a clear, well-defined transition. MIA, for example, has proposed publishing the final package 6–12 months before implementation, giving applicants at least a six-month buffer and giving all relevant bodies time to adjust. My personal view is that if the package is announced in the first half of this year, the likelihood of it landing on 1 July of the new financial year is high. Of everything in the Strategy’s reform agenda, this is essentially the last major piece still waiting to be implemented (see figure 8).
