As many people know, the last financial year was a golden window for offshore skilled migration. Plenty of occupations — such as marketing, advertising, human resources, finance, hotel management, graphic designer, private tutor, journalist, copywriter, civil engineering draftsperson, business analyst and lawyer — successfully migrated to Australia!

Many people feel they are too old, can’t score high enough in English, and have a family to support back home — so migration seems out of reach. In reality, the requirements for these occupations to obtain PR are not that high. With a relevant qualification, you generally only need one year of work experience to complete a skills assessment, then meet Australia’s basic skilled-migration age and English requirements, and reach the minimum EOI score of 65 points — and you have a real chance of getting across the line.

Points-based system

EOI: 65-point threshold

If we look at the current skilled-migration points table, reaching the baseline 65 points is actually quite achievable. The points-based PR pathways fall into three visa types:

Subclass 189 / Skilled Independent visa: PR in a single step. Offshore applications are highly competitive, the invited occupation list is narrower, and it’s anyone’s guess when the next big invitation round will be.

Subclass 190 / Skilled Nominated visa: State-nominated PR. A wide range of occupations. Best suited to applicants who can achieve high English scores and have several years of relevant work experience. It is the most popular PR pathway among offshore applicants. Reaching 65 points is not difficult: for example, an applicant aged 33–39 (25 points) + PTE 79+ in English (10 points) + 5–8 years of relevant work experience (10 points) + a bachelor’s degree (15 points) + state nomination (5 points) = 65 points. However, for most occupations and most streams it is hard to be invited on 65 points alone.

Subclass 491 / Skilled Work Regional visa: Regional state-nominated PR. A wide range of occupations. Best suited to older applicants who would rather not chase high scores and who genuinely want to live in Australia. The three-year income requirement for moving from the Subclass 491 to the Subclass 191 permanent visa has now been removed — meaning you can obtain PR simply by living in a regional area for three years. This is now the route of choice for many who don’t want to compete on points.

Reaching 65 points is relatively straightforward: for example, an applicant aged 40–44 (15 points) + PTE 79+ in English (10 points) + 8–10 years of relevant work experience (15 points) + a bachelor’s degree (10 points) + regional nomination (15 points) = 65 points.

Who is this for

Who is suited to skilled migration and settling in Australia?

1. Older professionals who have hit a ceiling in their careers at home and want a change of environment to keep growing.

2. People who want to stay at home for now and see Australian PR simply as giving their future self an extra option.

3. Parents who already have children and want to give the next generation a better living and education environment.

4. People who would like to migrate overseas but don’t have a large budget.

Offshore-friendly

state nomination

So, for offshore skilled migration through the Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 state-nominated PR visas, which states are currently the most welcoming to offshore applicants?

NSW and VIC — Subclass 190 and 491

New South Wales and Victoria performed exceptionally well in the last financial year. For most occupations where a skills assessment can be completed, applicants who met the requirements with a slightly higher score were generally invited. For offshore skilled migration, nominations from these two states are essentially a must-lodge. These two states have the lowest requirements for offshore applicants — you can lodge as long as you meet the basic skilled-migration criteria — and because they have the most places, they also offer the most opportunities.But low barriers, combined with their popularity as places to settle, also mean fierce competition.

This financial year is unlikely to change much, so anyone hoping to migrate to Australia should first complete their skills assessment, then work to push their English score as high as possible to earn extra points — that way your chances of success are far greater!

Canberra (ACT) — Subclass 190 and 491

Offshore skilled migration to Canberra is currently one of the hottest pathways. On 14 July 2023, the ACT released its first Matrix invitation round for the 2023–24 financial year. Canberra again invited a wave of offshore skilled migrants this round. See the chart below for the specific occupations and scores. These are Canberra Matrix scores. The ACT scoring table is also shown below, so anyone interested can work out their own score.Broadly speaking, most offshore Subclass 190 occupations were invited at 65–75 points, and most offshore Subclass 491 occupations at 55–60 points.

The Northern Territory MINT programme

If you feel your English foundation isn’t strong, your work experience is limited, and you’d rather not compete with others on points, you can also consider the Northern Territory MINT programme. The NT MINT programme is a small-scale investment-migration programme jointly launched by the Darwin Innovation Hub and Paspalis Asset Management, with special support from the Northern Territory Government. The NT MINT programme is also a form of skilled migration, with applicants ultimately granted a Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa.The MINT programme is also currently the fastest and most reliable Australian migration route: as long as you meet the basic skilled-migration criteria, you can generally obtain state nomination within about 3 months and Australian PR within 6–9 months!

Internal Auditor — MINT 190

Marketing Specialist — MINT 190

Program Administrator — MINT 190

Financial Investment Adviser — MINT 190

Civil Engineering — MINT 190

Property Manager — MINT 491

Contract Administrator — MINT 491

This programme does not accept individual applications — it must be lodged by an official Northern Territory Panel Agent. Newstarsec’s Brisbane and Beijing principal and MARA-registered migration agent, Simon WU (MARN: 1175577), has been a Panel Agent for the MINT programme since its earliest days.

If you’re interested in any of these three offshore skilled-migration pathways to Australia, scan the QR code below to reach our assistant, who can arrange a free migration assessment for you. For a modest investment of money and time, giving yourself — and your children — an extra life option is well worth it. With Australian migration, simply making up your mind to try is already half the battle!

Past articles worth revisiting

Offshore applicants aged 35–44: the shortcut state nomination to secure a 491 while aiming for a 190!

Visitor visa hit with a template refusal — can it be saved? If a DIY application for your parents is refused, can you reapply?

The Working Holiday Visa migration plan → low tuition fees + low entry requirements + a skills assessment with no work experience + strong job prospects!

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The Golden Window for Offshore Skilled Migration — Miss It and Who Knows How Many Years You’ll Wait! Three Australian PR Pathways with Lower Cost, Less Time and High Success Rates! Give Yourself and Your Children More Options for the Future!

Offshore applicants aged 35–44: the shortcut state nomination to secure a 491 while aiming for a 190!

Visitor visa hit with a template refusal — can it be saved? If a DIY application for your parents is refused, can you reapply?

The Working Holiday Visa migration plan → low tuition fees + low entry requirements + a skills assessment with no work experience + strong job prospects!

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