Time flies — and here we are in 2023. Australia remains one of the world’s most sought-after and liveable migration destinations.

After more than three years of pandemic-related stagnation, Australia’s points-tested skilled migration programme has entered a boom period in the 2022–23 financial year. Quotas have increased significantly, policies have become more favourable, and invitation scores from both the federal government and individual states have been falling steadily — reigniting the Australia migration dreams of many who previously fell short on age, work experience, or points.

Common Questions About Australian Skilled Migration

First-time enquirers about Australian skilled migration typically ask:

1. What is Australia’s points-tested skilled migration system, and which pathways are available? Am I eligible?

2. What are the requirements for Australian skilled migration?

3. What is the EOI points system and how are points calculated?

4. Is there an English language requirement? How many points do I need to have a real chance?

In this article, I will draw on years of consulting experience to answer each of these questions.

Australia’s Points-Tested Skilled Migration Pathways:

Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa (Skilled Independent Visa) — also known as the points-tested stream visa. It can be applied for from onshore or offshore. A successful application grants permanent residency, allowing you to live anywhere in Australia.

Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa,like the Subclass 189, this is a permanent residency visa. Applicants must obtain a state nomination for Subclass 190 before they can apply. Requirements differ by state — each has its own nomination list and invitation rules. The Subclass 190 grants permanent residency outright and attracts a 5-point bonus on the EOI points test.

Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional Visa,which officially replaced the Subclass 489 on 17 November 2019. The Subclass 491 is a 5-year temporary skilled regional visa that attracts a 15-point bonus on the EOI points test.After living and working regionally for three years on the Subclass 491 and meeting the income threshold (previously provisionally set at $53,900, subject to adjustment), holders can apply for permanent residency.

Many people worry that regional areas are unsuitable for living or working. In fact, “regional” simply refers to areas with slower population growth. Currently, everywhere outside central Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane counts as regional — includinggreater Brisbane (a 30-minute drive from the city centre), the capital Canberra, Perth in Western Australia, Adelaide in South Australia, and popular destinations such as the Gold Coast, Wollongong, and Newcastle.

Process and Requirements for Points-Tested Skilled Migration

Process:

1. Complete a skills assessment for your intended nominated occupation.

2. Plan your migration pathway and submit an EOI for the appropriate visa subclass (189, 190, 491, etc.).

3. Once invited, lodge your visa application within 60 days.

Core Requirements:

1. The primary applicant must be under 45 years of age.

2. Complete an Australian skills assessment with the occupation appearing on the relevant occupation list for the chosen pathway.

3. Meet the minimum English language requirement equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band — this is the minimum for both federal skilled migration and state-nominated migration (equivalent PTE/TOEFL scores are accepted).

4. Score at least 65 EOI points for Subclass 189; at least 60 base EOI points for Subclass 190; at least 50 base EOI points for Subclass 491, in order to submit an EOI.

Skills Assessment and Occupation List:

A common question I receive is: which points-tested migration pathway can my occupation qualify for? You can check this on the Department of Home Affairs website, where you will also find your occupation’s ANZSCO code, the visa subclasses it is eligible for, and which occupation list it appears on.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list

There are currently three occupation lists for Australian skilled migration, covering the vast majority of occupations in the labour market — from management and professional roles through to trades.

These are the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL).

STSOL: eligible for Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 only.

MLTSSL: eligible for Subclass 189, Subclass 190, and Subclass 491.

ROL: eligible for Subclass 491 only.

A skills assessment is the essential first step in Australia’s points-tested skilled migration process — without a positive assessment, you cannot apply.Applicants must compare their academic qualifications and work experience against the requirements of the nominated occupation in Australia, demonstrating that their skills meet or exceed the local standard.

Commonly used assessing authorities include: ACS (for computing), CA ANZ, CPA Australia, and IPA (for accounting occupations), Engineers Australia (EA), and VETASSESS (for a wide range of general occupations), among others.

If you would like to find out which occupation’s skills assessment applies to you, or whether your occupation appears on the migration occupation lists, please get in touch — we are happy to carry out a further assessment for you.

Finally, let me share an overview ofthe three pathways under Australia’s points-tested migration system, along with the current invitation outcomes for each pathway.

Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age.

2. English language equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band.

3. Positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation.

4. Occupation must appear on the Subclass 189 occupation list.

5. EOI points score of at least 65.

Subclass 189 Invitation Rounds:

Three rounds have been held so far: August — 12,200 invitations; October — 11,982 invitations; December — 35,000 invitations.

The minimum scores across these invitation rounds are as follows:

IT / Technology

Software Engineer 85, Software Developer 85, Business Analyst 85

Information Security Specialist 85, Systems Analyst 85

Engineering

Architect 65, Telecommunications Engineer 85, Mechanical Engineer 65, Engineering Technologist 90, Civil Engineer 65, Chemical Engineer 65, Telecommunications Network Planner 65

Accounting

Actuary 65, Accountant (General) 85, External Auditor 65

Medical and Other

Secondary School Teacher 65, Early Childhood (Pre-Primary) Teacher 65, Registered Nurse 65, Cook 65, University Lecturer 65, Valuer 65, Physicist 65

190&Subclass 190 & 491 — State Nominated

Subclass 190/491 State-Nominated Skilled Migration — Eligibility Requirements:

1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age.

2. English language equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band.

3. Positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation.

4. Occupation must appear on the Subclass 190/491 occupation list.

5. EOI points score of at least 65.

6. Unlike the Subclass 189, state-nominated migration via Subclass 190 and 491varies by state. Below I outline the requirements for Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, and the ACT (Canberra).

1. Victoria (Melbourne)

Available to both onshore and offshore applicants:

The Subclass 190 state nomination requirements align with federal requirements — no additional points or work experience are required.

For Subclass 491, onshore applicants must hold employment in their nominated occupation in a regional area of Victoria; offshore applicants are not subject to this requirement, with healthcare, social work, and education occupations prioritised.

Victoria will continue to use the ROI (Registration of Interest) selection and invitation mechanism (ROI registration closes: May 2023).

Application Process:

First, submit your EOI to obtain an EOI number, then register an ROI. The state government will then issue a preliminary invitation based on your application. Once you receive the preliminary invitation, you can apply for the state nomination. After receiving the government nomination, you can lodge the visa application.

Victoria — Minimum Invitation Scores:

Subclass 190: Accountant 75+5, Early Childhood Teacher 70+5, Nurse 75+5, Secondary Teacher 60+5, Engineering (Chemical/Mechanical/Civil/Electrical) 75+5, Retail Pharmacist 75+5, ICT Business Analyst 90+5, Software Engineer 75+5

2. New South Wales (Sydney)

Both onshore and offshore applicants can apply for Subclass 190/491 skilled migration. Key points:

Subclass 190 Residency Requirements:

Onshore applicants must have resided in NSW for 6 months; offshore applicants must have resided overseas for 6 months. Work experience has no specific requirement; other conditions align with the Department of Home Affairs, with the nominated occupation appearing on the NSW occupation list.

The Subclass 491 regional state nomination in NSW has the following pathways:

Direct RDA application (Category A) — Pathway 1 Stream A (currently must be in NSW)

Direct RDA application (Category B) — Pathway 1 Stream B (additional work experience and points requirements)

Direct NSW SNSWDP application — Pathway 2 (occupation must be on the Pathway 2 occupation list)

NSW — Minimum Invitation Scores:

Subclass 190: Accountant 100+5, Early Childhood Teacher 75+5, Nurse 80+5, Secondary Teacher 80+5, Quantity Surveyor 90+5

3. South Australia (Adelaide)

South Australia’s state government skilled nomination has six categories:

Australian Graduate stream

SA Work stream

SA Regional stream

SA Long-term Resident stream

Highly Skilled and Elite stream

The offshore applicant category is now open. There is no work experience requirement for any occupation — applicants with an EOI score of 65 or above can submit an SA Subclass 491 application!

Recent Invitations:

Invited 20 Dec 2022 — Occupation: Landscape Architect

Invited 7 Dec 2022 — Occupation: Accountant (General), onshore

Visa granted 9 Dec 2022 — Occupation: Civil Engineer, onshore

Invited 16 Nov 2022 — Occupation: Taxation Accountant, onshore — Subclass 491

Invited 16 Nov 2022 — Occupation: Accountant (General), onshore — Subclass 491

Invited 17 Nov 2022 — Occupation: Management Accountant, onshore — Subclass 491

4. Western Australia — State Nomination (Perth)

WA Subclass 190/491 state nominations are divided into three main categories:

1. General WASMOL Schedule 1 (available to both onshore and offshore applicants)

2. General WASMOL Schedule 2 (available to both onshore and offshore applicants)

3. Graduate category (for graduates who studied in WA for 2 years)

WASMOL Schedule 2 applies to most onshore and offshore applicants who did not graduate from WA.For Subclass 190, the only requirement is a six-month job offer in WA in the nominated occupation. For Subclass 491, there are no work-related hard requirements at all. Applicants relocating from other states have a real chance of receiving an invitation within a short timeframe.

WA — Subclass 190 Minimum Invitation Scores:

General Stream Schedule 1 is primarily for health-related occupations. In the current round, the vast majority of invitations went to offshore applicants, with most occupations requiring only 65–75 EOI points.

General Stream shc2

Accounting / Taxation Accountant / Management Accountant require only 70+5 — very generous compared with other states. Most IT occupations are invited at 75+5, while engineering occupations including Quantity Surveyor, Chemical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Electrical/Electronic Engineer, and Mechanical Engineer all sit at 70+5.

Graduate stream scores are even lower: Accountant 70+5, Computer Network and Systems Engineer 60+5

, Café or Restaurant Manager 60+5, Cook 75+5, Civil Engineer 70+5, Mechanical Engineer 80+5, External Auditor 60+5

5. Queensland (Brisbane)

Queensland’s Department of Home Affairs announced on 15 August 2022 that the state’s Subclass 190/491 nomination programme for the 2022–23 financial year would open on 16 August. In the new financial year, Queensland is open to both onshore and offshore applicants!

Applications are divided into four categories based on the applicant’s background: Queensland Graduate, Queensland Onshore, Offshore, and Queensland Regional Small Business Owner — with the Small Business Subclass 491 pathway given priority invitations.

Queensland Invitation Data

Software Developer 95+5, and others.

Queensland quota usage as at end of November 2022:

Subclass 190 state nominations issued: 617; Subclass 491 regional nominations issued: 364

6. Canberra (ACT)

Unlike other states, the ACT government introduced its own unique invitation scoring system in late November 2018,known as the Canberra Matrix, used to select strong applicants who meet the ACT’s specific requirements.

ACT state nominations are divided into the following categories:

ACT 190 — Offshore Applicant stream

ACT 190 — Canberra Resident stream

ACT 491 — Offshore Applicant stream

ACT 491 — Canberra Resident stream

Canberra uses the Matrix scoring table. Minimum invitation scores are as follows:

Subclass 190:

Most IT occupations — e.g., Software Developer (onshore 110, offshore 85), Test Analyst (onshore 100, offshore 75), ICT Security Specialist (onshore 100, offshore 75), Multimedia Specialist (onshore 100)

Most engineering occupations — e.g., Civil Engineer (onshore 95, offshore 80), Electrical Engineer (onshore 85, offshore 80), Mechanical Engineer (onshore 95, offshore 80)

If you have long been considering Australian skilled migration, and you are hoping to make the most of this current boom period to secure your permanent residency, please get in touch — we are here to help you obtain your Australian PR as efficiently as possible.

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