The Australia Points-Based Skilled Migration System

Overview of Australian Immigration controls

The purpose of the points test mechanism is to help Australia select those skilled migrants who offer the best in terms of economic benefit to Australia. The system is designed wholly for the benefit of the Australian economy.

The most popular skilled options

The key sub-classes under the points-based skilled migration category are available to independent (un-sponsored) applicants, applicants. These include the 189, 190 and 491 streams. The 190 and 491 are nominated by a state or territory.

Section 93 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) provides the Minister with the power to prescribe points for a range of factors through regulations. Points are awarded for the following factors:

• Age;
• English language ability;
• Number of years of skilled employment in the past ten years within or outside Australia;
• Level of educational qualifications;
• Qualifications obtained from Australian educational institutions;
• Other factors, such as community language qualifications, study in regional Australia or a low-population-growth metropolitan area, partner skill qualifications, and Professional Year in Australia; and
• Nomination by a state or territory government or sponsorship by an eligible family member (relevant visas only).

To be eligible, you must have a skill in demand and listed on a skilled occupation list.

The current pass mark

To be eligible to apply for a visa, the current pass mark is sixty-five points.

Apart from passing the points test and nominating a skilled occupation from the MLTSSL, there are basic eligibility requirements that must be met: you must be under forty-five years of age, have at least competent English, and meet the health and character requirements.

These visas can include your family members.

Only file a winning case

Being invited to apply

After submitting an EOI, your case will be ranked against other intending applicants and you might be invited to apply for a permanent visa if you are deemed to the best candidate available.

If you are successful, Invitations are issued regularly through an automated system. If you are not successful, your application will be removed from the EOI pool after two years.

Just like applying for a job

Just like an employer Australia only invites the best candidates to join them. Unlike most employers, Australia receives over 30,000 applications globally per day.

The skills assessment is used by the Australian Govt. to determine which applicants are of the highest calibre.

Securing your invitation could depend on the outcome of your assessment and needs to include those elements an Australian Immigration Official will want to see.

The skills assessment is an important part of any case, but not the only factor to consider when applying.

Your points can change

The most frequent issue we see is where people have miss-calculated their points or trusted an online calculator and submitted an EOI believing they have fewer points than they do. In other cases, points need to be deducted as they were overestimated.

The Immigration Officer must be persuaded by the case and supporting documentary evidence to award points to an applicant.

Every case is unique, only after reviewing all the documents in a case can we evaluate its merits accurately, to do this correctly we rely on experts with over 20 years experience in Australian immigration law.

Points are awarded based on the evidence, not on what is initially entered into an online calculator. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or simple answers as this is a legal case in a foreign jurisdiction, designed to select only those candidates Australia wants to invite.

Tempus fugit

18 to 25 is a little young to secure maximum points for age, but by the time you reach 33 you are starting to lose points for being too old.

There is no better time to apply than right now - unless you are under 25 years old!

By the time you reach 45 years you are too old and would need to look at investor visa options or other visa classes to follow your dreams.

Ever took a driving test?

The English test is similar as it requires a prescribed methodology which is not required in day to day use of language.

Some people re-sit their test twice or even 3 times.

In our experience, however, most people do eventually pass their English test.

The fact you decided to read this website in English is a strong indicator that you will be fine!

Even if that means a re-sit is required.

Protecting the public purse

There is nothing more important to Australia than protecting the public purse.

Australia screen all potential migrants to ensure they do not have a medical condition that will exceed the personal budget set by social services for health care.

If you or a family member have a medical condition that would be an excessive burden to the Australian public purse it could ruin your chances of emigrating.

Australia has received a great deal of criticism over their hard-line approach on this matter, however, there are no plans to amend the policy.

Criminal records

There are new powers to refuse those with previous convictions for domestic abuse and violence against women.

While other offences are also red flags to the Australian Immigration department.

If you have a criminal conviction it is important to address this in the correct way to mitigate the impact on your plans.

A minor criminal record, if managed correctly is not a barrier to emigrating.

Only submit a winning case

Historical attempts at securing a visa can result in the refusal of future visas.

Australia can impose a ban on applying for another visa for a period of time, this can range from six months to life.

Never rush into filing a case unless you are confident of success.

Australian immigration law has teeth and rejection can have serious unforeseen consequences.

Skills In Demand in Australia

You can also download a copy on the link below on our page - We hope you find your profession.

Pro & Cons of each Sub-class

Each state has an allocation of skills they will nominate and make matters even more complex, within each state, there are various designated areas who are also able to sponsor skilled migrants. Each with their own qualifying criteria, benefits and restrictions.

Selecting the right option and knowing which documents are required on submission for your situation is critical to successfully emigrating.

It is equally important on arrival so you can pursue your employment goals without being hindered by your choice during the emigration process.