Australia's skilled migration program is built for people whose qualifications, skills and experience are needed here — without necessarily requiring an employer to sponsor you.
The four main pathways below sit within, or alongside, the points-tested General Skilled Migration system. Which one fits depends on your occupation, your points score, whether a state or territory is willing to nominate you, and whether you're prepared to commit to a regional area.
Skilled migration rules move around a fair bit — occupation lists, nomination criteria, invitation rounds and minimum scores are all reviewed regularly, so it's worth getting a current read on your options rather than relying on what applied last year.
Use the visa types below to look at a specific pathway in detail, or read on for information that applies across the skilled program generally.
A permanent, points-tested visa for invited skilled workers that requires no employer, state or family sponsorship.
A permanent, points-tested visa for skilled workers nominated by an Australian state or territory government.
A provisional visa for skilled workers willing to live and work in a designated regional area, with a pathway to permanent residence.
A temporary visa allowing eligible international graduates to live, work and study in Australia after completing their studies.
Your occupation needs to sit on the right skilled occupation list for the visa you're aiming for — and the list can differ between subclasses, with regional pathways sometimes covering a wider range of occupations.
Most applicants need a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for their occupation before they can be invited to apply.
You'll usually need to prove your English level through an approved test or other accepted evidence.
The points-tested visas (189, 190, 491) currently require a minimum of 65 points — though reaching 65 is the floor, not a guarantee, since invitations depend on how many places are available and how competitive other applicants in your occupation are.
An EOI goes through SkillSelect. It's free, it isn't a visa application, and you can update it later if your circumstances or points change.
If you're selected, you'll be invited to apply. Scores and requirements needed to actually get invited vary by occupation, state and how many places remain in that program year.
Once invited, you generally have 60 days to lodge online, with evidence backing up everything claimed in your EOI.
A skills assessment checks whether your qualifications and work history meet the benchmark for your nominated occupation. The assessing body depends on the occupation — common ones include VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, the Australian Computer Society and Trades Recognition Australia — and the specific evidence required varies significantly between them. A positive assessment is necessary but not sufficient on its own; you'll still need to meet every other requirement of the visa you're applying for.
The Department maintains the lists of occupations eligible for each skilled program, and they do change — an occupation that qualified a couple of years ago isn't guaranteed to still be eligible. I'd recommend checking your occupation and ANZSCO code against the current list before committing to a skilled migration strategy.
Not necessarily. It's the legislated minimum for the 189, 190 and 491 visas, but plenty of popular occupations need a noticeably higher score before an invitation actually comes through, since invitations are handed out competitively within each occupation ceiling rather than simply to anyone who clears the bar.
Your occupation, age, qualifications, English level, work history and Australian circumstances all factor in. Contact me to arrange an assessment of your skilled migration options.
The information on this page is general only and shouldn't be relied on as migration advice for your individual circumstances. Occupation lists, nomination criteria, invitation rounds and points thresholds change. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements or points threshold does not guarantee an invitation or visa grant.
