Features
This points-based visa is for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer, a state or territory, or a family member. A visa holder can live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. Certain family members can be included in the application.
submit an Expression of Interest have an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list have a suitable skills assessment for that occupation be less than 50 years of age when the invitation is issued meet the English language requirements be able to score at least 60 on the points test.
Before applying
Basic requirements
There are basic requirements you must meet to apply for this visa. You must:
be invited to apply be younger than 50 years of age when you are invited to apply
nominate an occupation that matches your skills and qualifications and is on the relevant skilled occupation list have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation have at least competent English score at least 60 on the points test meet the health and character requirements.
More information
See Booklet 6 for more information.
Applying
Any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English translation that has been done by a translator who has been accredited by an organisation such as National Accreditation Authority for Translations and Interpreters (NAATI). Translations done by a translator not accredited by NAATI must include that person's full name, address, telephone number, and details of their qualifications and experience in the language being translated. All supporting documents should be scanned and uploaded with your application. The department will notify you if they need more information and/or documentation.
your partner your or your partner's dependent child your or your partner's dependent relative.
These family members must meet certain requirements. See Including dependent family members in your application and proof of dependency for details.
After applying
Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which the department considers applications regardless of when they have been lodged. After you have lodged a valid visa application, you will receive a letter of acknowledgement. Your application will be allocated to a case officer and be assessed according to the priority processing arrangements. You will be informed that you have a case officer and be provided with an email address for all future correspondence. The department may make a decision on your application, based on the information you provide. They may also request additional documentation. Any requested documents must be attached online. If you lodged an application for this visa and a case officer has not told you that processing has begun, refer to the current allocation dates.
Provide biometrics
You may be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of your application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.
Report changes
The department needs to know, as soon as possible and in writing, about changes in circumstances that may affect the processing of your application such as:
you get a new passport you want to add or change the person authorised to act on your behalf in connection with the application a birth or death in your family (a newborn child can be added to an application after it has been lodged but before a decision has been made) you want to add a dependent family member to your application before a visa is granted you and/or your dependent family members intend to travel to and from Australia while the application is being processed.
visa grant number visa conditions (including a specified initial entry date) details of what you must do next.
If your visa application is not approved, the department will send you a letter stating:
why the visa was not approved your review rights, if any a time frame for lodging an appeal, if applicable.
Visa holders
Enter Australia
If you are outside Australia when this visa is granted, the department will specify the date by which you must enter Australia.
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:
live and work permanently in Australia study in Australia enrol in Medicare, Australias scheme for health-related care and expenses access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods) apply for Australian citizenship (subject to residency criteria) sponsor family members for permanent residence.
Points
Factor 1824 (inclusive) 2532 (inclusive) Age at time of invitation 3339 (inclusive) 4044 (inclusive) 4549 (inclusive)
Description
Points 25 30 25 15 0 0 10 20
Competent EnglishIELTS 6 / OET B English language ability at time of invitation Proficient EnglishIELTS 7 / OET B Superior EnglishIELTS 8 / OET A Skilled employment at time of invitation Only 20 points can be awarded for any combination of overseas and Australian skilled employment Overseas employment in nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation Australian employment in nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation Educational qualifications at time of invitation Skilled employment outside Australia
At least three but less than five years (of past 10 years) 5 At least five but less than eight years (of past 10 years) 10 15 At least eight and up to 10 years (of past 10 years)
Skilled employment in Australia At least one but less than three years (of past 10 years) At least three but less than five years (of past 10 years) At least five but less than eight years (of past 10 years) At least eight and up to 10 years (of past 10 years)
5 10 15 20
At least a Bachelor degree, including a Bachelor degree with Honours or Masters, from an Australian 15 educational institution or other degree of a recognised standard Diploma or trade qualification completed in Australia, 10 or qualification or award of recognised standard Australian study requirements at time of invitation One or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications awarded by an Australian educational institution and 5 meet the Australian Study Requirement Credentialled community language qualifications 5
Study in regional Australia or a low population growth 5 metropolitan area (excluding distance education Partner skill qualifications 5
Professional Year in Australia for at least 12 months in 5 the four years before the day you were invited Nomination by state or territory government (visa subclass 190 only) Nomination/sponsorship at time of invitation 5
Nomination by state or territory government or sponsorship by an eligible family member, to reside 10 and work in a specified/designated area (visa subclass 489 only)
Age
You can receive up to 30 points based on the age you were on the day you were invited to apply. The table below sets out the points available.
Points Age 25 30 25 15 18 24 25 32 33 39 40 44
45 49
Level of English
Points
You must provide one of the following:
Evidence required
Superior
20
an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least 8 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing evidence you have taken a language test and attained a score as specified by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.
Proficient
10
an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least 7 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing evidence you have taken a language test and attained a score as specified by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.
Competent
evidence that you hold a passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least 6 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing evidence that you have taken a language test and attained a score as
Points 5 10 15
Evidence required Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for one year Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for five years Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for eight years
Points 5 10 15 20
Evidence required Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for one year Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for three years Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for five years Documents that prove you have worked in skilled employed for eight years
Educational qualifications
You can receive up to 20 points based on your educational qualifications at the time you were invited to apply. Points can be awarded for only one of your recognised qualifications. For example, if you have completed a Bachelor degree and a Doctorate degree, you can receive points for the Doctorate degree only.
To receive points for a Masters degree, you must also have a Bachelor degree, or the Masters degree must be considered as at least comparable to Bachelor level at Australian standards. The authority that conducts your skills assessment will determine whether any qualifications earned outside Australia are of a standard that is comparable to the relevant Australian qualification. You may be able to receive points for a qualification that is not related to your nominated occupation. If the authority that conducts your skills assessment cannot give you an opinion about this qualification, contact Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services. The table below sets out the points available and the evidence you must provide with your application. The documents you provide to the department will be the same documents you provide to the assessing authority.
Points 20 15 10 10
Evidence required Documents that prove you have a Doctorate degree Documents that prove you have at least a Bachelor degree (including a Bachelor degree with Honours or Masters) Documents that prove you have an Australian Diploma or trade qualification Documents that prove you have an award or qualification recognised by the assessing authority in the assessment of the skilled occupation
You should check with your assessing authority about documents that have to be provided to them to enable them to provide an opinion about qualifications and/or skilled employment. You must provide the department with copies of all the documents that you provide to assessing authorities.
be registered through the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students (CRICOS) have been successfully completed have resulted in you receiving a degree, diploma or trade qualification have been completed in a total of at least 16 calendar months have been completed as a result of at least two academic years of study have had all instruction in English have been completed while you were physically in Australia have been completed while you held a visa authorising you to study in Australia be counted only once towards the Australian study requirement. Any failed course subject cannot be counted towards the Australian Study Requirement
Two academic years of study is defined as 92 weeks of study in a course or courses registered by CRICOS. CRICOS determines a standard duration (number of weeks) for each course.
You can take longer to complete course work, but you will be credited with the number of weeks that CRICOS determines as a standard duration. For example, if it takes you 92 weeks to successfully complete a course that CRICOS says should take 78 weeks, you will receive credit for 78 weeks only. If you are given credit for prior learning, you may be exempt from taking a relevant course. An exempted course cannot be counted towards the Australian study requirement. Credit cannot be counted on the basis of study undertaken either overseas or within Australia in a non- CRICOS registered course. If you fall short of the 92 weeks of study because of an exemption, you have several options. You can:
ask the university to rescind the exemption so you can take the course complete a different course (such as an elective) that is at the same level as the exempted course (or higher) and which the educational institution says is appropriate to the qualification complete an additional qualification that is closely related to the occupation you nominate on your application. An additional qualification must have a standard duration that takes you up to 92 weeks of academic study. The table below sets out the points available and the evidence you must provide with your application.
certified copy of completion letter from your educational institution, including: o the date the course commenced and ended o the date course requirements were met o the location of campus where you studied o whether the study involved any distance learning o the language in which instruction was given. certified copies of course transcripts.
Points
Evidence required
You must provide evidence that you lived and studied in regional Australia or a low population growth metropolitan area. This evidence can be items such as:
documents, such as rental agreements and gas, power and telephone bills, that prove where you lived documents, such as your academic transcript or a letter from the educational institution you attended, that prove where you studied.
Points
Evidence required
You must provide evidence that your partner meets the requirements. This evidence must be:
documents that prove your partner is 50 years of age or younger documents that prove your partner has at least competent English a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your partners nominated occupation (your partners nominated occupation must be on the same Skilled Occupation List as your nominated occupation).
documents that prove your partner met the Australian study requirement in the six months before applying documents that prove your partner was employed, for at least 12 of the 24 months before applying, in a skilled occupation that is on the same Skilled Occupation List as your nominated occupation.
Partner Skills
You can receive five points if your partner meets requirements at the time you are invited to apply relating to:
age English language ability a suitable skills assessment in a nominated occupation on the same Skilled Occupation List used for your application.
You cannot receive these points if your partner is not included on your visa application, or if they are an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
Points 5
Evidence required Documents that prove you spent 12 months in a Professional Year in Australia in the four years before you are invited to apply
Your Professional Year course must have been in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. The course must have lasted for a period totalling at least 12 months. Qualifying Professional Year courses are offered by:
Australian Computer Society CPA Australia Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia Institute of Public Accountants (formerly National Institute of Accountants) Engineers Australia