Australian Migration Points: Calculate a Defensible Skilled Visa Score

Australian Migration Points: Executive Summary

The points-tested skilled migration framework applies principally to:

• Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa;
• Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa;
• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa.

Applicants generally need at least 65 points to enter the selection system.

That figure should be understood as a legal threshold rather than an invitation prediction.

The points test and invitation process answer different questions:

Points test: Can the applicant reach the required score?

Selection: Will the applicant rank strongly enough for federal invitation or state nomination?

What is the Australian skilled migration points test?

The points test allocates points for specified characteristics considered relevant to skilled migration.

These include:

• age;
• English language proficiency;
• overseas skilled employment;
• Australian skilled employment;
• educational qualifications;
• Australian study;
• regional study;
• specialist education;
• professional year;
• credentialled community language;
• partner circumstances;
• state nomination;
• eligible subclass 491 sponsorship.

Not every eligibility requirement gives points

Some matters are essential to the visa pathway without adding points.

Examples include:

• having an eligible nominated occupation;
• holding a suitable skills assessment;
• meeting the required minimum English level;
• being under the relevant age limit at invitation;
• receiving an invitation;
• satisfying health and character criteria.

The points test is not a complete migration assessment

A score does not determine:

• whether the occupation is correct;
• whether the skills assessment is obtainable;
• whether employment evidence is adequate;
• whether subclass 189 invitations are realistic;
• whether a state will nominate;
• whether the visa application will be granted.

Is 65 points enough for Australian skilled migration?

Sixty-five points is the general minimum threshold for the points-tested skilled migration system.

Reaching 65 may allow the applicant to submit or maintain an Expression of Interest for the relevant visa.

It does not guarantee:

• a subclass 189 invitation;
• subclass 190 state nomination;
• subclass 491 state nomination;
• a family-sponsored subclass 491 invitation;
• visa approval.

The threshold is not a waiting-list number

An applicant with 65 points does not simply wait until their turn arrives.

Selection may depend on:

• occupation;
• score;
• date of effect;
• federal invitation priorities;
• state and territory criteria;
• location;
• employment;
• English;
• the size and quality of the competing pool.

The same score has different value in different pathways

A score of 85 may be:

• weak for one subclass 189 occupation;
• competitive for a particular state nomination pathway;
• irrelevant where the applicant does not meet the state’s residence rules;
• stronger for subclass 491 than subclass 190;
• commercially less attractive than employer sponsorship.

Australian skilled migration points table

The following table provides a high-level summary of the points categories commonly applying to subclasses 189, 190 and 491.

This table should be used as a framework rather than a substitute for checking the detailed legal requirements applying to each category.

A person may appear to fit a category while failing one of its underlying technical requirements.

Age points for Australian skilled migration

Age points are generally determined by the applicant’s age at the time of invitation.

The invitation date controls

An applicant may submit an EOI at age 32 with 30 age points.

If the applicant turns 33 before invitation, the age score reduces.

Similarly, an applicant approaching 40 or 45 may face:

• a reduction in points;
• a change in state nomination competitiveness;
• loss of eligibility at the upper age limit;
• an increased need to consider employer-sponsored alternatives.

An EOI does not freeze age

Submitting an EOI before a birthday does not preserve the earlier age score indefinitely.

The EOI should be reviewed as the applicant approaches an age threshold.

Age may affect more than the main applicant

Partner-points eligibility may also depend on the partner being under the relevant age threshold.

English language points

English can contribute:

• 0 points for competent English;
• 10 points for proficient English;
• 20 points for superior English.

Competent English may be required even though it adds no points

This is an example of the difference between:

• meeting a visa requirement; and
• receiving points for exceeding that minimum.

Each component score matters

Applicants often focus on the overall result.

The relevant English category may require minimum results in each test component:

• listening;
• reading;
• writing;
• speaking.

A strong overall score does not cure one component falling below the required benchmark.

Approved tests and equivalencies can change

Different approved tests and transitional arrangements may apply according to when the test was taken.

The current Home Affairs English guidance should be checked before:

• booking a test;
• entering an EOI result;
• relying on an older test;
• accepting an invitation.

Planned scores do not create points

An applicant cannot claim:

• superior English because they expect to achieve it;
• a score from a test that has been booked but not completed;
• a result that has not yet been issued;
• a higher category based on averaging test components.

Read more about English Strategy Australia.

Overseas skilled employment points

Overseas skilled employment may provide:

• 5 points for at least three but less than five years;
• 10 points for at least five but less than eight years;
• 15 points for at least eight years.

The relevant employment is generally considered within the ten-year period before invitation.

Employment must be skilled and relevant

The fact that a person was employed does not automatically mean the period qualifies for points.

The work may need to be:

• in the nominated occupation;
• in a closely related skilled occupation;
• at the required occupational level;
• paid;
• performed for sufficient hours;
• supported by reliable evidence.

Job title alone is not enough

A person may hold a title such as:

• Engineer;
• Manager;
• Analyst;
• Consultant;
• Adviser.

The duties and level may still be:

• administrative;
• technical rather than professional;
• junior;
• sales-focused;
• outside the nominated occupation.

The evidence should prove both employment and occupation

Supporting material may include:

• employment references;
• contracts;
• payslips;
• bank salary records;
• tax documents;
• social insurance or provident-fund records;
• promotion records;
• organisational charts;
• project evidence.

Australian skilled employment points

Australian skilled employment may provide:

• 5 points for at least one but less than three years;
• 10 points for at least three but less than five years;
• 15 points for at least five but less than eight years;
• 20 points for at least eight years.

Australian location does not make every job skilled

The work must still satisfy the occupational and evidence requirements.

Potential issues include:

• employment below the required skill level;
• work outside the nominated occupation;
• insufficient hours;
• unpaid work;
• employment performed in breach of visa conditions;
• self-employment that cannot be properly verified;
• remote work where location and employer arrangements are unclear.

Visa compliance can matter

The applicant should review whether the employment was performed lawfully and consistently with the conditions of the visa held at the time.

Australian and overseas periods are calculated separately

The two categories have different thresholds, but the combined total is subject to an overall cap.

The combined skilled employment-points cap

Australian and overseas skilled employment points can be combined.

However, the total employment-points award is capped at 20 points.

Example

An applicant may calculate:

• 15 points for eight years of overseas employment; and
• 10 points for three years of Australian employment.

The arithmetic total is 25.

The available combined employment points are capped at 20.

More employment does not always increase the score

Once the cap is reached, additional employment may still help:

• state nomination competitiveness;
• employer sponsorship;
• professional credibility;
• specialisation;
• salary and employability.

It may not increase the points total.

Skilled dates and employment deductions

The employment commencement date and the date from which work may count as skilled employment are not always the same.

Why part of the employment history may be excluded

Employment may be excluded because:

• it was completed before the relevant qualification;
• the qualification was not closely related;
• the assessing authority applies a qualifying employment period;
• earlier duties were below the required occupational level;
• the work aligned with another occupation;
• the evidence was inadequate;
• part of the employment was unpaid or insufficient in hours.

The assessing authority’s outcome is important but not the whole decision

An assessing authority may:

• identify a skilled date;
• recognise only specified employment periods;
• apply an employment deduction;
• decline to assess some periods.

The Department ultimately decides whether employment points are legally available, having regard to:

• the skills assessment;
• the occupation;
• the points rules;
• the underlying employment evidence.

A positive assessment does not always equal the points assumed

An applicant may receive a positive occupational assessment while:

• only part of the work history is recognised;
• a later skilled date is applied;
• some employment remains unassessed;
• the Department may still examine the points claim independently.

Read more about Skills Assessment Australia.

Educational qualification points

Qualifications may provide:

• 20 points for an eligible doctorate;
• 15 points for an eligible bachelor degree or higher recognised qualification;
• 10 points for an eligible Australian diploma or trade qualification;
• 10 points for an award or qualification recognised by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for the occupation.

The qualification must be completed

An applicant should not claim qualification points merely because:

• the final semester is underway;
• results are expected soon;
• the graduation ceremony has been scheduled;
• the university has issued a conditional completion letter.

The completion and award position should be established at the relevant time.

Qualification level and occupational relevance are different questions

A qualification may:

• support 15 qualification points;
• be only partly related to the nominated occupation;
• lead to an employment deduction in the skills assessment;
• still affect the overall migration strategy.

More than one qualification does not mean the points are added together

The applicant generally receives the points associated with the highest qualifying category rather than adding every degree, diploma and certificate.

Overseas qualifications may require comparability analysis

The formal title alone may not establish equivalence to an Australian qualification level.

Australian study points

An applicant may receive five points for satisfying the Australian study requirement.

Two academic years is not simply two calendar years

The requirement involves technical criteria concerning matters such as:

• the registered course or courses;
• CRICOS duration;
• completion;
• study in Australia;
• English-language instruction;
• the type of visa held;
• the period and manner of study.

Multiple courses may sometimes be combined

Where more than one qualification is relied on, the relationship between the courses and the formal Australian study rules must be checked.

Online or offshore study may create issues

The applicant should not assume that enrolment in an Australian institution alone satisfies the requirement.

Course completion dates matter

The points should not be claimed before the relevant study requirement has been completed.

Regional study points

An additional five points may be available for eligible study in designated regional Australia.

Regional study points are separate from Australian study points

The applicant generally needs to satisfy the Australian study requirement before considering the additional regional category.

Course location alone may not be enough

Relevant issues can include:

• where the campus was located;
• where the applicant lived during study;
• whether the location was designated regional;
• whether the study was undertaken in person;
• the timing and duration of residence;
• distance or remote-delivery arrangements.

Regional classifications can change

The applicable location framework should be checked against the period in which the study occurred.

Specialist educational qualification points

Ten points may be available for an eligible specialist educational qualification completed in Australia.

Not every postgraduate qualification qualifies

The category is subject to specific requirements concerning matters such as:

• qualification level;
• eligible fields of study;
• Australian completion;
• research or specialist content;
• the institution and course.

Course marketing language is not decisive

A provider may describe a program as:

• specialist;
• advanced;
• research-based;
• STEM-focused.

The legal points criteria must still be satisfied.

Professional year points

Five points may be available for completing an eligible professional year program in Australia.

The program must be recognised for the relevant occupation

Professional-year pathways have traditionally applied in specified professional fields.

The applicant should check:

• the recognised provider;
• the occupation;
• the completion date;
• the period within which the program must have been completed;
• whether all program components were satisfied.

Enrolment is not completion

The points should not be claimed merely because the applicant:

• has started the program;
• has completed classroom components;
• is waiting for the final internship or certificate.

Credentialled community language points

Five points may be available for holding an eligible credential in a community language.

The correct credential matters

Applicants should confirm:

• the credential type;
• the issuing body;
• the language;
• the validity and issue details;
• whether the credential satisfies the points category.

Language ability alone does not create points

Being fluent or a native speaker is not enough without the required recognised credential.

Partner skills and English points

Partner circumstances can produce either five or ten points.

Ten skilled-partner points

The partner may need to satisfy requirements concerning:

• age;
• competent English;
• a suitable skills assessment;
• an eligible nominated occupation;
• inclusion in the same visa application;
• the relationship existing at the relevant time.

Five points for partner English

Where the partner does not satisfy the skilled-partner category, five points may be available if the relevant competent-English criteria are met.

The two partner categories are alternatives

The applicant does not normally add:

• ten skilled-partner points; and
• another five partner-English points

for the same partner.

A positive partner assessment is not enough by itself

The partner may still fail the points category because:

• the occupation is not eligible for the relevant purpose;
• the assessment is the wrong type;
• the assessment is no longer valid;
• the partner is outside the age requirement;
• competent English has not been established;
• the partner will not be included in the application.

Partner circumstances can change while the EOI is active

Changes may include:

• marriage;
• commencement of a de facto relationship;
• separation;
• partner turning 45;
• assessment expiry;
• English expiry;
• the partner obtaining Australian permanent residence or citizenship.

The EOI should be updated where the points position changes.

Points for single applicants and applicants with an Australian partner

Ten points may be available where:

• the applicant is single; or
• the applicant’s spouse or de facto partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

“Single” is a legal relationship position

An applicant should not claim single points merely because:

• the couple live apart;
• the partner will not migrate;
• the relationship is not registered;
• the applicant describes the relationship as informal.

A de facto relationship can affect points even without marriage.

Relationship status must remain accurate

If the applicant enters a marriage or de facto relationship before invitation, the EOI may need to be updated.

Subclass 190 state nomination points

Nomination by a state or territory for subclass 190 provides five points.

The points do not exist before nomination

An applicant may calculate a projected subclass 190 score including the five points.

That does not mean the applicant already holds those points.

The points arise through the actual nomination pathway.

Five points do not create state eligibility

The applicant must still satisfy:

• federal subclass 190 requirements;
• the jurisdiction’s occupation settings;
• state eligibility criteria;
• competitive selection;
• the evidence requirements of the nomination application.

Read more about State Nomination Strategy Australia.

Subclass 491 nomination or family sponsorship points

Subclass 491 nomination or eligible family sponsorship provides 15 points.

State nomination and family sponsorship are separate routes

The applicant may qualify through:

• nomination by a state or territory; or
• sponsorship by an eligible relative living in designated regional Australia.

The 15 points do not cure an unavailable pathway

The additional points do not overcome:

• an unsuitable skills assessment;
• an unavailable occupation;
• failure to meet state criteria;
• an ineligible relative;
• weak federal invitation prospects;
• inability to comply with regional requirements.

Subclass 491 should not be assessed only as a points device

The applicant should consider:

• regional residence;
• regional employment;
• family circumstances;
• future subclass 191 requirements;
• whether the pathway is genuinely sustainable.

When are migration points assessed?

The critical points position is generally the position at the time the applicant is invited to apply.

The EOI score is provisional until tested

SkillSelect gives an indicative score based on the information entered.

After invitation, the applicant must provide evidence supporting the claims.

The applicant must meet the invited score

If invited at 85 points, the issue is not simply whether the applicant can later prove 65 or 80.

The invitation may have depended on the 85-point claim.

Later improvements do not necessarily repair an earlier invitation

An applicant should not assume that a point obtained after invitation can replace a point that was wrongly claimed at invitation.

The timing of each claim matters.

Invitation readiness should exist before invitation

The applicant should already know:

• what evidence supports every category;
• which documents are valid;
• whether the skills assessment supports the employment claim;
• whether partner points remain available;
• whether age and English remain correct.

Read more about Expression of Interest Australia.

How migration points change over time

A points score is not necessarily static while an EOI remains active.

Points may increase because of:

• improved English;
• additional skilled employment;
• completion of a qualification;
• completion of Australian study;
• completion of a professional year;
• obtaining a recognised community-language credential;
• a partner obtaining a suitable assessment or competent English;
• state nomination;
• eligible subclass 491 sponsorship.

Points may decrease because of:

• age;
• relationship changes;
• partner no longer satisfying the points criteria;
• English or assessment validity problems;
• correction of overstated employment;
• loss or withdrawal of nomination;
• documents proving less than originally assumed.

An increase should be based on an achieved event

Do not update the EOI for:

• a test not yet passed;
• a qualification not yet completed;
• employment that has not reached the threshold;
• a partner assessment not yet issued;
• a nomination not yet granted.

SkillSelect score versus defensible migration score

An online calculator or SkillSelect will add the answers entered.

It does not determine whether the answers are correct.

The calculator has not malfunctioned.

It has correctly added the information entered.

The problem is that the underlying assumptions were wrong.

Migration points versus invitation competitiveness

A defensible points score establishes where the applicant stands within the legal points framework.

It does not answer whether the applicant will be selected.

Subclass 189 competitiveness

Relevant factors may include:

• occupation;
• invitation rounds;
• federal priorities;
• the score of competing applicants;
• the EOI date of effect.

Subclass 190 competitiveness

A state may consider:

• occupation priority;
• location;
• employment;
• salary;
• English;
• experience;
• state connection;
• nomination allocation.

Subclass 491 competitiveness

The pathway may depend on:

• regional occupation demand;
• state criteria;
• regional employment or residence;
• eligible family sponsorship;
• federal invitation settings.

Two applicants with the same score may have different outcomes

For example:

• one may hold a priority health occupation;
• another may hold a heavily oversupplied business occupation;
• one may work locally in a state priority sector;
• another may be offshore with no state pathway;
• one may have superior English;
• another may reach the same total through less strategically valuable categories.

Read more about Eligibility versus Competitiveness in Australian Migration.

What I see in Australian migration points matters

The calculator is treated as legal advice

An applicant enters:

• eight years of work;
• superior English;
• skilled partner points;
• state nomination.

The calculator produces 95 points.

No one has yet checked:

• the skilled date;
• the test components;
• the partner occupation;
• whether nomination exists.

The applicant counts employment from the first day of the job

The role started eight years ago.

The applicant assumes 15 overseas employment points.

The assessment outcome or evidence supports only five years at the required skilled level.

The defensible claim may be 10 points.

Every job in the same industry is treated as closely related

An ICT professional may combine:

• customer support;
• network administration;
• business analysis;
• project coordination.

Those roles do not automatically form one continuous period in the nominated occupation.

Part-time and overlapping work are inflated

An applicant may work:

• 20 hours per week for one employer;
• 20 hours per week for another employer;
• during the same calendar period.

That does not automatically create twice the number of years.

The applicant assumes the highest English category from the overall score

Three components meet superior English.

One component meets only proficient English.

The available category may be proficient, not superior.

The degree is complete in practice but not formally complete

All classes are finished, but:

• a final result is outstanding;
• the completion date has not been recorded;
• the award has not yet been conferred.

The timing should be checked before the points are entered.

Partner points are claimed from a positive assessment alone

The partner holds a positive assessment.

The applicant does not check:

• partner age;
• English;
• occupation-list access;
• assessment validity;
• whether the partner will be included.

State nomination points are treated as already held

An applicant says:

I have 85 points for subclass 190.

The underlying score is 80.

The remaining five points depend on receiving nomination, which may itself require a stronger profile than the applicant currently has.

The applicant reaches 65 and stops improving the profile

The legal threshold is met.

The applicant then ignores:

• English improvement;
• state strategy;
• occupation selection;
• partner strategy;
• employer sponsorship;
• document quality.

The applicant improves points that do not change the real pathway

Five additional points may not materially improve invitation prospects in a highly competitive occupation.

A stronger change may be:

• a better occupation strategy;
• a realistic subclass 491 pathway;
• a different primary applicant;
• employer sponsorship;
• stronger evidence.

The score changes but the EOI is not updated

Common changes include:

• a birthday;
• new employment;
• improved English;
• marriage or separation;
• a partner assessment;
• qualification completion.

The applicant continues to rely on an outdated EOI.

Fictional worked example: A claimed 90-point EOI becomes a defensible 70

Common Australian migration points mistakes

Treating 65 points as a likely invitation score

The threshold permits entry to the selection system but does not predict federal or state selection.

Treating an online calculator result as verified

The calculator adds the answers entered. It does not determine whether the legal criteria are satisfied.

Counting age points from the EOI submission date

Age is generally assessed at invitation, and the score can change while the EOI waits.

Using an overall English score

The relevant category may depend on every individual component.

Claiming a future English result

Only a result already achieved and legally usable should be entered.

Counting employment from the job start date

The points-eligible skilled date may be later.

Counting unrelated employment

Work in the same industry is not automatically employment in the nominated or a closely related skilled occupation.

Counting overlapping work twice

Concurrent jobs do not automatically double the length of skilled employment.

Ignoring the combined employment cap

Australian and overseas employment points are capped at a combined maximum of 20.

Claiming a qualification before completion

Expected completion is not the same as holding the completed qualification at the relevant time.

Adding points for several qualifications

Qualifications are generally not stacked by adding the points for every award.

Assuming Australian study automatically gives regional study points

The regional category has additional location and residence requirements.

Claiming professional-year points before completion

Enrolment or partial completion is insufficient.

Claiming NAATI points from language ability

A recognised eligible credential is required.

Claiming skilled-partner points from an assessment alone

Partner age, English, occupation, assessment and inclusion requirements may all matter.

Claiming single points while in a de facto relationship

Relationship status is determined by the actual circumstances, not merely marital status.

Counting state nomination points before nomination

Projected and current scores should be clearly distinguished.

Assuming five extra points will solve a weak pathway

The occupation, state criteria and invitation environment may remain the real constraint.

Failing to update the EOI

Age, employment, English, qualifications and relationship changes can alter the score.

Waiting for invitation before checking evidence

An unsupported score should be corrected before an invitation is issued.

Australian Migration Points: Frequently Asked Questions

How many points do I need for skilled migration to Australia?

The general minimum threshold is 65 points for the relevant points-tested skilled visas. Meeting 65 points does not guarantee an invitation or state nomination.

Does 65 points guarantee an invitation?

No. Invitations depend on the visa pathway, occupation, score, invitation settings and, for subclasses 190 and state-nominated 491, the criteria and selection priorities of the relevant state or territory.

What is a competitive migration points score?

There is no single competitive score for every occupation and pathway. A score must be considered against the occupation, subclass, invitation history, state criteria, location and strength of competing applicants.

How many points do I get for age?

Applicants aged 25 to 32 receive the maximum 30 age points. Applicants aged 18 to 24 receive 25, those aged 33 to 39 receive 25, and those aged 40 to 44 receive 15.

When is my age assessed?

Age is generally assessed at invitation. Submitting an EOI before a birthday does not permanently preserve the earlier age score.

How many points do I get for English?

Competent English gives no points, proficient English gives 10 points and superior English gives 20 points.

Can I use my overall English score?

The relevant English category commonly depends on meeting the required score in each test component. A high overall result may not be enough where one component is below the required benchmark.

How many points do I get for overseas work experience?

Overseas skilled employment can give five points for at least three years, 10 points for at least five years and 15 points for at least eight years, subject to the employment satisfying the relevant points rules.

How many points do I get for Australian work experience?

Australian skilled employment can give five points for at least one year, 10 points for at least three years, 15 points for at least five years and 20 points for at least eight years.

Can Australian and overseas employment points be combined?

Yes, but the combined employment-points award is capped at 20 points.

Does all my work experience count?

No. The employment must satisfy the relevant skilled-employment requirements. Work may be excluded because of occupation, skill level, duties, hours, evidence, qualification timing or an assessing-authority deduction.

Does employment count only from the assessing authority’s skilled date?

A stated skilled date or employment deduction is highly relevant. The Department ultimately determines whether the points are legally available after considering the assessment and underlying evidence.

How many qualification points can I claim?

An eligible doctorate can provide 20 points, a recognised bachelor degree or higher qualification can provide 15, and certain diplomas, trade qualifications or occupation-recognised awards can provide 10.

Can I add points for more than one degree?

Generally, qualification points are based on the highest qualifying category rather than adding the points for every qualification.

How many points do I get for Australian study?

Five points may be available where the Australian study requirement is satisfied.

How many points do I get for regional study?

An additional five points may be available for eligible study and residence in designated regional Australia.

Does studying at a regional university automatically give regional points?

Not necessarily. The course location, applicant’s residence, study mode, timing and other technical requirements should be checked.

How many points do I get for a professional year?

Five points may be available for completing an eligible recognised professional-year program within the applicable requirements.

How many NAATI points can I claim?

Five points may be available for holding an eligible credentialled community-language qualification.

Can my partner add 10 points?

Potentially. The partner must satisfy the relevant age, competent-English, skills-assessment, occupation and inclusion requirements.

Can my partner add five points for English?

Potentially, where the partner satisfies the competent-English requirements but does not qualify for the full skilled-partner category.

How many points do single applicants receive?

A single applicant may receive 10 points. Ten points may also apply where the applicant’s spouse or de facto partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Can I claim single points if I am not married?

Not necessarily. A de facto relationship can affect the points position even where the couple are not married.

How many points does subclass 190 nomination add?

State or territory nomination for subclass 190 adds five points.

How many points does subclass 491 add?

State or territory nomination, or eligible family sponsorship, for subclass 491 adds 15 points.

Can I count nomination points before I am nominated?

You can calculate a projected score, but the nomination points are not actually available until the relevant nomination or eligible sponsorship exists.

When are my points checked?

The critical points position is generally assessed at invitation, and the visa application must prove the score and claims relied on for that invitation.

Can I correct my score after invitation?

An applicant cannot assume that an invitation based on an excessive score remains valid merely because the corrected score remains above 65. The invitation may have depended on the higher claim.

Does SkillSelect verify my points?

No. SkillSelect gives an indicative score based on the information entered. The supporting evidence is examined later if the applicant is invited and lodges a visa application.

Should I submit an EOI as soon as I reach 65 points?

Only after confirming the occupation, assessment, English, employment, partner claims, supporting evidence and realistic invitation or nomination pathway.

What is the fastest way to increase migration points?

The answer depends on the applicant. English, partner points, employment, NAATI, professional year or state nomination may help, but only where the relevant requirements can genuinely be met.

Is increasing points always the best strategy?

No. A different occupation, stronger state pathway, different primary applicant, subclass 491 route or employer sponsorship may produce a better outcome than pursuing points that do not materially improve selection prospects.

Official Australian migration points resources

• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 189 points table
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 190 points table
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 491 points table
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Points calculator
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Expression of Interest
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — SkillSelect invitation rounds
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — English language requirements
  

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