Overview

​Points criteria are assessed at the time of invitation.

Age

Age	Points
at least 18 but less than 25 years	25
at least 25 but less than 33 years	30
at least 33 but less than 40 years	25
at least 40 but less than 45 years	15

English language skills

English	Points
Competent English	0
Proficient English	10
Superior English	20

English language skills

Skilled employment experience

Overseas skilled employment – (outside Australia)

Number of years	Points
Less than 3 years	0
At least 3 but less than 5 years	5
At least 5 but less than 8 years	10
At least 8 years	15

Australian skilled employment – (in Australia)

Number of years	Points
Less than 1 year	0
At least 1 but less than 3 years	5
At least 3 but less than 5 years	10
At least 5 but less than 8 years	15
At least 8 years	20

Employed means engaged in an occupation for remuneration for at least 20 hours a week.

Closely-related occupations must be:

Under the points test there is a cap on the number of points that can be awarded for employment experience. The maximum number of points that can be awarded is 20, this means that even if you score more than 20 combined points for your employment experience only 20 points will be awarded.

Educational qualifications

Requirements	Points
A Doctorate from an Australian educational institution or a Doctorate from another educational institution, that is of a recognised standard.	20
At least a Bachelor degree from an Australian educational institution or at least a Bachelor qualification, from another educational institution, that is of a recognised standard.	15
A diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution.	10
Attained a qualification or award recognised by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation as being suitable for that occupation	10

For points based migration you will receive points for your highest qualification only.

Recognition of your qualifications

The authority undertaking your skills assessment may determine if your qualifications are comparable to the relevant Australian qualification. Assessing authorities are listed against your occupation in the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations. You must have obtained this recognition at the time you are invited to apply for a visa.

If you hold an overseas qualification at bachelor level or above and your skills assessing authority did not offer an opinion on that qualification then it is open to you to contact Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services (VETASSESS) for advice.

VETASSESS can provide an assessment of the comparative educational level of these qualifications against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Advice from VETASSESS should be provided with your application to support your claim for these points.

To obtain an assessment contact Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services.

Doctoral requirements (PhD)

You can only be awarded points for a doctoral degree if you have completed a qualification at the relevant level, that is, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). You cannot claim these points for the award of other qualifications that give you the right to use to the title of Doctor (that is, general practitioner, dentist, vet).

Specialist Education Qualification

Requirements	Points
A Masters degree by research or a Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years study in a relevant field.	10

The postgraduate degree by research (doctorate or masters) must be awarded from an Australian education institution after at least 2 academic years of study in the following science, technology, engineering, mathematics or specified information and communication technology (ICT) fields:

Natural and physical sciences

Information Technology

Engineering and related technologies

To determine whether your qualification is eligible, see the CRICOS website .

Australia Study Requirement

Requirements	Points
Meet the Australian study requirement	5

You must have at least 1 degree, diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that meets the Australian study requirement.

Professional Year in Australia

Requirements	Points
Completion of a Professional Year in Australia	5

At the time of invitation to apply, you had completed a Professional Year. To be eligible for the award of these points your Professional Year must have been in Accounting, ICT/Computing or Engineering, and:

• the Australian Computer Society
• CPA Australia
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
• the Institute of Public Accountants (formerly the National Institute of Accountants)
• Engineers Australia

* Where a Professional Year program was completed, meaning finished, within the 48 month period prior to the time of invitation, you may be awarded 5 points. To avoid any doubt, you could have commenced the Professional Year at a time before the 48 months prior to invitation. The time you “completed” a Professional Year is the date listed on your official Record of Completion which is issued by the authorised body or Professional Year program delivery partner.

Credentialled community language

Requirements	Points
Hold a recognised qualification in a credentialled community language	5

To be credentialled in a community language and eligible for the award of points you must have been accredited at the paraprofessional level or above, certified at the certified provisional level or above, or have a community language credential for interpreting or translating by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Study in regional Australia

Requirements	Points
You must have at least 1 degree, diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that satisfies the Australian study requirement obtained while living and studying in an eligible area of regional Australia	5

To be eligible for the award of points your educational qualification:

Partner Skills

Requirements	Points
Your spouse or de facto partner must also be an applicant for this visa and meet age, English and skill criteria For you to be eligible for the award of these points your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen. Additionally, you will need to provide evidence that when you were invited to apply for this visa that they: were under 45 years old had competent English had nominated a skilled occupation that is on the same skilled occupation list as your nominated skilled occupation had a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for their nominated skilled occupation, and the assessment wasn’t for a Subclass 485 visa.	10
Your spouse or de facto partner must also be an applicant for this visa and has competent English For you to be eligible for the award of these points your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not be an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen.	5
You are single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident	10