To be eligible for skilled migration visas, applicants typically need to score at least 65 points. Find out if you're eligible for Australian PR and how points are calculated.
Thinking about relocating to Australia? Knowing about Australia's PR points system is essential. These points play a big role in deciding if you qualify for Permanent Residency (PR) or not. It is important in immigration process and can directly impact your chances of obtaining PR in Australia.
It reflects your skills, work experience, and language abilities. They're more than just numbers; they represent how you could contribute to Australian society. Without enough PR points, the journey to Australian residency could be tough. Know more about the Australia PR points calculator here.
Australia PR points are a system used to assess eligibility for PR visas. They're a way for the Australian government to assess if you'd be a good fit for Permanent Residency (PR). Your points depend on factors like:
Eligibility means meeting certain requirements to apply for specific types of visas in Australia. There are three main visa subclasses we're talking about:
This one's for skilled workers who aren't sponsored by an employer, state, territory, or family member. To get this visa, you need to score points on the basis of your age, English skills, work experience, and education. These points help show if you're a good fit for permanent residency.
Here, you need a nomination from an Australian state or territory government. Along with meeting the basic requirements and scoring points as in the case of the 189 visa, the state or territory government agency must nominate you. They usually look for skills and qualifications that are needed in their area.
This one's a provisional visa for skilled workers. You can get a nomination by a state or territory government agency or sponsorship by a relative living in a specific area of Australia. Again, you must meet certain criteria and score enough points.
The 65 points that you need to achieve for a PR visa are dependent on several factors.
Look at the table below to see the distribution of points
Factors |
Maximum Points |
Age (25-33 years) |
30 points |
English proficiency (8 bands) |
20 points |
Work Experience outside Australia (8-10 years) |
15 points |
Work Experience in Australia (8-10 years) |
20 points |
Education (outside Australia) – Doctorate degree |
20 points |
Doctorate or master’s degree by research in Australia or similar skilled degrees |
10 points |
Study in a regional area |
5 points |
Proficient in community language |
5 points |
Professional year in a skilled program in Australia |
5 points |
State sponsorship (190 visas) |
5 points |
Skilled spouse (Age, Skills & English language requirements to be met) |
10 points |
Spouse with competent English (No need to meet Skills requirement or age factor) |
5 points |
Applicants without a spouse or de facto partner or where a spouse is an Australian citizen or PR holder |
10 points |
The points are based on these factors:
If you're between 18 and 44, you can score points based on your age. The younger you are, the more points you get, as it's seen you'll have more time to contribute to Australia.
You must prove you're good at English. For this you need to show your test results from exams like IELTS or PTE.
Applicants who have worked abroad in their nominated occupation can get points. These are for three, five, or eight years of experience in the last decade.
You can get points for one, three, five, or eight years of experience in an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) in the last 10 years.
If you've got qualifications from outside Australia, like a bachelor's degree or higher, you can get some extra points.
If you have done a course in Australia for at least two academic years That's worth some extra points too.
Applicants who have lived and studied in a designated 'regional low population growth metropolitan area' for at least two years can get additional points.
If your partner meets certain requirements like age, English proficiency, qualifications, and skills assessment results, you can claim points based on their skills too.
Application form: Fill out the official form provided by Australia for PR applications. It asks for personal details, visa type, and family info.
Educational Credential Assessment report: This evaluates your education compared to Australian standards. It helps officials understand your qualifications.
Birth certificate: It proves where and when you were born, confirming your identity.
Nomination proof (if applicable): Show documentation of nomination by state or territory for a skilled visa.
IELTS or PTE exam results for English proficiency: Your scores from these tests show how well you know English. It is an important criterion for migration.
2 passport size photos: Standard photos are used for identification purposes.
Spouse's skill documents: Gather documents to support your spouse's skills and qualifications if they're also applying for PR.
Police Clearance Certification (PCC): This confirms your clean record or lists any criminal history from countries you've lived in since age 16.
Business reference letters: If you're claiming points for work or business experience, get reference letters from past employers or business partners to back up your claims.
The main factors that determine this is your work experience, education and number of points scored.
The work experience is valid only when you have obtained it in the last ten years before applying.
Work experience (in Years) |
Points Awarded |
Minimum 1 year |
5 |
Minimum of 3 years |
10 |
Minimum of 5 years |
15 |
Minimum of 8 years |
20 |
Points for work experience outside Australia:
Work experience (in Years) |
Points Awarded |
Minimum of 3 years |
5 |
Minimum of 5 years |
10 |
Minimum of 8 years |
15 |
Points are also awarded based on your educational qualifications:
Qualification |
Points Awarded |
Doctorate |
20 |
Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree |
15 |
Australian diploma or trade qualification |
10 |
Awards or qualification recognized by the assessing |
10 |
Recognized standard in the assessment of the skilled nominated occupation |
10 |
You can prove your language proficiency by taking a recognised test. Australian immigration authorities accept scores tests like IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc. It is important to take the test and get a high score.
Language competency is a vital fact which is taken into account. Your score will determine your points in the points calculator.
Try to score eight or more per band in each category to receive good points:
Proficiency in the English language |
Points awarded |
Superior English or an IELTS score of 8 or more per band in each group |
20 |
Proficient English or an IELTS score of 7 or more per band in each group |
10 |
Competent English or an IELTS score of 6 or more per band in each group |
0 |
Get your skills assessed by the Skills assessment authority which is an organization that will assess your skills, education and work experience based on Australian standards.
For getting a PR visa in the General Skilled Migration Program, all candidates get nominations based on Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSS) or sponsorship based on Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL).
Potential applicants who have their specific nominated occupation in MLTSS are eligible for the following PR visa categories and subclasses:
Potential applicants who have their occupations nominated under CSOL are eligible for the following PR visa categories and subclasses:
The next step is to submit a form online through their Skill Select website. This involves answering questions on your skills based on the visa sub--class you are applying under.
There are three visa subclasses that you can look at:
Provided you meet all the requirements, you will now get an invitation to apply.
Once you receive an ITA, you must submit a completed application within 60 days. This should have all the supporting documents attached to it.
There are two main clearance certificates that you must submit. These would be your police and medical clearance certificates.
Age is one of the main factors considered in the points system for a PR visa. Although people above 45 years of age are not eligible for a Skilled visa, different points are allotted for different age groups.
They are as follows:
Age groups |
Points |
18-24 |
25 |
25-32 |
30 |
33-39 |
25 |
40-44 |
15 |
If you complete a degree course from an Australian affiliated institute, you get 5 Australia immigration PR points. The course may offer you a degree, diploma, or trade qualification. However, you get those points only if the course is two years or more.
Any kind of course that you take up for at least two years in the regional parts or low population density metropolitan areas of Australia rewards you with five skilled migration points.
If your partner is moving with you to Australia, several factors can help gain five immigration points. These factors are age, language proficiency, and skills assessment based on the Skills Occupation Lists.
You can get 5 Australian Immigration points in this category. Australia’s National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) acknowledges every interpreter level skill in a community language. This is an essential skill that will award you with valuable immigration points.
A professional year program is a program that combines education and workspace experience in one year. This course is offered at the end of the course. Taking a professional year program can help you gain industry-specific knowledge and reward you with five points.
Applicants who are applying for subclass 489 and 190 receive points for being state-sponsored by an Australian state or territorial Government.
The following table categorically divides points that you receive for the different types of nominations.
Sponsorship or nomination |
Points |
Nomination by a State or territory government under a State Migration |
5 |
Plan for a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) application |
|
Nomination by a State or territory government under a State Migration |
10 |
Plan, or an eligible relative, to a designated area for a Skilled |
|
Nominated or Sponsored visa (Provisional) (subclass 489) application |
The following table will give you a basic idea on PTE score that is required for Australian PR:
English language proficiency level |
Test component |
PTE Academic Score |
Functional |
Overall score |
30 |
Vocational |
Listening |
36 |
Reading |
36 |
|
Writing |
36 |
|
Speaking |
36 |
|
Competent |
Listening |
50 |
Reading |
50 |
|
Writing |
50 |
|
Speaking |
50 |
|
Proficient (for points tested Skilled visas) |
Listening |
65 |
Reading |
65 |
|
Writing |
65 |
|
Speaking |
65 |
|
Superior (for points tested Skilled visas) |
Listening |
79 |
Reading |
79 |
|
Writing |
79 |
|
Speaking |
79 |
The cost of applying for Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia can vary depending on several factors. It includes:
Here is the breakdown of the cost:
Cost Item |
Description |
Visa application fee |
Varies by visa type; covers main applicant and dependents |
Skills assessment fee |
Charged by assessing authority for your occupation |
English language proficiency test fee |
Payable for tests like IELTS or PTE if required |
Medical and police clearance costs |
Varies by location and specific requirements |
Migration agent fees |
Professional service charges if you choose to use a migration agent |
Other expenses |
Includes document translation, certification, and postage fees |
At Kansas Overseas Careers, we specialize in helping individuals boost their PR points for Australia. We work closely with each client. Also, we carefully check their qualifications, work experience, language skills, and other factors.
Our goal is to identify opportunities for increasing their point scores and eligibility. We provide personalized guidance on how to meet the criteria. Further, we gather the necessary documentation, ensuring everything aligns with Australian immigration standards. Here is the list of services that we offer:
Customized services:
Yes, an immigration consultant can help you obtain a PR visa in Australia from India. They do so by:
To immigrate to Australia on a skilled migration visa, applicants need to score a minimum of 65 points. These points depend on factors like
Factors influencing the processing time for a permanent residency visa in Australia include the following:
The cost of hiring an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent in Australia varies depending on the complexity of the case and the services required. Fees can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
The chances of getting an Australian PR for a software engineer in 2024 with 85 points for a 190 visa are generally high. This is because 85 points exceed the minimum threshold required for many skilled migration visas.
The time taken to receive an Australian PR invite can range from a few weeks to several months. It varies on the basis of the following factors:
Yes, learning how to increase your chances of getting through Australian immigration can be beneficial when navigating the complex visa application process.
A high number of points can enhance an applicant's chances of approval. However, it does not guarantee approval for an Australia PR visa. Other factors include:
Educational qualifications necessary for skilled employment in Australia depend on the occupation and visa subclass. applicants must undergo qualification assessment by the relevant assessing authority in Australia.
In SkillSelect, the Australian PR program, your total points depend on factors like age, English skills, work experience, education, partner's abilities, and more. Yet, the highest points you can earn might change due to updates in immigration rules.
The amount of money you need to invest in Australia to gain permanent residency depends on the specific visa program you are applying for.
The current points needed for Australia PR depend on the visa subclass and your circumstances. Applicants need to score at least 65 points on the points-based system to be eligible for certain skilled migration visas.
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