Overview of Changes to the New Skilled Points Test

Age Ranges 

Eligibility for points is determined by the applicant's age on the day of making their application. If an applicant is aged between 45 and 49 years of age, they will be able to apply for a visa, but no points will be awarded for age:

Better English Levels

For all skilled migration points tested visas, the threshold English language requirement will be competent English, which is a minimum score of 6 in each of the four components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test or other language test specified by the Minister. While no points will be awarded for competent English, applicants who have obtained this score are able to apply for a visa as long as they meet the other threshold bisa requirements.

Applicants who hold a valid passport and are citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or the Republic of Ireland are deemed to meet competent English language requirement.

To claim points for proficient or superior English language all applicants, including citizens of United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or the Republic of Ireland, will need to complete an English language test. The test must be completed before the visa application is lodged.

The points test awards points for English language ability as follow:

Skilled Employment

Points will be awarded for employment in a skilled occupation, either in Australia or overseas. To claim points for skilled employment, the experience must be in an applicant's nominated nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation. Where applicable, applicants can claim points for both Australian skilled employment and overseas skilled employment under the points test.

Applicants will be award points based on demonstration of a verifiable skilled employment history undertaken in the last 10 years as follow:

Australian Skilled Employment in their Nominated Occupation or a Closely Related Occupation.

Overseas Skilled Employment in their Nominated Occupation or a Closely Related Occupation. 

Australian and overseas employment over the past ten years can be combined, however the maximum number of points that can be awarded for Australian or overseas employment experience or combinations of both is 20 points.

For the purpose of awarding points, the department considers skilled employment in the nominated occupation or a closely related occupation will comprise at least 20 hours employment per week. In determining whether an applicant's skilled employment is closely related to their nominated occupation, the department will take into consideration the occupations within one unit group classified under Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). Further information about ANZSCO can be found on the department's website.
See: http://www.immi.gov.au/employers/anzsco/

Generally, applicants will be able to request an opinion about their skilled employment claims from the relevant assessing authority when seeking their skills assessment. For further information about this process, applicants should contact the relevant assessing authority.
See: http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm

The decision to award points for skilled employment remains with of the departmental case officer.

Educational Qualifications

Points can only be awarded for the highest qualification attained.

Example: If an applicant is asessed as having completed a Bachelors Degree and a Doctorate Degree, they will only be able to claim points for the Doctorate Degree. The following table outlines the number of points awarded for an applicant's highest education qualification:

To claim points for a qualification obtained overseas, the qualification will need to be recognised as being of a standard comparable to the relevant Australian level qualification. Generally, applicants will be able to request an opinion on their qualification claims from the relevant assessing authority when seeking their skills assessment. For further information about this process, applicants should contact the relevant assessing authority.
See: http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm

An applicant may also be able to claim points for a qualification not related to their nominated occupation, for example they may hold a trade qualification related to their nominated occupation and an unrelated Bachelor degree. If the assessing authority conducting their skills assessment cannot provide an opinion on the non related qualification, applicants should contact the Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services (VETASSESS). VETASSESS is the national assessing authority for a broad range of management, administration, professional and associate professional occupations.
See: www.vetassess.com.au

The decision to award points for Educational qualification remains with of the departmental case officer.

Australian Study Requirement

Five points can also be claimed by those applicants who have studied in Australia to use the same period of study to claim points for their qualification and for meeting the Australian study requirement.

To claim points for an Australian qualificatiion, the qualification must have been undertaken while the applicant was in Australia and it must have been completed as the result of a course of study that was at least two academic years (that is 92 weeks as registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)). Study must be closely related to the applicant's nominated skilled occupation.

Study in a Regional Area

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who satisfy the Australia study requirement while studying in regional Australia.

Completion of a Professional Year

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who complete an approved Professional Year in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

Credentialed Community Language

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who meet the requirements for credentialed community language.

The points test awards points to applicants accredited at the para-professional level or above by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) as either a translator or interpreter. Applicants will no longer be able to claim points for designated language on the basis of having obtained a qualification from a university where instruction was in that language. 

Partner Skills

Five points can also be claimed for those where the primary applicant's partner satisfies the threshold criteria for a visa.

To claim partner points the primary applicant's partner will need to meet the following criteria:

• be included on the same visa application as the primary applicant
• not be an Australian permanent resident or citizen
• be less than 50 years old at the time of application
• nominate an occupation on the same SOL as the primary applicant, and be assessed by the relevant assessing authority as having suitable skills for the occupation
• have competent English
• have been employed in a skilled occupation for at least 12 months in the 24 months before the application is lodged, or completed the Australian Study Requirement.

State or Territory Nomination and Designated Area Sponsorship

Points will be awarded for nominated sponsorship as follows:

Eligible family members can sponsor applicants on a subclass 176 or subclass 886 visa, however no points are awarded.

The points test will award points to applicants for a subclass 475 or subclass 487 who are sponsored to a designated area by an eligible family member or a state or territory government under a state migration plan. Holders of either of these provisional sponsored skilled migration visas may be eligible for a Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887) after meeting certain eligibility criteria.