Australia on your mind? Thinking of migrating to “the Land Down Under” in 2020? Then, you might be wondering as to how many points are required for Australia PR in 2020.
Recently, Immigration South Australia has introduced various changes to its General Skilled Migration (GSM) state nomination rules.
Australia follows a points-based system to assess the eligibility of a person for migrating to Australia as a skilled worker. For applying for Australia PR in 2020, you will be requiring 65 points under SkillSelect for subclass 189 and subclass 190.
The applicant must have a minimum score of 65 points to apply for a PR visa. Let us look at how points are calculated under each category:
- Age: Maximum of 30 points if your age is between 25 to 32 years.
- English proficiency: Maximum 20 points for a score of 8 bands in the IELTS exam.
- Work experience: 15 points for skilled employment outside Australia with 8 to 10 years of experience.
- Skilled employment in Australia: 20 points for candidates with 8 to 10 years of experience.
- Education: Points for the education criteria depends on the educational qualification.
- Spouse application: 5 points if your spouse is also an applicant.
- Other qualifications: Maximum 5 points if you meet any of the other specified criteria.
Do keep in mind that while 65 points is the minimum needed to be eligible, the higher you score on the eligibility calculation, the brighter the chances of you being invited to Apply for Australian PR. Scoring anywhere from 80 to 85 points can see you being invited much sooner, that is, from around 1 to 2 months.
The following Australian visas require 65 points as eligibility –
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
This visa is for those invited foreign workers that possess the skills required by the Australian government. With the subclass 189, the visa holder can live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
No nominator or sponsor is needed.
You can only apply for this visa after being formally invited to do so.
You must be below 45 years of age to be able to apply.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
Allows nominated skilled workers to live and work/study anywhere in Australia as permanent residents.
Like the subclass 189, to be able to apply for subclass 190 you must have received an invitation to apply.
With both subclasses 189 and 190, you must –
- Score 65 on the points calculator
- Receive an invitation to apply
- Have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List
- Be in possession of a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
English test scores will also be required.
How are the eligibility points calculated?
The 65 points to be attained are calculated based on different criteria like –
| Criteria | Maximum Points |
| Criteria 1 – Age | 30 |
| Criteria 2 – Proficiency in the English Language | 20 |
| Criteria 3 – Employment outside Australia | 15 |
| Criteria 4 – Employment in Australia | 20 |
| Criteria 5 – Educational Qualifications | 20 |
| Criteria 6 – Studied in Australia | 05 |
| Criteria 7 – Niche education skills | 05 |
| Criteria 8 – Partner Skills | 10 |
| Criteria 9 – Others | 15 |
Criteria 1 – Age
Maximum points that can be attained – 30
| Age | Points |
| 18 to 24 years | 25 |
| 25 to 32 years | 30 |
| 33 to 39 years | 25 |
| 40 to 44 years | 15 |
Do keep in mind that candidates that are 45 years or above cannot apply under the SkillSelect.
Criteria 2 – Proficiency in the English Language
Maximum points that can be attained – 20
| English Language Proficiency | Points |
| Superior – IELTS 8 or more per band in each of the categories (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) | 20 |
| Proficient – IELTS 7 or more per band in each of the 4 categories (LRWS) | 10 |
| Competent – IELTS 6 or more per band in each of the 4 categories (LRWS) | 0 |
While the IELTS or International English Language Testing System is the more common test of English that is usually taken for Australia, you can also appear for and submit test results for –
- TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign language, internet-based test)
- CAE (Certificate in Advanced English)
- PTE (Pearson Tests of English)
- OET (Occupational English Test)
Criteria 3 – Employment Outside Australia
Maximum points that can be attained – 15
For this, the skilled occupation must be listed under any of the Skilled Occupation Lists, such as – the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), or the Regional Occupation List (ROL).
Points are given regardless of the work experience being in Australia or elsewhere.
| Work experience as a skilled worker in years [in previous 10 years] | Points |
| Less than 3 years | 0 |
| 3 to 4 years | 5 |
| 5 to 7 years | 10 |
| 8 to 10 years | 15 |
Criteria 4 – Employment in Australia
Maximum points that can be attained – 20
| Work experience as a skilled worker in years [in previous 10 years] | Points |
| Less than 1 year | 0 |
| 1 to 2 years | 5 |
| 3 to 4 years | 10 |
| 5 to 7 years | 15 |
| 8 to 10 years | 20 |
Criteria 5 – Educational Qualifications
Maximum points that can be attained – 20
| Educational Qualification | Points |
| Doctorate | 20 |
| Bachelor’s/Master’s degree | 15 |
| Australian diploma or trade qualification | 10 |
| Awards or qualifications that are recognized by authority assessing the skilled occupation | 10 |
Criteria 6 – Studied in Australia
Maximum points that can be attained – 05
| Australian study requirement | Points |
| At least 1 diploma/degree or trade qualification from any Australian educational institution meeting Australian study requirement | 5 |
Criteria 7 – Niche education skills
Maximum points that can be attained – 05
| Specialist education qualification | Points |
| Master’s by research or Doctorate from Australian educational institution. At least two academic years in a relevant field must be included. | 5 |
Criteria 8 – Partner Skills
Maximum points that can be attained – 10
For you to gain 10 points for Partner Skills, your spouse or de facto partner must also have applied for this visa, and also meet the requirements of age, skills, and English.
You get 5 points if your de facto partner or spouse is also an applicant and also has competent English.
Being single gets you 10 points. You also get 10 when your partner is either an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen.
| Points | |
| Single (Not married) | 10 |
| Partner is an Australian Citizen or PR holder | 10 |
| Spouse/partner has competence in the English language along with Positive Skill Assessment | 10 |
| Spouse has competence in English, no Skill Assessment | 5 |
Criteria 9 – Others
Maximum points that can be attained – 15
| Others | Points |
| Be “credentialled in a community language” | 5 |
| Study either in regional Australia or a metropolitan area with a low population growth meeting Australian study requirement | 5 |
| Professional year in Australia | 5 |
| Possessing a State Nomination (190 visa) | 5 |
While 65 is the minimum needed to be eligible for applying, getting an invitation to apply for Australian PR in 2020 is much easier with a score of 80.
With changes being incorporated in the Partner Skills criterion in November 2019, unmarried applicants now get a 10 for their unmarried status.
If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.
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