Australia on your mind? Thinking of migrating to “the Land Down Under” in 2021? Then, you might be wondering as to how many points are required for Australia PR in 2021.
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 2021, you will be requiring 65 points under SkillSelect program for subclass 189 and subclass 190 visas which are a part of this program.
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 in one to two 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 nomination or sponsor is needed.
You can apply for this visa only 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
- Have the required English test scores
How are the eligibility points calculated?
The 65 points to be attained are calculated based on different criteria such as –
| 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 program.
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 points needed to be eligible for applying for a visa, you will be competing against thousands of other applicants who may have a higher score.
You should also remember that the points test is relevant only to General Skilled Migration Visas. These are:
Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189): This visa option is suitable for skilled workers. However, this visa cannot receive sponsorship.
Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190): This visa is applicable to skilled workers who have a nomination from an Australian state/Territory.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 Visa: This visa has replaced the Subclass 489 Visa as a pathway to a PR visa. Under this visa skilled workers and their families must live, work and study in designated regional areas for 5 years.
Visas that require the highest points
These visas include the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) and Family Sponsored (Subclass 491). This is because these visas are issued based exclusively on points. The points scored by the applicant decides whether he will get an application or not. The points required to get an invitation are published each month. The reason these visas require a high point score is that the demand for these visas is more than the supply so the points requirement is higher.
Visas that require lower points
Visas that have lower points requirement are the State Nominated (Subclass 190) and Skilled Regional (Subclass 491) visas. This is because the states and territories have more freedom in deciding on which applicants to invite for these visas. However, the points required to receive an invitation may vary from state to state and so will the nomination requirements.
Recent trends
The Skill Select rounds in the past months has seen a higher score requirement which went up to 90 points especially for the Subclass 189 visa. Another feature is that the recent rounds have seen a high level of competition and only those with the highest scores have been selected. In fact, the invitation rounds for August saw the score go up to 110 for the Subclass 189 visa and 90 for the Subclass 491 visa.
With a higher number of places allocated to regional visas in the migration plan for 2020-21, the government seems to intend to reduce the number of PR grants in the next four to five years keeping in view the high rate of unemployment and the economic recession due to COVID-19.
The number of points you will require to successfully get an invite for a PR visa for 2021 depends on the competition you are up against, your optimal score and the type of visa you are applying for.
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.