Australia remains among the most sought-after destinations for migrate overseas. If you are a skilled foreign worker looking to work and live anywhere in Australia, getting to know the eligibility requirements for Australia Skilled visa in 2021 can be quite useful.
While there are many visas that come under the ‘skilled’ category, here we shall look at the most popular visas under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) category.
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Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream. With a subclass 189, invited workers with the skills needed in Australia can live as well as work at any place in the country permanently.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) — This visa lets skilled workers that are nominated to live as well as work in Australia as permanent residents.
What can I do on my subclass 189 and 190 visas?
On subclass 189 and 190, you can –
- Work and study in Australia
- Stay permanently in Australia
- Enrol in Medicare
- Sponsor relatives
- Become citizen of Australia, if found eligible for the same
- Travel to and from the country for 5 years
Do keep in mind that anyone arriving in Australia will have to wait for some time before they can access certain benefits by the Australian government.
What are the eligibility criteria for Skilled migration?
- Receive an invitation:
First and foremost, you cannot apply for subclass 189 and 190 unless you have been invited.
If you are interested in moving to Australia permanently on a subclass 189 or 190 visa, you will have to begin the process by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) on SkillSelect.
Any foreign-born skilled worker or businessperson interested in migrating to Australia will have to go through SkillSelect. All EOIs have to be submitted online. No fees to create/submit EOI.
EOIs are stored in SkillSelect with 2 years’ validity.
Profiles in SkillSelect are ranked against each other. Invitations are sent accordingly.
- Skill assessment:
At the time of invitation, you must be able to declare that you have had a skills assessment done.
Skill assessment is an integral part of the General Skilled Migration program which helps select immigrants with the right qualifications. The applicant will not be able to apply for permanent residency in the country without an assessment of his skills.
To get a positive assessment, he should have the relevant credentials and experience.
If you have applied for skill assessment, the assessment authority will consider factors such as your education, work experience and English proficiency level. The other factors assessed by them include:
- Occupation in which you nominated yourself
- Your qualifications
- Your work experience
- Relevance of your work to your occupation
- Visa category under which you are applying
What are the assessing authorities for skills assessment for Australia?
Every occupation in the list has its own skill assessing authority. Currently, there are 42 assessing authorities that conduct the required skills assessment for GSM visas for Australia –
| Assessing Authority | Full Name |
| AACA | Architects Accreditation Council of Australia |
| AASW | Australian Association of Social Workers Limited |
| ACECQA | Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality |
| ACPSEM | Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine |
| ACS | Australian Computer Society Incorporated |
| ACWA | Australian Community Workers Association Inc. |
| ADC | Australian Dental Council Limited |
| AIM | Australian Institute of Management |
| AIMS | Australian Institute of Medical Scientists |
| AIQS | The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors |
| AITSL | Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited |
| AMSA | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
| ANMAC | Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council Limited |
| ANZPAC | Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council Limited |
| ANZSNM | Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine |
| AOAC | Australasian Osteopathic Accreditation Council Limited |
| AOPA | Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association Limited |
| APC | Australian Physiotherapy Council Limited |
| APharmC | Australian Pharmacy Council Limited |
| APS | Australian Psychological Society Limited |
| ASMIRT | Australian Society of Medical Imagery and Radiation Therapy |
| AVBC | Australasian Veterinary Boards Council Incorporated |
| CAANZ | Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand |
| CASA | Civil Aviation Safety Authority |
| CCEA | Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia Limited |
| CMBA | Chinese Medicine Board of Australia |
| CPAA | CPA Australia Ltd |
| DAA | Dietitians Association of Australia |
| Engineers Australia | The Institution of Engineers Australia |
| IPA | Institute of Public Accountants Ltd |
| Legal admissions authority of a state or territory | Legal admissions authority of a state or territory |
| MedBA | Medical Board of Australia |
| NAATI | National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd |
| OCANZ | Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand Limited |
| OTC | Occupational Therapy Council of Australia Limited |
| PodBA | Podiatry Board of Australia |
| SPA | The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited |
| SSSI | Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Limited |
| TRA | Trades Recognition Australia |
| TRA (trades) | Trades Recognition Australia |
| VETASSESS | Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services |
| VETASSESS (non-trades) | Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services |
Do keep in mind that a copy of the skills assessment will have to be provided at the time of submitting your application.
For legal and medical practitioners, there are certain other proofs of skills assessment as well, such as general/specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, admission to practice law etc.
Skills assessment must have been done within the 3 years prior to the invitation being sent.
If, in case the skills assessment is based on qualification got in Australia when on a student visa, the course must needs be registered on Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
- Meet the age criterion:
As per the age criterion, you must be under 45 when you receive the invitation to apply for the visa.
You can still apply: If you complete 45 years of age after you get the invitation.
You will not be invited: If you turn 45 during the period between the submission of EOI and receiving an invitation.
- Score 65 and above in the points test:
As these visas are points-tested visas, you will have to score a minimum of 65 points to be eligible.
Applicants must score at least 65 points against the following points test factors to be eligible for an invitation to apply for a Skilled visa. Points are awarded based on the following factors:
Age– Scores are given based on the age group the applicant belongs to. Those between the ages of 25 and 32 score the most points while those above 45 do not gain any points.
English language proficiency- Applicants are required to take the IELTS test. If you score 8 bands or more, you get 20 points.
Skilled employment-If you have experience in a skilled occupation that is listed in the Skilled Occupations List you will get points based on the years of experience. 20 is the maximum points you can gain in this criterion.
Educational qualification-Points are given based on your highest educational qualification. To get points, your qualification must be related to your nominated occupation. The highest is 20 points if you have a doctorate while a bachelor’s or master’s degree will give you 15 points.
Australian qualifications– You can get five points if you have an Australian qualification from an Australian educational institute. You should have done the course from an Australian institute while you were in Australia. And you should have studied for at least two years.
Regional study- You can gain an additional 5 points if you have lived and studied in regional Australia in a place with a low population.
Community language skills– You will gain another 5 points if you have translator/ interpreter level skills in one of the country’s community languages. These language skills must be recognized by Australia’s National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
Spouse/partner skills and qualifications- If you have included your spouse/partner in the application and he/she is not an Australian resident/citizen, then their skills are eligible to be counted towards your total points. You will gain an additional five points if your spouse/partner must meet the basic requirements of the Australian General Skilled Migration like age, English language proficiency and nominated occupation.
Professional year- You will stand to gain another 5 points if you have completed a Professional Year in Australia in the last five years. In a professional year, you will undergo a structured professional development program that will combine formal training with on-the-job experience.
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Check your eligibility from Y-Axis’ Australia Skilled Immigration Points Calculator.
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For being invited to apply for subclasses 189, 190, and 489 you must score 65 points at the time of submitting your EOI.
Do keep in mind that the higher your score, the brighter the chances of your being sent an invitation.
- Competent English:
At least a competency in the English language is required. The applicant must also be able to provide evidence for the same.
Do note that residents of and holding a valid passport from certain countries – Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and US – do not have to provide any evidence for English language competence.
All others have to provide test results for any one of the following English language tests –
| Test | Score |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
|
At least 6 in each of the 4 components |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
|
Minimum 50 in each of the 4 components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test
|
At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
| Occupational English Test (OET)
|
Minimum B for each of the 4 components |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking |
- Occupation:
Your occupation should be on the corresponding list of eligible skilled occupations.
- Meet the health requirement:
Generally, all visa applicants applying for permanent or provisional visas will have to undergo certain health examinations. Even the family member applying for the visa alongside the main applicant might be expected to undergo the medical tests.
These include –
- General medical examination
- HIV test
- Chest X-ray
Do keep in mind that while these are the tests usually required, you might be asked to undergo other medical examinations as well.
- Meet character requirement:
The main applicant, as well as the accompanying family members [above 16 years], must meet the requirements of character.
These requirements are as per the Migration Act, 1958: Section 501 – Refusal or Cancellation of Visa on Character Grounds.
Accompanying family members must also meet the character requirements as well.
- Have paid back your debt to the Australian government:
If you or any family member applying for the visa with you owes the Australian government any money, either the family members or you must have paid it back or have made an arrangement for the same to be paid back.
- Australian values statement:
For this, you will be expected to have read yourself, or have had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet. The booklet is specifically designed for providing information on Australian society, culture, and history.
Keeping in mind the fact that immigrants coming to Australia belong to a wide range of countries, the booklet Life in Australia is available in various languages, including Hindi, Arabic, Italian, Spanish etc.
You must also either sign or denote your acceptance of the Australian Values Statement.
This is for affirmation that when in Australia, you will be respecting the Australian values and obeying the Americal laws.
Do keep in mind that if the Australian Values Statement is not signed by you, your application can be delayed or refused altogether.
- Visa cancellation in past:
You might be ineligible for this visa if you have had a visa refused or cancelled while you were in Australia. A common ground for visa refusal/cancellation can be concerns about character. According to the Department of Home Affairs, those who have had their visa refused/cancelled on the grounds of concerns for character are “permanently excluded from being granted most visa types except for a Protection visa (subclass 866)”.
Australia is a good place to settle down. With no language barrier and a welcoming and laidback attitude of the general population, Australia indeed has much to offer migrants from different parts of the world.
If you are a skilled worker thinking of migrating overseas in 2021 and exploring your options for the same, why not give Australia some serious thought.