Meeting the Criteria: What You Need to Know About Skilled Migration Requirements
General Skilled Migration (GSM) is one of the most popular ways to immigrate to Australia. It is designed for skilled workers who are interested in living and working in Australia on a permanent basis.You can only immigrate to Australia on General Skilled Migration if you meet the skilled migration requirements.
There are different visa options available under the GSM program, including the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491).
The requirements for General Skilled Migration are stringent and must be met before an applicant can be considered eligible for a visa.
The key skilled migration requirements
Age
Applicants must be under the age of 45 years old. Age is an important factor in the point-based system used to determine eligibility for GSM visas. Points are awarded based on the age of the applicant, with the maximum points awarded to those aged between 25 and 32 years old.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants must demonstrate a level of English language proficiency that meets the minimum requirements specified by the Department of Home Affairs. The minimum level of proficiency required is determined by the visa subclass applied for. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the most common English language test accepted for GSM visas.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) offers two types of assessments: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The IELTS Academic is designed for people who want to study or work in a professional environment, such as universities or other higher education institutions. It is usually required for academic purposes such as entry into university courses or for professions that require a high level of English language proficiency.
The IELTS General Training test is designed for people who want to immigrate to Australia but not have to have an outstanding command of the English language.
For Australia’s General Skilled Migration program applicants are required to take the IELTS General Training test. The minimum score required for the visa is 6.0 in each of the four test components: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Skills Assessment
Applicants must undergo a skills assessment by the relevant assessing authority to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and qualifications to work in their nominated occupation in Australia. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority that is responsible for assessing skills and qualifications.
Nominated Occupation
Applicants must have a nominated occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list. The skilled occupation list is a list of occupations that are in demand in Australia and are eligible for GSM visas.
Work Experience
Applicants must have a minimum of 2 years of work experience in their nominated occupation. The work experience must be relevant to the nominated occupation and must be completed within the past 10 years.
Health and Character
Applicants must meet the health and character requirements set out by the Department of Home Affairs. This includes undergoing a health examination and obtaining police clearance certificates.
Points test
Applicants must score a minimum of 65 points on the GSM points test to be eligible for a visa. Points are awarded based on factors such as age, English language proficiency, work experience, qualifications and other factors. The minimum score required is 65 although many recent invitations to apply have required a much higher points score that have gone up to even 85 points.
State or Territory Nomination (for Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 visas only)
Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government if they are applying for a Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa. Each state and territory has its own criteria for nomination, and applicants must meet the specific criteria for the state or territory they are applying to.
Recent Points Requirements for Australia Skilled Migration
As of February 2023 the most recent points score for invitation to apply for general skilled migration to Australia was 85 points for both the Skilled Independent Subclass 189 visa and the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa.
The number of invitations issued for each occupation group in the General Skilled Migration program as well as the minimum points required to receive an invitation are as follows:
- Occupation ceiling for Accountants: 1,000 invitations, minimum 95 points
- Occupation ceiling for Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 95 points
- Occupation ceiling for Electronics Engineers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 90 points
- Occupation ceiling for Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 90 points
- Occupation ceiling for Other Engineering Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 90 points
- Occupation ceiling for ICT Business and Systems Analysts: 1,750 invitations, minimum 90 points
- Occupation ceiling for Software and Applications Programmers: 2,500 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Computer Network Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 70 points
- Occupation ceiling for Database and ICT Security Specialists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Other ICT Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Construction Project Managers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Other Managers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Medical Practitioners: 1,000 invitations, minimum 75 points
- Occupation ceiling for Nurses: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Physical Therapists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Other Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Social Workers: 1,000 invitations, minimum 65 points
- Occupation ceiling for Educational Psychologists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Social Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Environmental Scientists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Life Scientists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Medical Laboratory Scientists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Veterinarians: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Agricultural and Forestry Scientists: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
- Occupation ceiling for Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals: 1,000 invitations, minimum 80 points
Does meeting the Skilled Migration Requirements Guarantee a Visa?
No, meeting the basic requirements for GSM visas does not guarantee that an applicant will be granted a visa. The number of visas granted each year is limited and the Department of Home Affairs uses a points based system to rank and select the most suitable applicants for visa invitations.
Confused about whether you qualify for the General Skilled Migration Requirements? Take a Free Visa Assessment to find out
