Points Allocation for Australian Immigration in the General Skilled Worker Class

There are two categories under which skilled workers may apply to Immigrate to Australia, both detailed below:

1) Temporary Residence
2) Permanent Residence

Temporary Residence Visas for Australia

The demands of the global economy have forced the Australian government to allow an increasing number of specialist workers to take up employment in Australia for periods ranging from three months to four years.

Specialist workers must be sponsored by an Australian or foreign business and must work for their sponsor or get official approval to change to a new one. Their spouses and partners however can work without restrictions.

Specialist workers can get their Visas in Australia.

Permanent Residence Visas for Australia

The skilled stream is based on a points system. Points are awarded according to the following:

Category	Points
Age	15 - 30
English	15 or 20
Occupation	40 or 50 or 60
Specific work experience	5 or 10
Occupation in demand/Job offer	15 or 20
Australian qualifications	5, 10 or 15
Work/Study in Australia	5
Spouse Skills	5
Bonus points	max 5
Total	70, 110 or 120

If you achieve the pass mark (currently 120 points for Independent Applicants, 110 for Applicants with family sponsors), you still have to satisfy health and character criteria.

Age (15 - 30 points)

The most important thing to know about the age requirement is that anyone over 44 years of age is ineligible for skilled migration to Australia under the points system.

English (15 or 20 points)

Without at least 15 points for English a candidate will be rejected. For non-native speakers the test used is called IELTS, administered by the British Council. A minimum score of 5 on each of the four components of the test gets you 15 points, while for 20 points you need a minimum of 6 on each component.

Occupation (40 or 50 or 60 points)

Your occupational qualifications are the key to the points system. Before lodging a Visa application you have to submit your qualifications and experience to the relevant assessing authority for that occupation in Australia. Accurate Immigration Services can assist you in this initial stage and, on the basis of the assessment obtained from that body, you will receive the points awarded to that occupation in the official Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

Specific work experience (5 or 10 points)

You will be awarded points based on your nominated occupation and the period of specific work experience you have completed.

Note: This specific work experience part of the points test is different to the recent work experience requirement which is a basic requirement for all General Skilled Migration visa categories.

Australian qualifications (5, 10 or 15 points)

Unless you have completed your studies in Australia less than six months before applying for the Visa, you must have a minimum of twelve or twenty-four months experience, depending on the occupation.

Work/Study in Australia (5 points)

These points will be awarded if you have lived and studied for at least two years in one or more areas in 'Regional Australia' or a 'low population growth metropolitan area'.

Spouse Skills (5 points)

You may be able to claim 'spouse skills' points if your spouse or partner is also able to satisfy the basic requirements of age, English language ability, qualifications, nominated occupation and recent work experience, and if they have obtained a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority.

Bonus points (max 5 points) These will be awarded to a maximum of 5 points for:

Capital investment in Australia (5 points)
or
Australian work experience (5 points)
or
Fluency in one of Australia's community languages (5 points)

Sponsorship and the Points System