How many points do I need to apply for PR in Australia?

Australia is a popular destination for immigrants. The country has favorable factors such as a thriving economy which means more job opportunities. Australia offers a permanent residency or PR visa to immigrants. The application is based on a points-based system. The points system helps to evaluate candidates based on certain criteria such as age, work experience, proficiency in English language, qualification, etc.

If you are thinking of applying for a PR visa you need to have a certain number of points to apply for it.

Eligibility requirements for PR visa:

PR visa applications are usually done through the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. This points-based system offers three visa categories:

Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189

Skilled Nominated Visa 190

Skilled regional (provisional) Subclass 489

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: You will gain a maximum of 30 points if your age is between 25 to 32 years.

Age	Points
18-24 years	25
25-32 years	30
33-39 years	25
40-44 years	15

English proficiency: A score of 8 bands in the IELTS exam can give you a maximum of 20 points. However, the Australian immigration authorities allow applicants to take any of the English proficiency tests such as IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc.  You can try for the required score in any of these tests.

Work experience: Skilled employment outside Australia with 8 to 10 years of experience counting back from the date of your PR application will give you 15 points, lesser years of experience means fewer points.

Skilled employment outside Australia	Points
Less than 3 years	0
3-4 years	5
5-7 years	10
8-10 years	15

Skilled employment in Australia with 8 to 10 years of experience from the date of application will give you a maximum of 20 points.

Skilled employment in Australia	Points
Less than 1 year	0
1-2 years	5
3-4 years	10
5-7 years	15
8-10 years	20

Education: Points for the education criteria depends on the educational qualification. Maximum points are given to a doctorate degree from an Australian university or a doctorate from a university outside Australia provided it is recognized by the Australian government.

Qualifications	Points
A Doctorate degree from an Australian university or institute outside Australia.	20
A Bachelor (or Masters) degree from an Australian university or institute outside Australia.	15
Diploma or trade qualification completed in Australia	10
Any qualification or award recognized by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation.	10
Niche skills such as Doctorate or master's degree in Australia	5

Spouse application: If your spouse is also an applicant for the PR visa, you will be eligible for an additional five points to your SkillSelect Expression of Interest. To get these additional five points, your spouse must meet the following requirements:

Should be less than 45 years of age

Should have the basic competent level scores in English

Job occupation code should appear in the same occupation list as the primary applicant list

Based on the proposed changes in the Australia points-based system from November 2019, applicants can gain points on the following criteria for spouse application. The table gives more details:

Spouse qualification	Points
Spouse has a PR visa or is an Australian citizen	10
Spouse has competent English and has a Positive Skill Assessment	10
Spouse has only competent English	5

Other qualifications:  You can gain points if you meet any of the following criteria.

Study in a regional area Accredited in community language Professional year in a skilled program in Australia State sponsorship (190 visa)

5 points 5 points 5 points 5 points

For the current year, you will need a minimum of 65 points to apply for your PR visa under the various sub-categories mentioned above.

If you are applying for an Australian PR visa and find the points-based system difficult to understand, consult an immigration expert for help.

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