General Skilled Migration is the points-tested migration framework commonly used for the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa and Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa.

Applicants commonly require an eligible occupation, suitable skills assessment, competent English, sufficient points and an invitation to apply.

The Subclass 189 visa is an independent permanent visa that does not require state nomination.

The Subclass 190 visa is a permanent visa requiring nomination by an Australian state or territory. The Subclass 491 visa is a provisional regional visa requiring state nomination or eligible family sponsorship.

Yes. Your nominated occupation must be eligible for the intended visa pathway and linked to the correct designated skills assessing authority.

An occupation available for one visa subclass may not necessarily be available for every skilled visa or state nomination program.

Points-tested skilled visas generally require the primary applicant to be under 45 when invited to apply. Age also affects the number of points available.

Timing is important because a birthday can alter the points score or eligibility before invitation.

It depends on the nominated occupation, skills assessing authority, points profile and visa pathway. Some occupations and assessment pathways require employment experience, while others may be assessed primarily through qualifications.

Even where work experience is not essential for the skills assessment, limited employment points may make an invitation less competitive.

The current minimum points threshold is generally 65 points. However, reaching 65 points does not guarantee an invitation.

Actual invitation competitiveness can depend on the nominated occupation, visa subclass, state nomination criteria, available places and other selection priorities.

Not necessarily. Sixty-five points may satisfy the minimum eligibility threshold, but some occupations require substantially stronger scores to be competitive.

Historical invitation outcomes can provide context but do not guarantee future results.

Subclass 190 state nomination generally contributes five points. Subclass 491 nomination or eligible family sponsorship generally contributes 15 points.

The points do not remove the need to satisfy the separate state, regional or family-sponsorship requirements.

Yes. Competent English generally satisfies the baseline English requirement but ordinarily provides no additional English points. Proficient English may provide 10 points and Superior English may provide 20 points.

The required scores depend on the approved test, individual component results and test date.

Potentially. Partner points can depend on the partner’s age, English ability, nominated occupation, skills assessment and whether the relevant requirements are satisfied at the required time.

Other points arrangements may apply where the applicant is single or has a partner who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

A suitable skills assessment is generally required for a points-tested skilled visa pathway. SkillSelect asks for the assessing authority, assessment date and assessment reference information.

The assessment should correspond with the occupation entered in the EOI.

The designated authority depends on the nominated occupation. Common authorities include VETASSESS, ACS, Engineers Australia, AITSL, ANMAC, Trades Recognition Australia and accounting professional bodies.

The correct authority should be confirmed through the official skilled occupation list.

No. Occupation selection should consider your actual duties, level of responsibility, qualifications and employment history.

Similar job titles may correspond with different occupation classifications and different assessing authorities.

No. A positive skills assessment addresses one component of the skilled migration process.

You must separately satisfy the points test, English, occupation-list, invitation, nomination, health, character and visa requirements.

No. An EOI is a profile submitted through SkillSelect. It records your interest in skilled migration and contains your points and eligibility claims.

A visa application can generally be lodged only after a valid invitation is issued.

An EOI generally remains active for two years from submission. During that period, the applicant may be considered for invitation.

The EOI should remain accurate and be updated when relevant circumstances change.

Yes. An EOI can generally be updated before invitation. Updates may include:

• New employment experience
• A higher qualification
• An improved English result
• A new skills assessment
• Changes to relationship or family circumstances

Some changes may affect the points score or EOI date of effect.

Applicants may consider different visa, occupation or state nomination strategies, but every EOI must be accurate and based on claims that can be supported.

Multiple EOIs should be planned carefully to avoid inconsistent information or an invitation under a pathway the applicant cannot substantiate.

No. An EOI is not a visa application and ordinarily does not create a bridging visa or provide lawful status in Australia.

Applicants in Australia must separately maintain a valid visa status.

You must satisfy the Department’s visa requirements and the separate criteria of the nominating state or territory.

Depending on the jurisdiction, the process may involve a SkillSelect EOI, Registration of Interest, state application portal or invitation from the jurisdiction.

This depends on the current rules of each jurisdiction and the information recorded in the EOI.

Some programs permit broader interest while others expect a genuine commitment or exclusive nomination preference.

No. State nomination is competitive and discretionary. Meeting published minimum requirements does not guarantee that a jurisdiction will invite or nominate an applicant.

Selection may depend on occupation demand, employment, salary, location, points, available allocations and workforce priorities.

A state-nominated Subclass 491 application requires nomination from a state or territory. A family-sponsored pathway requires sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area.

The pathways have separate occupation, invitation and eligibility considerations.

A spouse or de facto partner may generally be included where the relationship and family-member requirements are satisfied.

The partner may need identity, relationship, health, character and English evidence.

Dependent children may be included where they satisfy the applicable family-member and dependency requirements.

Birth certificates, custody documents, parental consent, dependency evidence, health examinations and character documents may be required.

Often it is worth comparing both partners. The stronger primary applicant may have a more favourable occupation, skills assessment, English result, age profile, employment history or state nomination pathway.

The correct structure should be assessed before preparing the EOI.

There is no single guaranteed timeframe. The total process may include time for the skills assessment, English testing, EOI selection, state nomination, invitation and Departmental visa processing.

Visa processing can be affected by application complexity, program places, health and character checks, external agency information and whether the application is complete.

Documents commonly include:

• Identity and civil-status documents
• Skills assessment evidence
• English test evidence
• Qualifications and academic transcripts
• Employment references and financial records
• Partner and child documents
• State nomination or sponsorship records
• Health and character documents

The exact checklist depends on the claims and circumstances of the application.

Applicants should not assume that the Department will always request missing evidence before deciding an application.

A complete, decision-ready application should be lodged wherever possible.

Yes. The invitation is generated using the information recorded in the EOI, but the Department later assesses whether the applicant can prove the invited points and eligibility claims.

Unsupported employment, English, education, partner or nomination claims may place the visa application at risk.

No. State nomination and the visa application are separate assessments.

The Department still assesses the applicant’s age, points, occupation, skills assessment, English, health, character and supporting documents.