At Heenan & Browne Visa and Migration Services, we guide individuals through the complexities of Australia’s skilled migration program with clarity and expertise. If you’re considering a Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), or Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), understanding how your application is assessed under the points test is essential.
Many applicants focus on submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and waiting for an invitation. But the process is more involved—and getting it right from the start is crucial. Here’s what you need to know about the points test and how to give yourself the best chance of success.
When you submit an EOI, you’re asked to estimate your score based on the information you provide. This number is what the Department uses to decide whether to invite you—but it’s not your final score. After you apply for the visa, a decision-maker will assess the actual evidence you provide and assign your official score.
If your claims can’t be substantiated, your real score may be lower, and your visa application could be refused—even if you received an invitation. This is a common but preventable issue that we help clients avoid.
One of the most misunderstood aspects of the points test is timing. Many applicants assume that the rules that applied when they lodged their application will protect their eligibility. That’s not the case.
Your final points are assessed based on the legislation and policy in place when your application is reviewed, not when it was submitted. That means if the points test criteria change while your application is in the queue, the new rules will apply. This makes it essential to lodge a complete, decision-ready application and stay informed of any upcoming changes.
To apply for a skilled visa, you need to nominate an occupation on the relevant list and prove your skills through an assessment by the official assessing authority for that occupation. Your skills assessment must be:
Completed for the same occupation listed in your EOI and invitation
Valid at the time you were invited to apply
Conducted by the correct assessing authority
For partner points, your spouse or de facto partner must also have a valid skills assessment for a listed occupation if you’re claiming them as a skilled partner.
It’s important to note that being a member of a professional association does not count as a skills assessment. The Department also looks at whether your employment experience and job duties match the responsibilities expected in your nominated occupation.
For certain regulated occupations such as doctors, solicitors, and barristers, the skills assessment process works a little differently. For medical practitioners, the Department accepts evidence of full registration or conditional specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a suitable skills assessment. Similarly, for solicitors and barristers, evidence of admission to the Supreme Court of an Australian state or territory, or to the relevant Legal Admissions Authority, is accepted as proof of skills suitability.
Your English skills are a major part of the points test, and for good reason. The higher your English language proficiency, the more points you can claim:
Basic competent English is the minimum requirement to apply
Higher scores—proficient or superior English—can give you 10 or 20 points
To prove your level of English, you must take an approved language test (such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT, or PTE Academic) and achieve the required scores in one sitting, within three years before your invitation. There are no exceptions to this requirement, and the Department only accepts specific test providers.
For a skilled visa everyone must provide an approved English test result—even if you’re from an English-speaking country or completed your education in English. Unlike some other visa streams, the skilled visa program does not grant exemptions based solely on your passport (e.g., from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland) or education history. To claim points for proficient or superior English, or to meet the minimum competent English requirement, applicants must achieve the required scores in an approved test such as IELTS, PTE Academic, or TOEFL iBT. The only limited exception is for demonstrating competent English, which may be satisfied by holding a passport from certain specified countries ( the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and New Zealand)—but this does not grant points, only meets the base requirement. To claim points, a test is always required.
For applicants claiming partner points, your partner must also prove their English ability through a recognised test.
Skilled work experience is another major factor in the points test, but strict rules apply. Your employment must:
Be in your nominated occupation or a closely related one
Be paid work for at least 20 hours per week
Occur within the last 10 years before your invitation
Unpaid work, internships, or volunteer roles don’t count—even if they were full-time. Likewise, experience gained while breaching your visa conditions (such as working too many hours on a student visa) is excluded.
Work placements completed as part of a Professional Year program also don’t count as skilled employment for points purposes. Only properly paid and appropriately skilled work experience is recognised.
You can gain extra points depending on your partner’s skills, English level, or even their citizenship status:
10 points if your partner is under 45, has a valid skills assessment, and speaks competent English
5 points if they speak competent English but don’t meet the full skilled partner criteria
10 points if you’re single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident
However, these conditions must be met at the time of invitation—not just at application. Also, your relationship status is checked again at the time your visa is decided. Providing inconsistent or misleading information here can lead to refusal.
There are several other ways to improve your score, including:
Studying and living in a designated regional area of Australia for at least two academic years (5 points)
Being nominated by a state or territory government (5 points for subclass 190)
Being sponsored by an eligible family member in a regional area or nominated for a regional visa (15 points for subclass 491)
Holding a credentialed community language qualification through NAATI (5 points)
You must provide strong evidence for each of these claims. For example, to prove you lived and studied in a regional area, you may need to provide rental agreements, utility bills, and academic transcripts from a regional campus.
After your points are formally assessed, that decision is final. Even if you realise an error was made or gain more points later, the Department can’t go back and adjust your score. That’s why it’s critical to get your application right the first time.
This also applies to state nominations or regional sponsorships. If your nomination is withdrawn after your points are assessed, the points remain, but your visa may still be refused if you no longer meet the nomination criteria.
The Department applies strict integrity checks. Providing false or misleading information or documents can lead to an automatic refusal under integrity rules—and possibly affect future visa applications.
This is especially important for skills assessments, employment evidence, relationship claims, and English test results. The consequences of an error or exaggeration—intentional or not—can be severe.
We’re more than just paperwork processors. Our expert migration agents help you:
Understand which points-tested visa best suits your profile (subclass 189, 190, or 491)
Assess your eligibility under current policy and regulations
Prepare a compliant and strategic Expression of Interest
Maximise your score with full legal accuracy
Avoid common pitfalls that lead to visa refusal
We stay across every policy update, legislative amendment, and migration directive, so you don’t have to.
If you’re planning to apply for a skilled visa, we can provide tailored advice, identify risks, and guide you through each stage of the process. Book a consultation today with Heenan & Browne Visa and Migration Services and get expert help navigating Australia’s points-tested migration system.
