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How many points do I need for Australia PR?

The legal minimum to lodge an expression of interest for Australia's points-tested visas is 65 points. Invitations are ranked, so the score that actually gets invited depends on the occupation and the round; recent 189 invitations have commonly needed 85 or more, while state-nominated 190 and regional 491 routes invite lower scores.

Where the points come from

The points test is published in full by the Department of Home Affairs. The main factors:

  • Age: 25 points at 18 to 24, 30 at 25 to 32, 25 at 33 to 39, 15 at 40 to 44, none from 45.
  • English: Competent (IELTS 6.0 each) is required but scores nothing. Proficient (7.0 each) scores 10. Superior (8.0 each) scores 20.
  • Skilled employment outside Australia: 5 points for three years, 10 for five, 15 for eight, in your nominated occupation or closely related.
  • Qualifications: 10 for a diploma or trade qualification, 15 for a bachelor's or master's, 20 for a doctorate.
  • Nomination: 5 for a state nomination (190), 15 for a regional nomination (491).
  • Partner: 10 if your partner has a skills assessment and competent English, 5 if they have competent English only, and 10 if you are single.
  • Smaller items: Australian study, regional study, a professional year, a community language credential, and specialist STEM qualifications.

What "enough" looks like

Sixty-five points lets you lodge. It does not get you invited. Invitation rounds publish the lowest score invited in each occupation, and for the 189 visa that figure has commonly sat at 85 or higher in recent rounds, with popular IT and accounting occupations above that. States invite lower, sometimes from 65, because their lists are shorter and their quotas are their own.

The two levers that move most people

English, and the nomination. Going from Proficient to Superior English is worth 10 points; a regional nomination is worth 15. Together they turn a 65 into a 90.

Run the Australia points calculator with your real IELTS bands, not the overall score.

Sources

Checked against these on by Hari Prasad, Head of Sales — Australia Migration. Immigration rules change without notice — if you are reading this much later, check them again.