Australia PR Points Table: 189, 190 and 491 Visas

For the three points-tested Australian permanent residency pathways — the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), and the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) — the Australia PR points table sets a statutory minimum of 65, but the score that actually earns an invitation sits closer to 80–95 in most competitive occupations.1Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) Points-Tested Stream Points come from your age, English ability, qualifications, skilled work experience, partner situation, state nomination, and a handful of smaller bonuses. You claim them yourself in an Expression of Interest lodged through SkillSelect, and the Department of Home Affairs verifies them if you are invited to apply.2Australian Government – Department of Home Affairs. Expression of Interest

The Points Table at a Glance

Every category below draws from the same official points table used for subclasses 189, 190, and 491.3Department of Home Affairs. Points Table for Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) Maximums by category:

  • Age: up to 30
  • English proficiency: up to 20
  • Skilled employment (overseas + Australian combined): up to 20
  • Qualifications: up to 20
  • Australian study: 5
  • Specialist education (STEM Master’s by research or Doctorate): 10
  • Study in regional Australia: 5
  • Credentialled community language: 5
  • Professional Year: 5
  • Partner skills or single/PR partner: up to 10
  • State or territory nomination: 5 (190) or 15 (491)

Age Points

Age carries the single largest chunk of the table for younger applicants, and it’s a hard cutoff at 45 — you must be under 45 when the invitation is issued, and there is no workaround inside the points-tested visas.

  • 18 to 24: 25 points
  • 25 to 32: 30 points
  • 33 to 39: 25 points
  • 40 to 44: 15 points

Because the peak bracket ends at 32, applicants approaching 33 or 40 often race the clock to lodge before losing a bracket.

English Proficiency Points

English is tested through approved exams such as IELTS or PTE Academic, with results generally valid for three years from the test date.4Department of Home Affairs. Proficient English The scale rewards higher scores heavily:

  • Competent English: 0 points (this is the minimum you need to be eligible at all)
  • Proficient English: 10 points
  • Superior English: 20 points

The move from Competent to Superior is worth 20 points — the same as eight years of Australian skilled work experience. For anyone sitting close to a cutoff, retaking the test is usually the fastest way to lift a score.

Qualification Points

Qualifications are scored by level, whether earned in Australia or assessed as equivalent to Australian standards by the relevant assessing authority.

  • Doctorate: 20 points
  • Bachelor degree or higher, including a Master’s by coursework: 15 points
  • Diploma or trade qualification from an Australian institution: 10 points
  • Qualification recognised by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation: 10 points

Australian Study, STEM, and Regional Bonuses

Three separate education-related bonuses can stack on top of the qualification points above:

  • Australian study requirement (5 points): at least two academic years — 92 weeks of coursework taking no less than 16 calendar months — completed on a valid student visa. This can be one qualification or a combination.5Department of Home Affairs. Meeting the Australian Study Requirement
  • Specialist education (10 points): a Master’s by research or a Doctorate from an Australian institution in a relevant science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field, provided it included at least two academic years of study.
  • Study in regional Australia (5 points): a qualifying degree, diploma, or trade qualification completed while living and studying in a designated regional area.

A STEM doctoral candidate who studied regionally can therefore pick up 20 education bonus points on top of the 20 points for the doctorate itself.

Skilled Employment Points

Work experience is scored on two scales — one for overseas experience, one for Australian — and Australian work is weighted more heavily.

Overseas skilled employment:

  • Less than 3 years: 0 points
  • 3 to under 5 years: 5 points
  • 5 to under 8 years: 10 points
  • 8 or more years: 15 points

Australian skilled employment:

  • Less than 1 year: 0 points
  • 1 to under 3 years: 5 points
  • 3 to under 5 years: 10 points
  • 5 to under 8 years: 15 points
  • 8 or more years: 20 points

The combined total of overseas and Australian employment points is capped at 20. So if your overseas and Australian figures add to more than 20, you still receive only 20. The work must be in your nominated occupation or a closely related one, at least 20 hours per week of paid employment, and it must fall within the ten years before your invitation. “Closely related” is decided either by the occupation sitting in the same statistical unit group as your nominated role or by your assessing authority accepting the link.

Partner Points

Relationship status feeds into the score in a way that catches applicants out. Being single is not penalised — single applicants and those whose partner is already an Australian citizen or permanent resident both receive 10 points automatically.

If your partner is included in the application and is not a citizen or permanent resident, the points depend on their profile:

  • Partner is under 45, has competent English, and holds a positive skills assessment in an occupation on the same skilled occupation list as yours: 10 points
  • Partner has competent English but no skills assessment: 5 points

Partners include de facto and same-sex couples, but evidence of a genuine ongoing relationship — joint finances, cohabitation, shared commitments — is expected.

State and Territory Nomination Points

Nomination points differ by subclass. A subclass 190 nomination adds 5 points. A subclass 491 nomination, or an eligible family sponsorship for the 491, adds 15 points. The subclass 189 is fully independent and involves no nomination, so no bonus applies there.

Each state and territory runs its own nomination program with its own occupation list and its own extra conditions, which often include a minimum English score, a work experience threshold, and a commitment to live in the nominating jurisdiction. A 190 nomination commits you to live and work in that state or territory. A 491 ties you to a designated regional area for up to five years, after which you can apply for permanent residency. State nominations for 190 and 491 trigger an invitation directly and are not subject to the department’s general invitation rounds or occupation ceilings.6Department of Home Affairs. SkillSelect Invitation Rounds

Smaller Bonus Points

Three smaller categories can each add 5 points and are often where borderline applicants find their edge:

  • Credentialled community language: pass the NAATI Credentialled Community Language test or hold a NAATI translator or interpreter credential. This is separate from the English proficiency test and doesn’t require professional-level translation skill.7NAATI. Credentialed Community Language (CCL) Test
  • Professional Year: a 12-month Professional Year program in accounting, ICT, or engineering through an approved provider, completed within the four years before the invitation.8Department of Home Affairs. Points Table for Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489)
  • Study in regional Australia: a qualifying degree, diploma, or trade qualification that meets the Australian study requirement, completed while living and studying in an eligible regional area.

What Score Do You Actually Need

Sixty-five points gets your Expression of Interest into the pool. It rarely gets you invited. Invitation rounds pick the highest-scoring EOIs first, and where scores tie, the “date of effect” — when your EOI first reached that score — decides the order.6Department of Home Affairs. SkillSelect Invitation Rounds

The November 2025 round, the first of the 2025–26 program year, issued 10,300 invitations (10,000 for subclass 189 and 300 for 491 family sponsored). Minimum scores by occupation group were roughly:

  • Trades (carpenters, electricians, plumbers): 65 to 70
  • Healthcare (nurses, GPs, allied health): 75 to 80
  • Social work and psychology: 75 to 80
  • Education (early childhood, secondary): 75 to 85
  • Engineering (civil, structural, mining): 85 to 90
  • ICT and technology: 90 to 95+
  • Accounting and finance: 90 to 95

From the 2025–26 program year, subclass 189 invitation rounds have moved from monthly to quarterly, meaning fewer but larger rounds. Occupation ceilings also cap invitations to any one occupation group. With quarterly rounds, locking in your highest possible score early matters more than it used to, because the date of effect will decide more ties.

One Thing to Do Before You Rely on Your Score

A points total on its own is not enough to submit an EOI. You need a positive skills assessment from the authority designated for your nominated occupation first, and the department is explicit that you cannot rely on a skills assessment obtained after the invitation to apply.9Australian Government – Department of Home Affairs. Skills Assessment Different occupations go through different bodies — Engineers Australia for engineering, the Australian Computer Society for ICT, CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants for accounting, and so on. Processing often takes several months, and a positive assessment is generally valid for three years from issue, though this varies by authority.