Australia Skilled Migration: Find Your Visa Route

You have skills, experience and a plan to move to Australia, but the visa system looks like a wall of numbers and acronyms. The good news is that Australia skilled migration follows a clear order. Once you know the order, it's much easier to see which route fits you.

This beginner's route-finder walks you through it one step at a time, in plain English. Rules, lists and fees change often, so check everything on the Department of Home Affairs website before you act.

How Australia skilled migration works

Australia's skilled visas fall into two main groups.

Points-tested visas don't need an employer. You score points for things like your age, English, work experience and qualifications. Then you wait to be invited. These are the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Employer-sponsored visas need a business to back you. The main one is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Home Affairs says it lets employers bring in skilled workers when they can't find a suitably skilled Australian.

Step 1: Check if your job is on a skills list

Everything starts with your occupation. Home Affairs publishes a combined list of eligible skilled occupations. For each job, it shows:

• the ANZSCO code, which stands for Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations
• which list the job is on
• any caveats, meaning conditions that stop the job being used in some cases
• the assessing authority, the body that checks your skills

There are four lists. The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) is used for the 482 visa. The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and Regional Occupation List (ROL) apply to other skilled visas.

If your job isn't on the list for a visa, that visa isn't open to you. Don't pay for tests until you've checked this.

Step 2: Get a skills assessment first

A skills assessment is an independent check of your qualifications and work experience. It's done by the assessing authority for your occupation, not by Home Affairs.

For the points-tested visas, you need your skills assessment before you submit your expression of interest. Home Affairs asks for the assessment date, the name of the assessing authority and the reference number.

Each authority sets its own rules, documents and fees. Some ask for detailed job references, pay slips or certified copies. Start early, because this step can take a while.

Step 3: Understand the points test

An expression of interest (EOI) is an online profile you create in SkillSelect, the government's system for skilled migrants. It tells Home Affairs you'd like to be invited to apply.

As you fill in your EOI, you give details about your personal, educational and work background. SkillSelect uses them to show an estimated points score. You don't upload documents at this stage, but you must be able to prove every claim later.

To be invited, you must meet or exceed 65 points. Home Affairs is clear that meeting the threshold doesn't guarantee an invitation. The exact points for each factor are in the official points table, and there's a points calculator on the Home Affairs site.

A simple example

Imagine Ravi, an accountant in Colombo. He finds his occupation on the combined list and sees which body assesses accountants. He gets a positive skills assessment, then takes an English test.

When he fills in his EOI, SkillSelect shows he's just over 65 points. He also applies for state nomination to improve his chances. This is a made-up example, and a real invitation would depend on demand for his occupation and other applicants' scores.

Step 4: Consider state nomination and regional visas

State nomination means a state or territory government chooses to support your application. It's needed for the 190 visa. Each state and territory sets its own criteria and occupation needs, and these change often.

The 491 visa is a provisional visa, meaning it's temporary and can lead to permanent residence later if you meet the rules. It's for skilled people nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative, to live and work in regional Australia.

Regional routes can suit people who are flexible about where they live. Read each state's official migration website before you apply, and only apply to states where you'd genuinely settle.

Step 5: Employer sponsorship through Skills in Demand

If an Australian employer wants to hire you, the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) may be the faster route. It doesn't use the points test.

The employer must be an approved sponsor and nominate your position. For the Core Skills stream, your job needs to be on the Core Skills Occupation List. Salary thresholds apply and are updated each year, so check the current figures on Home Affairs.

If you'd also like to compare a nearby option, read our guide to New Zealand Green List jobs.

Your step-by-step checklist

1. Find your occupation on the combined skilled occupation list and note its ANZSCO code.
2. Check which visas the occupation can be used for.
3. Get a skills assessment from the right assessing authority.
4. Take an approved English test and aim for your best score.
5. Submit your EOI in SkillSelect and keep it up to date.
6. Apply for state nomination if you're aiming for a 190 or 491.
7. Lodge your visa application within 60 days if you're invited.

Common mistakes

• Paying for tests before checking the list. Confirm your occupation first.
• Picking the wrong ANZSCO code. Choose the one that matches your real duties.
• Submitting an EOI without a skills assessment. You need it for the points-tested visas.
• Claiming points you can't prove. Home Affairs checks the evidence later.
• Assuming 65 points means an invitation. It's the minimum, not a promise.
• Paying for sponsorship. That's a serious risk to you and your visa.

What to do next

Look up your occupation on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list today and note the assessing authority. Then use the points calculator to see where you stand.

Before you commit, work out what the move will cost with our guide to relocation costs for moving abroad. If you've been refused before, read what to do after a visa refusal first.