Australia Immigration
Australian Skilled Migration Visa Subclasses and Eligibility
Australia selects skilled migrants through a points-tested system and a set of employer-sponsored routes. This page sets out the principal visa subclasses, how candidates are assessed, and what the process requires.
Occupation Assessment
Points Calculation
Documentation Support
Why Australia
Why Applicants
Why Applicants
Choose Australia
Australia remains one of the most established destinations for skilled applicants from India. Six features of its system account for this.
Published Points Test
The points table and occupation lists are public, allowing candidates to calculate their position before committing.
Routes Without Sponsorship
The Skilled Independent visa requires no employer, state nomination or family sponsor.
Family Included
A partner and dependent children may be included in the same application, and partner skills can add points.
Medicare Access
Permanent visa holders may enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health system.
Regional Incentives
Regional nomination carries additional points and access to a wider occupation list.
Route to Citizenship
Permanent residence leads to citizenship eligibility once the residency requirement is satisfied.
Visa Subclasses
The Principal
The Principal
Visa Subclasses
Australia's skilled programme divides into points-tested routes, where you apply on your own profile, and employer-sponsored routes, which require a nominating business.
Points-Tested
Skilled Independent 189
A permanent visa requiring no sponsorship. Candidates submit an Expression of Interest and are invited based on their points score and nominated occupation.
Points-Tested
Skilled Nominated 190
A permanent visa requiring nomination by an Australian state or territory, which adds points. Holders are expected to settle in the nominating state.
Points-Tested
Skilled Work Regional 491
A provisional visa for regional Australia, requiring state nomination or eligible family sponsorship. Carries additional points and a defined pathway to permanent residence.
Employer-Sponsored
Skills in Demand 482
A temporary employer-sponsored visa operating across Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams, requiring an approved sponsoring business.
Employer-Sponsored
Employer Nomination 186
A permanent employer-sponsored visa for skilled workers nominated by an approved Australian business.
Employer-Sponsored
Regional Employer 494
A provisional visa for skilled workers sponsored by an employer in regional Australia, with a pathway to permanent residence.
How They Work
How Applications
How Applications
Are Assessed
Points-tested applications turn on four requirements. Failing any one of them ends the application regardless of how the others score.
Nominated Occupation
Your occupation must appear on the relevant skilled occupation list for the subclass you are applying under.
Skills Assessment
A positive assessment from the authority designated for your occupation, confirming qualifications and experience meet Australian standards.
The Points Test
The pass mark is 65 points, though invitation rounds routinely require considerably more depending on occupation.
Age and English
Applicants must generally be under 45 at the time of invitation, with at least competent English evidenced by an approved test.
Our Process
The Skilled Migration
The Skilled Migration
Process
The skills assessment must be completed before an Expression of Interest can be submitted, and it commonly takes two to three months. The timeline begins there.
01
Occupation Check
Confirm the occupation appears on the relevant skilled list.
02
Skills Assessment
Apply to the assessing authority designated for that occupation.
03
EOI via SkillSelect
Submit the Expression of Interest with points calculated correctly.
04
Invitation and Lodgement
Lodge the full application within the period stated in the invitation.
05
Decision
The outcome rests with the Department of Home Affairs.
Why Meeras Resource
Occupation Selection
Occupation Selection
Determines Everything
That Follows
The nominated occupation dictates which subclasses are open, which assessing authority applies, and whether any state will nominate you. An incorrect selection at the outset invalidates the skills assessment and the points claimed. We establish the correct occupation first, then calculate the score against current invitation rounds.
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Occupation Assessment
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Points Calculation
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Skills Assessment Guidance
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State Nomination Advice
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Documentation Support
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Transparent Process
Other Categories
Other Australian
Other Australian
Visa Categories
Beyond skilled migration, several temporary categories are commonly used as a first stage or for a specific purpose.
Student 500
The principal route for international study. See our study visa guidance.
Temporary Graduate 485
For eligible international graduates, allowing a period of work in Australia after completing a qualifying course.
Training 407
For individuals undertaking structured workplace-based occupational training with an approved sponsor.
Visitor 600
Tourism, family visits and short-term business activity. See our visitor visa guidance.
In Demand
Occupations
Occupations
in Demand
State nomination streams and occupation lists both target specific fields. Your occupation affects your prospects alongside your points score.
Healthcare and Nursing
Registered nurses, allied health and aged care, consistently prioritised across most states and territories.
Engineering
Civil, mechanical, electrical and mining engineering, supported by infrastructure and resources activity.
Technology
Software engineering, cyber-security, data and cloud roles across the major metropolitan markets.
Skilled Trades
Electricians, carpenters, plumbers and automotive technicians, strongly represented on regional lists.
Construction
Project management, quantity surveying and site supervision across residential and infrastructure projects.
Finance and Accounting
Accounting, audit and financial analysis, subject to occupation ceilings in some invitation rounds.
Client Stories
Real Journeys. Real Experiences.
Hear from clients about their experience working with Meeras Resource and what the process involved.
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Verified client experiences
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Transparent guidance
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Client-focused support
Start Your Journey
Calculate Your
Calculate Your
Points Score
Share your age, qualification, English test results and years of work experience. We will confirm which occupation applies, calculate your points, and assess that score against recent invitation rounds.
Request an Assessment →
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Australian Migration?
Answers on subclasses, points, skills assessment, age limits and regional pathways.
This depends on whether you hold sponsorship. The Skilled Independent visa subclass 189 requires none. Subclass 190 requires state nomination and subclass 491 requires regional nomination or family sponsorship, both adding points. The employer-sponsored subclasses 482, 186 and 494 each require a nominating business.
The pass mark is 65 points, but meeting it only permits an Expression of Interest to be submitted. Invitations are issued to the highest-ranked candidates in each occupation, and competitive occupations routinely require substantially more. The relevant benchmark is the recent invitation cut-off for your occupation, not the pass mark.
Not for the points-tested subclasses. Subclass 189 requires no sponsorship at all, and subclasses 190 and 491 require nomination by a state or region rather than an employer. The 482, 186 and 494 subclasses do require an approved sponsoring business.
A formal evaluation by the authority designated for your nominated occupation, confirming that your qualifications and work experience meet Australian standards. A positive assessment is required before an Expression of Interest can be submitted, and it commonly takes two to three months.
Applicants for the points-tested skilled subclasses must generally be under 45 at the time of invitation. Points awarded for age also reduce as you get older, so the same profile scores differently at 32 and at 42. Age is frequently the decisive factor in whether a profile remains competitive.
Skills assessment commonly takes two to three months and state nomination a similar period. Processing times after lodgement vary by subclass and are published by the Department of Home Affairs. Preparing a competitive profile beforehand usually accounts for more of the overall timeline than processing itself.
Subclass 491 is provisional and carries a defined pathway to permanent residence, subject to conditions including a minimum period living and working in a designated regional area and meeting the applicable income requirement. It is not automatic and the conditions must be satisfied in full.
A partner and dependent children may be included within the same application. Partner skills can also contribute points where the partner meets the age, English and skills assessment criteria, so assessing both profiles together is worthwhile before submitting an Expression of Interest.