Eligibility & suitability
Who can qualify
- Applicants with an eligible occupation, suitable skills evidence, competent English and at least 65 substantiated points, who receive an invitation.
- Applicants under 45 at invitation and meeting health, character and other visa requirements.
Restrictions & unsuitable cases
- Applicants assuming 65 points guarantees an invitation.
- People reaching 45 before invitation.
- Applicants whose claimed work, qualifications, English or partner points cannot be proven.
Application process & timeline
The wait for a SkillSelect invitation is separate from the formal application’s processing time.
01Choose the occupation and assess pointsBefore paying for assessments.
Map actual duties to an eligible occupation and identify the correct assessing authority. Calculate age, language, employment and partner claims conservatively. Check whether another migration stream better fits the facts.
Documents & evidence
- CV
- Duty descriptions
- Points worksheet
- Choosing a convenient occupation title inconsistent with the work
02Obtain or plan valid assessment and English evidenceProvider-dependent; validity dates matter.
Complete the relevant assessment and language work and understand any current invitation-period concession. Gather the employer and qualification evidence needed to defend the claims, not merely the minimum documents to enter an EOI.
Documents & evidence
- Assessment
- Language evidence
- Employment records
- Assuming any degree or test result is accepted
03Submit and maintain SkillSelect EOIInvitation timing is not guaranteed.
Enter accurate claims and update material changes. Monitor age and expiry dates. An EOI score is indicative and depends on the truth and validity of the evidence later supplied.
Documents & evidence
- EOI record
- Updated points evidence
- Leaving stale claims in the EOI
04Respond to an invitationLodge within sixty calendar days.
Check the invited score and substantiate every claim. File the formal visa application with the required household records and current charges. The invitation does not cure a points shortfall or a missing eligibility condition.
Documents & evidence
- Invitation
- Complete application
- Supporting evidence
- Discovering too late that claimed experience cannot be verified
05Complete checks and await a decisionUse current Home Affairs processing data as statistics, not promises.
Provide requested health, character and additional documents. Keep immigration status lawful if already in Australia and take advice before travel that may affect an application or bridging permission.
Documents & evidence
- Medical/police records
- Requests and responses
- Assuming a pending application supplies unrestricted travel rights
06Plan entry and tax residenceBefore establishing the Australian household.
Check the grant and entry instructions, then implement the family and business move. Preserve foreign asset and entity records and examine Australian tax obligations before large transactions. Plan resident-return or citizenship matters separately.
Documents & evidence
- Visa grant
- Asset/entity records
- Travel plan
- Treating permanent residence as a tax exemption
Document checklist
Track your preparation in this browser. Final requirements depend on the route and filing authority.
The core applicant
The points-tested subclass 189 route generally requires an eligible occupation, a suitable skills assessment, competent English, an invitation and an age under 45 at invitation, together with other conditions. The minimum points threshold is 65, but that does not guarantee selection. Actual invitation scores and priorities can be higher and vary by occupation.
Prepare the evidence before claiming points
Check the assessment authority, qualification and work-experience criteria for the nominated occupation. Obtain the required language evidence and confirm validity dates. Points claimed for experience, qualifications, partner skills and other factors must be supported. An optimistic expression of interest that cannot be substantiated can create difficulties at the visa stage.
Application sequence
Complete the relevant assessment and language work, submit an accurate expression of interest in SkillSelect, and keep it current. If invited, lodge the formal visa application within the invitation’s deadline. Supply identity, employment, qualifications, health, character and family documents through the required channel and respond to additional requests.
Timeframes and costs
Separate the wait for an invitation from the time to decide an application. Published processing data are not a promise for a particular applicant. Budget skills assessment, English tests, government charges for the household, medicals, police certificates and translations. Check current charges at lodgement rather than relying on a historic package quote.
The wider move
A successful visa allows a migration plan to proceed, but the tax review should precede establishing residence. Companies, trusts, investments and pensions may be affected by Australian residence and foreign-income rules. Do not sell a home or resign solely on an expression of interest. Other skilled or employer routes may fit better and should be compared using actual facts.
Points are claims that must survive verification
The minimum eligibility score is 65, but an invitation can require a higher score and depends on the selection process. Age points change by band, and the applicant must be under 45 when invited. Someone who turns 45 after lodging an EOI but before invitation cannot rely on the younger age at submission.
Employment points require the nominated or a closely related skilled occupation, relevant dates and the applicable work threshold. The official table defines employment for this purpose as remunerated work for at least twenty hours a week and caps combined employment points. Job titles alone do not prove duties. Obtain employer statements and supporting payroll/tax evidence that describe actual skilled work, and reconcile them with the skills assessor’s treatment.
Assessments, English and family evidence
The relevant assessing authority determines the skills assessment, and professional registration can be relevant for specified occupations. Home Affairs’ current page recognises a suitable assessment obtained within the sixty-day invitation period in the stated circumstances, while other validity and assessment requirements continue to apply. Do not generalise this into permission to claim unverified qualifications or ignore an expired assessment.
Partner points have their own age, skills, English and visa-applicant conditions. Record the version of every result and its validity date. A higher test score or newly completed experience can change the EOI, but only claim a fact when it is genuinely achieved and supported. Invitation-to-lodgement is too short to discover that an employer will not verify the work history.
From permanent visa to a sustainable move
A visa grant does not tell you the date Australian tax residence begins. Review the location of your home and family, foreign companies and trusts, investment cost bases and any departure obligations in the country you leave. A remote business can continue commercially while its tax position changes substantially when its owner settles in Australia.
The total application budget includes assessments, language testing, government charges, health checks, police records, translations and professional assistance. Those costs do not include relocation or the recurring cost of running the business under the new tax and employment rules. Compare employer-sponsored or state-nominated options where appropriate rather than assuming the independent route is always faster.
How Offshore Capitalist can help
Share your current residence, nationality, business activities and intended changes through the inquiry form or WhatsApp. We can assess the cross-border issues, explain the work required and coordinate the agreed implementation. For this jurisdiction, local regulated work and government decisions remain with the relevant qualified providers and authorities. We confirm scope and fees before starting.
Sources & research notes5 references
Sources supporting this guide. Research draft awaiting editorial review.