Skilled Migration - Overview 

The Skilled Migration Program is designed to attract individuals who have skills in particular occupations required in Australia.

If you are a professional, tradesperson or recent graduate from an Australian university, you may qualify for permanent residency in Australia either independently or with the support of a sponsor.

Independent migrants have the least number of restrictions placed on them and this is the preferred option for eligible applicants who do not have an employer to sponsor them.

There are several visa options in the skilled migration program, most of which are points-tested. Points are awarded depending on your personal circumstances and take account of factors such as age, occupation, qualifications and work experience.

Threshold Criteria

There are certain basic requirements that you must meet before you can apply under the skilled migration categories:

• You must nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL)

  • You must demonstrate that you have worked in a skilled occupation for 12 months out of the last 24 months.

  • If you are a student in Australia, the above work experience requirements can be waived if you apply for skilled migration within 6 months of completing your course.

• You must be under 50 years of age
• You must have at least competent English.  
• You must have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing body. Generally speaking, this involves an assessment of your formal qualifications. For trade occupations, relevant vocational training, apprenticeships and work experience can be used in place of an academic qualification.