Australian PR points calculator
Answer eleven questions and see your skilled migration score, plus an honest read on whether a subclass 189, 190 or 491 is realistic at that number. No sign-up to see your score.
Work out your score
Where that score puts you
You need at least 65 points to submit an expression of interest.
Includes the 5 points a state nomination adds.
Includes the 15 points regional nomination adds.
These readings are based on recent invitation rounds and vary by occupation. A score that is competitive for a nurse may not be for an accountant.
Your score is only half the answer
The number above tells you where you stand. It does not tell you which states want your occupation, whether your skills assessment will land in the right ANZSCO code, or which ten points are cheapest for you to gain. That is a conversation, not a calculation.
- We check your occupation against the current lists and assessing authorities
- We tell you which states are realistically nominating at your score
- We map the cheapest points available to you, and what each one costs in time and money
Or send us your details
We reply within one working day. Your score comes through with the message.
No obligation, and confidential.
What your score actually means
Sixty-five points is the number everyone quotes. It is the threshold to submit an expression of interest, not the score that gets you invited. Those are two very different things, and the gap between them is where most applications quietly die.
65 points
Gets your expression of interest into SkillSelect. For a 189, in most occupations, it will sit there unread. Treat 65 as the entry fee, not the goal.
80 to 95 points
The band where 189 invitations are actually issued, and it moves by occupation and by round. Some trades clear at 65. Accounting and ICT have run far higher.
The 15-point shortcut
A regional nomination is worth 15 points on a 491, three times what a state nomination adds to a 190. For most people it is the single largest number available to them.
The full points table
Every factor in the points test, as it stands. This is what the calculator above is scoring you against.
| Factor | Detail | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 24 | 25 |
| 25 to 32 | 30 | |
| 33 to 39 | 25 | |
| 40 to 44 | 15 | |
| 45 and over | Not eligible | |
| English | Competent (IELTS 6 or PTE 50) | 0 |
| Proficient (IELTS 7 or PTE 65) | 10 | |
| Superior (IELTS 8 or PTE 79) | 20 | |
| Overseas skilled work | 3 to 4 years | 5 |
| 5 to 7 years | 10 | |
| 8 years or more | 15 | |
| Australian skilled work | 1 to 2 years | 5 |
| 3 to 4 years | 10 | |
| 5 to 7 years | 15 | |
| 8 years or more | 20 |
| Factor | Detail | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Doctorate | 20 |
| Bachelor or Master degree | 15 | |
| Diploma or trade qualification | 10 | |
| Specialist education | Australian STEM or ICT research Master or PhD | 10 |
| Australian study | Two academic years in Australia | 5 |
| Regional study | Studied and lived in a designated regional area | 5 |
| Professional Year | Completed in the last four years | 5 |
| Community language | NAATI credentialed, paraprofessional or above | 5 |
| Partner | Single, or partner is an Australian citizen or PR | 10 |
| Partner has skills assessment, competent English, under 45 | 10 | |
| Partner has competent English only | 5 | |
| Nomination | State nomination (subclass 190) | 5 |
| State or family sponsorship (subclass 491) | 15 |
Points rules last checked: 4 September 2026. Visa application charges and invitation cut-offs change more often than the points table itself. We re-check both after every invitation round.
Where people lose points without knowing
The 20-point work cap
Overseas and Australian experience are capped at 20 points combined. Ten years abroad plus five in Australia is not 25 points. Most online calculators get this wrong and hand people a score they will never actually receive.
Counting English by average
Superior English means 8 in every band, not an 8 overall. One 7.5 in writing costs you 10 points. This is the most common single reason a score comes in below what someone was promised.
Assuming a partner helps
A partner is worth 10 points only if they have their own skills assessment and competent English. Without either, being single would have scored you the same 10. A partner with nothing scores you zero.
Editing the expression of interest
Your date of effect is what orders the queue. Change something that raises your score and the clock resets to that day. People do this months in and lose their place without realising.
Common questions
Is this calculator official?
Does a higher score guarantee an invitation?
Can I lodge an expression of interest for all three visas at once?
My score is under 65. Is that the end of it?
Does my score change once I have lodged?
Talk to someone before you pay for a skills assessment
A skills assessment costs real money and takes months. It is worth twenty minutes to check you are applying to the right authority, in the right occupation, with a realistic score behind you.