Australian PR Points Calculator – Subclass 491

The following Australian PR points calculator table is for the Skilled Work Regional Provisional Visa (subclass 491), which is a points-based visa for skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian state or territory government. This temporary visa lets skilled workers live and work in a designated regional area of Australia. Applicants are invited to apply based on the claims made in their Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. The points system evaluates several factors including age, English proficiency, skilled employment, and more.

Here is a breakdown of how points are awarded under different categories:

Age

• 18 to 24 years: 25 points  
• 25 to 32 years: 30 points  
• 33 to 39 years: 25 points  
• 40 to 44 years: 15 points  

 English Language Skills

• Competent English: 0 points  
• Proficient English: 10 points  
• Superior English: 20 points  

Skilled Employment Experience

Overseas Skilled Employment (Outside Australia)

• Less than 3 years: 0 points  
• 3 to less than 5 years: 5 points  
• 5 to less than 8 years: 10 points  
• 8 years or more: 15 points  

Australian Skilled Employment (Within Australia)

• Less than 1 year: 0 points  
• 1 to less than 3 years: 5 points  
• 3 to less than 5 years: 10 points  
• 5 to less than 8 years: 15 points  
• 8 years or more: 20 points  

Note: Employment must be in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related one, and it must be within the last 10 years before being invited to apply.

Educational Qualifications

• Doctorate from an Australian or recognised institution: 20 points  
• Bachelor’s degree from an Australian or recognised institution: 15 points  
• Diploma or trade qualification from an Australian institution: 10 points  
• Qualification recognised by the relevant authority for your nominated skilled occupation: 10 points  

Specialist Education Qualification

• Master’s degree by research or Doctorate from an Australian institution (with at least 2 academic years of study in a relevant field): 10 points  
  • Eligible fields include Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and certain ICT sectors.

Australian Study Requirement

• Meeting the Australian study requirement: 5 points
  • This applies if you have a degree, diploma, or trade qualification from an Australian institution that satisfies the study requirement.

Professional Year in Australia

• Completion of a Professional Year in Australia: 5 points
  • The Professional Year must be in Accounting, ICT/Computing, or Engineering and completed within four years before receiving the invitation.

Credentialled Community Language

• Holding a recognised credential in a community language: 5 points
  • This applies if accredited at paraprofessional or certified provisional level by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Study in Regional Australia

• Qualification obtained while living and studying in regional Australia: 5 points
  • The qualification must meet the Australian study requirement and have been obtained in a designated regional area.

Partner Skills

• Partner meets age, English, and skill criteria: 10 points  
• Partner has competent English only: 5 points 
• You are single or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident: 10 points
  • Your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and meet the relevant criteria to claim points.

Nomination or Sponsorship

• Nominated by a State or Territory government, or sponsored by an eligible family member: 15 points
  • For nomination or sponsorship, your nominating agency or sponsoring family member must maintain their support for your visa application to earn these points.

By understanding this points system, you can better assess your eligibility for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491). Meeting the minimum points requirement is essential for being invited to apply under the SkillSelect system.

State Nomination

State nomination enables a state government to nominate highly skilled migrants to meet its skills shortages in key industry sectors that have been identified by that state as critical.

For skilled migrants, state nomination can assist them to qualify for a skilled migration visa from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs (DHA), providing additional points toward their visa application.

Under state nomination, there are two skilled migration visa options available:

• Skilled Nominated (Permanent) Visa (Subclass 190) – This is a permanent visa that allows skilled migrants to live and work anywhere in the state that nominates the applicant. You must be nominated by a state before you are invited by the DHA to apply for the visa.
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491) – This is a state nominated provisional visa for skilled migrants that allows them to live and work in designated regional areas in that state for up to five years and can provide a pathway to permanent residency.

To be eligible for one of the state’s nomination pathways, your occupation must be on the eligible skilled occupation list.

Every state/territory has its own eligibility requirements for nomination. You must ensure that you meet these requirements to be eligible to receive your nomination. Every state has its own nomination obligations which you need to sign on a declaration form before receiving your nomination. If you are nominated, you must meet those obligations.

Once you are nominated, you will be invited by the DHA to apply for your visa. The DHA has its own set of eligibility requirements that an applicant needs to meet before a visa can be granted.

We have a detailed article about this which you can read here.

Amitava Deb

• Amitava is a gold medallist from India’s premier technical institute, IIT Kharagpur.
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