Applicants with high-demand occupations now need 85 to 95 points to migrate to Australia
The bar has been raised for skilled migrants who apply for independent permanent residence through a Subclass 189 Visa – particularly for high-demand occupations such as accountants, engineers and IT professionals.
The 189 Visa is highly sought by skilled migrants because it provides access to permanent residence without requiring employer sponsorship. However, the process is very competitive as migrants first need to meet several points-tested requirements to be invited by the Government to apply for the visa.
According to recent Department of Home Affairs statistics, Expressions of Interests for a 189 Visa are lodged by a consistently large number of people with the below occupations.
In the June invitation round, applicants with these occupations needed a minimum of 85 to 90 points to receive an invitation – a further increase from May’s figures, which already recorded a high points minimum for these occupations.
Why points requirements for a 189 visa are increasing
As you can see below, only 100 invitations for a 189 Visa were issued to migrants Australia-wide in April and May 2019. Unfortunately, less invitations result in greater competition among skilled migrants and the need to achieve a higher minimum number of points to receive an invitation for a 189 Visa.
The trend for a high minimum number of points has continued through to June 2019 to align with the Government’s reduced permanent migration intake for 2019/20. Only 18,652 Skilled Independent Visa placements have been planned for 2019/20 – an allocation which includes the points-tested 189 Visa as well as placements for the 189 Visa – New Zealand Stream.
The reduced availability of invitations sets a very high standard for applicants migrating to Australia independently without an employer sponsor. The minimum number of points for a 189 visa invitation has now reached 85 points, which is a further increase from 80 points recorded since May. This is a significant figure considering the actual pass mark for the visa is 65 points.
Immigracious | Migration connections made simple
Australia will soon introduce changes to the points test in November 2019, which may give migrants opportunities to claim more points. Given the increased level of competition for independent skilled migration, we encourage you to contact Immigracious’ Registered Migration Agents on 08 6263 4406 or hello@immigracious.com.au to discuss how we can assist with the process of correctly claiming the maximum number of points for a 189 Visa.
Source:
The Department of Home Affairs – Skillselect
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