Invitation round 14 August 2020
Many applicants are asking "Are 65 points enough to receive an invitation for a Skilled Independent subclass189 visa?" Unfortunately, although you can lodge an Expression of Interest with 65 points, the Department of Home Affairs have not invited applicants for a considerable time with 65 points as only the highest ranked applicants by
points score are being invited to apply for a subclass 189 visa for
Australia.
Skilled Independent - subclass 189
In the last published invitation round held on 14 August 2020, a total of 110 applicants with a points score of 90 were invited to submit a Skilled Independent visa application. Applicants who received an invitation mainly comprised of registered nurses and other key health workers as the trend continues to target critical workers to assist Australia’s response to COVID-19 and economic recovery. Please click on the following link for details on the current and previous invitation rounds. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skillselect/invitation-rounds
Family Sponsored
A total of 90 applicants with 75 points or more who were sponsored by a close relative residing in regional Australia also received invitations under visa subclass 491.
State/territory nomination
Applicants being nominated by a state or territory government (sub
classes 190 and 491) are not subject to to monthly invitation rounds and
will automatically receive an invitation once the nomination has been
approved.
The 2020/2021 skilled program has yet to be announced and until the Commonwealth governments allocation of state nomination places has been agreed, the State and Territory governments will be unable to nominate applicants in the Skilled Nominated and Skilled Regional visa sub classes 190 and 491. When the program does open, places for nomination will be competitive and are likely to be filled quickly. You may therefore wish to consider proceeding with the skills assessment and English language test now as this will place you in the best possible position when the program commences in the next few months.
Each state and territory has different selection criteria but if you are nominated you will automatically be invited by the DHA to submit a visa application. All applicants will need to demonstrate a commitment to residing in the nominating state or territory and other factors which may influence the decision to nominate include the number of years work experience, specialised skills, employability, English language skills, relatives already residing in the state or territory, settlement funds and overall points score.
SkillSelect comprises of 3 main visa streams for General Skilled Migration applicants.
Skilled Independent - visa subclass 189
This visa class will enable you to reside permanently anywhere in Australia. Generally, if you select this visa option you can claim points for your age, qualification(s), work experience and English via a test.
Skilled Nominated visa - subclass 190 (5 points for the nomination)
To be able to apply for this visa you will need to have an occupation on a state/territory skills in demand list and be committed to residing in the nominating state or territory for 2 years.
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa - subclass 491 (15 points for the nomination or sponsorship)
This visa class requires you to be nominated by a state or territory government or sponsored by a close relative residing in regional Australia (anywhere except Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane).