General Skilled Migration points test changes came into effect on 16 November 2019

On 16 November 2019, changes were made to the points test for visas under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) category. These changes apply to all GSM visa applications that had not been assessed under the GSM prior to 16 November 2019.

Changes to partner points

15 points

You are now eligible to claim 15 points, up from 10 points previously, if you:

• Seek a subclass 491 visa nomination from a State or Territory government agency; or
• Are sponsored by an eligible family member.

10 points

If you meet either of the criteria below, you’re now eligible to claim 10 points:

• You do not have a spouse or de facto partner; or
• You have a spouse or de facto partner who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

10 points, increased from 5 points

Should you meet the criteria below, you’re now eligible to claim 10 points – previously it was only 5 points:

• You have a skilled spouse or de facto partner who:
  • Will be included in the visa application for the same subclass of visa for which you are applying.
  • Is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
  • Is under the age of 45.
  • Has nominated a skilled occupation and a suitable skills assessment by the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation, excluding the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa.
  • Has at least competent English.
• You claim a specialist education qualification.

5 points

You’re eligible to now claim 5 points if you have a spouse or de facto partner with competent English.

Please note: You can either claim 10 points for a skilled spouse or de facto partner or 5 points for a spouse or de facto partner with competent English. You cannot claim points for both.

Points for regional study

Visa applicants who had an EOI in ‘submitted’ prior to 16 November 2019, may now be eligible for regional study points because areas regarded as regional have expanded as a result of the new Designated Regional Area definition.

What happens if your EOI was submitted before 16 November?

SkillSelect will automatically updated your EOI to include any additional points, provided the required information was held in SkillSelect before the points changes came into effect.

What if information relating to areas where you can now claim points was not included in your EOI?

Let’s assume you have a spouse or de facto partner but you did not answer questions about their English language ability. In this and similar cases, you can choose to update you EOI, and answer question related to points areas, to claim any additional points.

What if your EOI is in ‘suspended’ status?

Your points will not automatically update if your EOI had a ‘suspended’ status on 16 November. You must update your EOI by answering any new questions as a result of changes to the points test.

Your Intergate Emigration advisor will assist you

Eligible clients of Intergate can rest assured that our advisors will claim additional points and update their EOIs. Please feel free to contact your immigration advisor directly if you’re an existing client of ours with an Expression of Interest in the pool and have any questions about the above.