How to Calculate Your Australia PR Points for the 189, 190 and 491 Visas

To get an Australian skilled visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491) you must score at least 65 points on the Department of Home Affairs points test. Your score is the sum of points for your age, English, skilled work experience, qualifications and a handful of other factors. 65 is the minimum to be allowed into the pool — it is not the score that gets you invited. In most occupations, the scores that actually receive an invitation are considerably higher.

This guide explains what the points test measures, how to work out your own score, the difference between the three visas, and — most importantly — how to add points if you fall short. You can check your score in a minute with our points calculator.

How many points do you need for a 189, 190 or 491 visa?

65 points is the floor. You cannot even submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect below it. But SkillSelect is a ranked pool: the Department invites the highest-scoring candidates first, in each occupation, at each invitation round. For competitive occupations — accounting, IT, engineering — the invited score has often sat at 85–95+, not 65.

So there are really two numbers that matter:

• 65 — the minimum to lodge an EOI at all.
• The invited score for your occupation — the real target, which changes round to round. Check the invitation rounds history for your occupation before assuming 65 is enough.

How the points are calculated

You score points in each category below, and your total is the sum of the single highest option that applies in each one — they do not stack within a category. These are the current Department of Home Affairs values.

A few rules that trip people up:

• Only your highest qualification counts. A PhD does not add to your Bachelor — you claim 20 for the PhD, not 35.
• Age is measured at the date you are invited, not the date you lodge your EOI. If you are approaching a band boundary (33, 40, 45), timing matters.
• Work experience must be "skilled" — in your nominated occupation or a closely related one, and assessed as such. Not all of your career history necessarily counts.

A worked example

Take a 30-year-old software engineer, single, with a Bachelor degree, IELTS 7 across all bands, and 6 years of overseas experience in their field:

75 points clears the 65 floor comfortably and would be competitive in many — though not all — occupations. If this same person pushed their English to Superior (IELTS 8), they would gain 10 more points and reach 85.

The difference between 189, 190 and 491 points

The points test is the same for all three visas. What differs is the extra points that state nomination or sponsorship adds:

• Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent: no sponsor, no nomination. Your score is purely your own factors. It is permanent residence from day one, and the most competitive.
• Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated: a State or Territory nominates you, adding 5 points. Also permanent, but you commit to living in that state.
• Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional: nomination by a State, or sponsorship by an eligible relative in a designated regional area, adds 15 points — the biggest single boost available. It is a 5-year provisional visa that leads to permanent residence via the subclass 191.

For someone stuck at 60–65 on their own factors, the 491's 15 points is often the difference between never being invited and a realistic pathway.

How to increase your points score

If you are below your occupation's invited score, these are the levers, roughly in order of how much they move the needle:

1. Improve your English — the biggest controllable lever. Moving from Competent to Superior is worth 20 points, more than any other single factor you can influence. If you are sitting at IELTS 6 or 7, retaking the test at a higher band is usually the highest-return thing you can do.
2. A regional pathway (491) adds 15 points through state nomination or eligible family sponsorship — see the 491 visa page.
3. State nomination for a 190 adds 5. Check which states nominate your occupation.
4. Partner factors add up to 10. If your partner has competent English (5) or their own positive skills assessment (10), you can claim it — or if you are single, or your partner is already an Australian PR/citizen, you claim 10 automatically.
5. A NAATI community-language credential adds 5.
6. A Professional Year adds 5 (for accounting, IT and engineering graduates).
7. A STEM Masters or PhD from an Australian institution adds 10 as a specialist education qualification.
8. More experience over time. Skilled-employment points step up at the 3, 5 and 8-year marks — sometimes simply waiting until you cross a threshold adds 5.

Before targeting any of these, confirm your occupation is on the skilled list and check the recent invited scores so you know how many points you actually need.

Frequently asked questions

Is 65 points enough for a 189 visa? It is the minimum to submit an EOI, but rarely enough to be invited in competitive occupations, where invited scores have often been 85–95+. Treat 65 as the entry ticket, not the target.

How is age scored on the points test? 25–32 scores the maximum 30 points; 18–24 and 33–39 score 25; 40–44 scores 15; and there are no points from 45. Your age is assessed on the date you are invited to apply.

Do points from a PhD and a Bachelor add together? No. Only your single highest qualification counts — a PhD is 20 points, not 20 on top of the 15 for the Bachelor.

What is the fastest way to increase my points? For most people, improving their English test result. The jump from Competent to Superior English is worth 20 points — more than any other factor you can change on your own.

This article is general information about the Australian points test, not personal migration advice. Point values are set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change — confirm your result against the Department's own points calculator. For advice on your specific situation, speak to one of our registered migration agents.