<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian Government has many subclasses of working visa that they offer to foreigners who wish to work in Australia. What we will focus on is the </span><a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-independent-189" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or what is known as the points system visa. Of course, being the government, their website is chock-full of so much information. We will explain the Australian points system in plain English. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skilled Occupation List</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia has a </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/work/work/skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists/combined-stsol-mltssl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">list of occupations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that the local population cannot fill. It’s a shortage that’s either short term, mid to long term, or a regional shortage (like they need Wine Makers in Western Australia and they don’t have enough of them). It changes regularly, so it’s important to make sure your occupation is on the list before you lodge any visa application.</span></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610-1024x683.jpg" alt="Australian Points System: In Plain English" class="wp-image-9935" title="Australian Points System: In Plain English" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610-300x200.jpg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610-768x512.jpg 768w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/sydney-opera-house-australia-54610.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points System</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/supporting/Pages/skilled/the-points-table.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian points system</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is simple enough to use. See the </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/supporting/Pages/skilled/the-points-table.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Table</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and add up your points. For example, if you’re 25-32 years old, you get 30 points. Add 20 points if you’ve got superior English (8 on each of the four bands of </span><a href="https://blog.trueprofile.io/ielts-101-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IELTS</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), and 5 points for 3-4 years of experience outside Australia. Add in 20 points for a doctorate degree, and another 5 points if you speak another language that’s recognised as a community language. If you add that, you will more than meet the minimum points needed of 65 points. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skills Assessment</span></h2>
<div class="wp-block-image wp-image-5222"><figure class="alignright"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="767" height="185" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.37.34.png" alt="Australian Points System" class="wp-image-5222" srcset="https://admin-blog.trueprofile.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.37.34.png 767w, https://admin-blog.trueprofile.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.37.34-300x72.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" /><figcaption>Screengrab from homeaffairs.gov.au</figcaption></figure></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After checking the occupations list and your points, you need to have your credentials checked by the </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/work/work/skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/assessing-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">relevant authorities</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Let’s take for example dentists and dental therapists. The ADC or the Australian Dental Council verifies Dentist credentials. VETASSESS or the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services meanwhile, examines Dental Therapist credentials. Skills assessment needs to be done before submitting an expression of interest to the Australian Government. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Expression of Interest</span></h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone wp-image-5223 size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="911" height="348" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.41.52.png" alt="Australian Points System" class="wp-image-5223" srcset="https://admin-blog.trueprofile.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.41.52.png 911w, https://admin-blog.trueprofile.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.41.52-300x115.png 300w, https://admin-blog.trueprofile.io/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-14-at-16.41.52-768x293.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 911px) 100vw, 911px" /><figcaption>Screengrab from homeaffairs.gov.au</figcaption></figure>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You are now ready to lodge your </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/work/skil#tab-content-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression of interest (EOI)</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> via </span><a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/work/skil#tab-content-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">SkillSelect</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Getting high scores on the Australian Points System is not a guarantee that you will get an invitation to apply for a visa. You will get ranked against other applicants, and depending on whether the quota for your occupation has been met (or worst, your skill has been removed from the occupations list), you will get an invitation. You will then have 60 days to lodge your visa application. </span></p>
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