Applicants for the following points tested GSM visas must have a suitable skills assessment for their nominated occupation:

• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points tested stream
• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
• Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) — Invited Pathway
• Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491)

To be invited to apply for a points tested visa, you must have nominated an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list for that visa subclass.

When you submit your visa application you will need to provide evidence that you have a suitable skills assessment for your nominated occupation. You must have obtained a skills assessment by the time you are invited to apply.

Your skills assessment must also be valid at the time you are invited to apply for a points tested visa.

Delegates of the Minister will now accept a suitable skills assessment for an applicant’s nominated skilled occupation which has been obtained within the 60 day invitation period. (EOI 초대 받고 60일 안에 받은 기술심사 인정된다고 이민성에서 발표하는 내용입니다)

This change of approach is made as a result of the decision of Thapa v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCCA 686 (Thapa). The Minister will administer the Migration Regulations 1994 in accordance with the decision in Thapa, but the Minister reserves the right to make submissions in a Court that Thapa was wrongly decided.

Skills assessment validity periods are calculated as follows:

• If no validity period is shown on a skills assessment, the assessment is valid for 3 years from date of issue,
• If the validity period shown on a skills assessment is less than 3 years, the assessment is valid for the period stated on the assessment,
• If the validity period shown on a skills assessment is more than 3 years, the assessment is valid for three years from date of assessment.

You are encouraged to arrange your skills assessment well before you intend to submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. You cannot rely on a skills assessment that was obtained after you were invited to apply.

Skills assessing authorities may issue more than one type of skills assessment. You must have a skills assessment that meets the requirements for permanent migration. The criteria that an assessing authority uses for the different types of skills assessments is determined by them, set against their relevant professional standards.

Some assessing authorities issue a provisional skills assessment for recent graduates of Australian educational institutions, who are applying for a subclass 485 visa. A provisional skills assessment issued for a subclass 485 visa application is not a suitable skills assessment for a points tested visa application.

Doctors

For doctors, evidence of full registration is a suitable skills assessment. We accept one of the following certificates issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as evidence of full registration:

• full/unconditional/general medical registration
• conditional specialist registration — this registration allows you to practise only in your particular speciality, with no further training or supervision requirements.

Solicitors

For solicitors, evidence of admission to practice as a lawyer in the relevant Sate/Territory is a suitable skills assessment.