The bar has been raised even higher for skilled migrants requiring points for a 189 Visa invitation, particularly for high-demand occupations such as accountants, engineers and IT professionals. The 189 Visa is highly sought by skilled migrants because it provides permanent residence without the need for employer sponsorship. However, the visa process is very competitive as migrants must first meet several points-tested requirements to receive an invitation by the Government before applying for the visa.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, a consistently high number of people with the below occupations lodge an Expression of Interest with an accumulation of points for a 189 Visa. The statistics show that in the June invitation round, applicants with these occupations needed a minimum of 85 to 90 points to receive an invitation. This is a further increase from May’s figures, which already recorded a high points minimum for these occupations.
Why minimum points for a 189 visa are increasing
As mentioned in our previous article, only 100 invitations for a 189 Visa were issued to migrants Australia-wide in April and May 2019. Less invitations result in greater competition among skilled migrants and a higher minimum number of points for a 189 Visa.
This trend continued through to June 2019 and the number of invitations is likely to plateau over coming months to align with the Government’s reduced permanent migration intake for 2019/20. Only 18,652 Skilled Independent Visa placements have been planned for 2019/20, and this allocation also includes placements for the 189 Visa – New Zealand Stream.
The reduced availability of invitations sets a very high standard for those wishing to migrate to Australia independently with an employer sponsor. The minimum number of points for a 189 visa invitation has now increased to 85 points, which is a further increase from 80 points recorded since May. This is significant because the actual pass mark for the visa is 65 points.
Business Migration | Strategic Thinking
Changes to the points test will commence in November 2019, which may provide migrants the opportunity to claim more points – you can read about this in our article here. Given the increased level of competition for independent skilled migration, we encourage you to contact Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents on +61 8 9221 3388 (or National Free Call 1800 449 858) or [email protected] to discuss how we can assist with the process of correctly claiming the maximum number of points for a 189 Visa that may be available to you.
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