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Australia PR Points Calculator 2026
Thinking of migrating to Australia via skilled migration? The first and foremost thing you should be knowing is whether you got the Australia PR points score or not. Points systems Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visas The Australian skilled migration program has a points system. The points test for these three visas, and the minimum points requirement for invitation, is 65 points. Meeting the minimum points requirement is no guarantee of invitation to apply: candidates are ranked and invited via Skill Select according to the requirements of the program.
Australia PR Points Calculator 2026: Check Your Score for 189, 190 and 491 Visas
Key Takeaways
- The pass mark is 65 points, but most occupations need more to receive an invitation.
- In the 4 June 2026 round, 10,000 Subclass 189 invitations were issued with cut-offs from 65 to 100 points depending on occupation.
- State nomination adds 5 points (Subclass 190) and regional nomination adds 15 points (Subclass 491).
- From 1 July 2026 the visa application charge for the main applicant is AUD 6,135, up from AUD 4,910.
- The Government confirmed a points test reform in the May 2026 Budget. New point values are not released yet, so the current test still applies.
The Australia PR points calculator tells you in a few minutes whether you meet the 65-point pass mark for skilled migration, and how far you are from the score that is actually being invited. It covers the three points-tested visas: Subclass 189, Subclass 190 and Subclass 491.
This page is written for applicants from India: IT professionals, engineers, nurses, accountants, teachers, chefs, couples applying together and graduates of Australian universities. You will find the full 2026 points table, real cut-offs from the latest invitation round, worked examples and the costs you should budget for.
What Is the Australia PR Points System?
Australia selects most of its skilled migrants through a points test. You earn points for age, English ability, skilled work experience, education and a few additional factors. You then lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, the Government’s online system.
An EOI is not a visa application. It places you in a pool, and the Department or a state government invites the highest-ranked candidates in each occupation. You can only apply for the visa after you receive an invitation.
Three conditions apply before points even matter:
- You must be under 45 on the day you are invited.
- Your occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list.
- You need a positive skills assessment and at least Competent English.
Subclass 189: Skilled Independent Visa
The Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa is a permanent visa that needs no sponsor, no state nomination and no job offer. You can live and work anywhere in Australia. Because it has no conditions attached, it is the most competitive option, and invitations go to the highest scores in each occupation.
Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated Visa
The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is also a permanent visa, but an Australian state or territory must nominate you. Nomination adds 5 points to your score. In return, you are expected to live and work in that state for your first two years. Each state publishes its own occupation list and criteria.
Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
The Subclass 491 regional visa is a five-year provisional visa for people nominated by a state or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area. It adds 15 points, the largest single bonus in the test. After three years of living and working in regional Australia you can apply for permanent residence through Subclass 191, provided you meet its criteria.
189 vs 190 vs 491 at a Glance
Feature | Subclass 189 | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 |
|---|---|---|---|
Visa type | Permanent | Permanent | Provisional, 5 years |
Extra points | 0 | 5 | 15 |
Who must back you | No one | State or territory | State, territory or eligible relative |
Where you can live | Anywhere | Nominating state for 2 years | Designated regional areas |
Path to PR | PR on grant | PR on grant | Subclass 191 after 3 years |
Places in 2026-27 | 21,090 | 35,500 | 14,110 |
Best suited to | High scorers in in-demand occupations | Applicants 5 points short of 189 cut-offs |
Use the Australia PR Points Calculator
Select your age, English level, work experience, qualification and partner status. The tool adds your points and shows your score for each visa subclass.
Three things to keep in mind while you use it:
- Enter only the experience your assessing authority is likely to count as skilled. This is often less than your total years of work.
- Use the English score you already hold, then test a higher band to see the difference.
- Treat the result as an estimate. The Department of Home Affairs decides your final points when it assesses your visa application.
🇦🇺 Australian Immigration Calculator
Calculate your points for Australian skilled migration
How to Increase Your Australia PR Points
Most applicants can add 10 to 25 points within six months. The options below are ranked by how much they add for the effort involved.
Action | Points gained | Typical time needed |
|---|---|---|
Raise English from Competent to Proficient | 10 | 1 to 3 months of preparation |
Raise English from Proficient to Superior | 10 | 2 to 4 months of preparation |
Secure 491 regional nomination | 15 | Depends on the state’s rounds |
Secure 190 state nomination | 5 | Depends on the state’s rounds |
Get a skills assessment for your partner | 5 to 10 | 2 to 4 months |
Partner achieves Competent English | 5 | 1 to 2 months |
Pass NAATI CCL | 5 | 2 to 3 months |
Complete a Professional Year (onshore) | 5 | 12 months |
Cross an experience threshold (3, 5 or 8 years) | 5 | Wait and update your EOI |
Start with English. PTE Academic and IELTS can be retaken as often as you like, and only your best valid result counts. Next, look at your partner. A partner’s skills assessment is often cheaper and quicker than any other 10-point gain.
Apply for state nomination in parallel with the 189. One EOI can cover more than one visa subclass, and it costs nothing to lodge.
Australia PR Cost in 2026
Visa application charges rose on 1 July 2026. The main applicant charge for points-tested skilled visas went from AUD 4,910 to AUD 6,135, an increase of about 25%.
Cost item | AUD | Approx. INR |
|---|---|---|
Visa charge, main applicant | 6,135 | ₹4.12 lakh |
Visa charge, partner or dependant aged 18 or over | 3,070 | ₹2.06 lakh |
Visa charge, child under 18 | 1,535 | ₹1.03 lakh |
Skills assessment | 514 to 1,498 | ₹34,500 to ₹1.01 lakh |
PTE Academic in India | ₹18,900 | |
IELTS in India | ₹19,000 |
INR figures use an exchange rate of ₹67.2 to one Australian dollar (6 October 2026). A couple applying together should budget about AUD 9,205, or roughly ₹6.19 lakh, for government visa charges alone.
Add medical examinations, police certificates, document translation and, where it applies, the state nomination fee. An additional charge also applies if an adult family member has less than functional English.
Why Check Your Points with GIEC Global
An online tool adds numbers. It cannot tell you which ANZSCO code suits your duties, how many years your assessing authority will accept, or which state is most likely to nominate you.
At GIEC Global, every Australian profile is reviewed by a MARA registered migration agent. You receive a written points breakdown, the visa subclass we recommend and the documents you need for each claim.
Check Your Score and Plan Your Next Step
Your score is a starting point. What matters is the gap between your points today and the cut-off for your occupation, and the quickest way to close it.
Use the Australia PR points calculator above, note your result for the 189, 190 and 491, and compare it with the latest invitation round. With visa fees now higher and a new points test on the way, applicants who are ready in 2026 are in a stronger position than those who wait.
Book a Free MARA Consultation and get your points verified by a registered migration agent.
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FAQs
You need at least 65 points to lodge an Expression of Interest for the Subclass 189, 190 or 491 visa. That is only the pass mark. In the 4 June 2026 invitation round, cut-offs ranged from 65 points for construction trades to 100 points for the most competitive occupations, so the score you need depends on your occupation.
65 points makes you eligible, but it rarely secures an invitation for professional occupations. In June 2026, only construction trades such as electricians, carpenters and plumbers were invited at 65. Nurses, teachers and social workers needed 75 or more. If you hold 65, state nomination for the 190 or 491 visa is usually the more realistic route.
Add your points for age, English test score, skilled work experience, highest qualification and partner status, then add 5 points for state nomination or 15 for regional nomination. Our Australia PR points calculator does this automatically. For an accurate figure, use only the work experience your skills assessing authority is likely to recognise.
A points calculator is accurate for the arithmetic, provided you enter correct details. It cannot judge how many years of experience your assessing authority will accept or whether your qualification is comparable to an Australian one. Treat the result as an estimate and have it checked by a registered migration agent before you lodge an EOI.
The Government confirmed in the May 2026 Federal Budget that it will reform the points test to favour younger, more educated and higher-skilled applicants. No new point values or draft legislation have been released. A start date of 1 July 2027 has been indicated but not confirmed, so the current 65-point test still applies.
You must be under 45 on the day you receive your invitation. Applicants aged 25 to 32 earn the maximum 30 points. Those aged 18 to 24 and 33 to 39 earn 25 points, and those aged 40 to 44 earn 15. Age is measured at invitation, not when you lodge your EOI.
For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Proficient English, worth 10 points, needs PTE Academic scores of 58 in Listening, 59 in Reading, 69 in Writing and 76 in Speaking. Superior English, worth 20 points, needs 69, 70, 85 and 88. Competent English earns no points but meets the minimum requirement.
Yes. Skilled experience outside Australia earns 5 points for three to four years, 10 points for five to seven years and 15 points for eight years or more. Australian experience earns from 5 points for one year up to 20 points for eight years. The combined total for both is capped at 20 points.
Yes. International students can use the PR points calculator to estimate eligibility after completing studies and gaining skilled experience.
Yes, but your overall score may be lower. Strong English scores and higher qualifications can help compensate.
A score of 75+ is generally considered competitive for many occupations.
