Use this Australia skilled migration points calculator to estimate the general points-test score for subclasses 189, 190 and 491. It shows the factors behind the total, caps combined employment points and separates a conditional nomination scenario from points you have established.
Planning a move from the United States? Our guide to moving to Australia from the USA connects this points estimate with visa-route selection, document responsibilities, household costs and arrival tasks. A points score alone is not a relocation approval.
Rules and official points values checked November 5, 2026. This is an independent GlobalVisora planning tool. It does not submit a SkillSelect expression of interest (EOI), verify documents, determine eligibility or predict an invitation.
189 · 190 · 491
Estimate your skilled migration points
Choose the circumstances you can support with evidence. Values checked November 5, 2026. This independent tool does not submit an EOI or decide eligibility.
Your estimate
Complete the required selections to see your breakdown.
estimated points
| Factor | Points |
|---|
The two raw employment rows explain the calculation. Only the capped combined-employment row enters the total.
The 65-point reference is not an invitation score or a visa approval. Occupation, skills assessment, English, nomination, evidence and other requirements must be checked separately.
Your selections are calculated in this browser. This calculator does not request a name, email, passport number or uploaded document, and does not send or save your answers.
How to use the calculator
- Select the visa subclass you are examining and your circumstances at the relevant invitation date.
- Choose the English level you can substantiate under the applicable Home Affairs rules.
- Count only qualifying skilled work in the relevant ten-year period. Separate overseas and Australian work.
- Select one highest eligible qualification, then confirm any additional study or credential conditions.
- Select one partner circumstance and the actual nomination/sponsorship position.
- Review the breakdown and any warnings. Download the result if useful, then check the documents behind every proposed claim.
The calculator runs in this browser and asks for no name, email, passport number or upload. Your answers are not sent or saved by this tool. Reset clears the selections. The downloadable text file is created on your device.
189, 190 and 491: what the score means
| Subclass | Points distinction | Important scope |
|---|---|---|
| 189 — Skilled Independent | No nomination points | This tool covers the points-tested stream, not every subclass 189 stream. |
| 190 — Skilled Nominated | 5 points for applicable state/territory nomination | Selecting 190 does not mean you have been nominated. |
| 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) | 15 points for applicable nomination or accepted family sponsorship | A provisional route; do not describe its initial grant as permanent residence. |
Check the official 189 points table, 190 points table and 491 points table. The Migration Regulations, Schedule 6D provide the legislative framework. Requirements outside the points table still apply.
For the broader process, read our Australia skilled migration requirements guide. If you are comparing a points-tested pathway with employer-supported options, use our Australia work visa options overview. This calculator does not calculate a subclass 482 or employer-sponsored visa score.
How the points are counted
| Factor | Available points | Check before claiming |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18–24: 25; 25–32: 30; 33–39: 25; 40–44: 15 | Use age at invitation. These points-tested routes require you to be under 45 when invited. |
| English | Competent: 0; Proficient: 10; Superior: 20 | Evidence and test-date rules matter; a passport-based exemption does not give higher-level points. |
| Skilled employment | Overseas: up to 15; Australian: up to 20; combined cap: 20 | Relevant paid occupation, period, assessment and Australian visa conditions. |
| Highest qualification | Eligible qualification: 10; bachelor or higher other than PhD: 15; recognised PhD: 20 | Only the highest eligible item counts. The 10-point qualification categories have specific recognition conditions. |
| Australian study | 5 | Meet the full Australian study requirement. |
| Specialist education | 10 | Eligible Australian research master or doctorate, specified field and study period. |
| Regional study | 5 | Also meet Australian study, eligible regional residence/campus and no distance study. |
| Professional Year | 5 | Qualifying program, occupation, duration and completion window. |
| Credentialled community language | 5 | Recognised credential, not simply fluency in another language. |
| Partner circumstance | 0, 5 or 10 | One applicable category only; evidence, same-subclass and other conditions where required. |
| Nomination/sponsorship | 190: 5; 491: 15 | Applicable qualifying support, counted once; no automatic bonus for choosing a visa. |
Employment: avoid counting the same points twice
As shown in the Home Affairs points tables, overseas employment earns 0, 5, 10 or 15 points at the less-than-three, three-to-under-five, five-to-under-eight and eight-or-more-year bands. Australian employment uses less-than-one, one-to-under-three, three-to-under-five, five-to-under-eight and eight-or-more-year bands, worth 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20.
The combined result cannot exceed 20. For example, 15 overseas points plus 20 Australian points produces 20 employment points, not 35. The breakdown displays both components for transparency but adds only the capped employment row to the overall total.
Use qualifying work in the nominated or a closely related occupation, within the ten years before invitation, for at least 20 hours a week. Check the skills assessment’s treatment of your history, any overlapping periods and applicable Australian visa conditions before selecting a duration.
Study points need their own evidence
The Australian study requirement includes qualifying study of at least two academic years, completed in Australia over at least 16 calendar months, with the other course, language and visa conditions. A regional postcode by itself does not establish regional study points.
Specialist education is a separate claim for qualifying Australian research study in specified STEM or ICT fields. A coursework master is not automatically eligible. A Professional Year also has its own recognized-program and completion requirements. The tool relies on your confirmations; it does not validate course codes, institutions or certificates.
Example for a US applicant
Illustrative example, not a personal assessment: an applicant aged 30 selects competent English, five-to-under-eight years of qualifying overseas employment, a recognised bachelor qualification and the single-person category. The arithmetic is 30 + 0 + 10 + 15 + 10 = 65 points, before any other factor.
A qualifying US passport can establish competent English, which earns zero English points. It does not establish Proficient or Superior English. Higher points require the applicable evidence; use Home Affairs’ current Proficient English and Superior English rules for the test and date involved.
If that applicant explores 190 or 491, the tool can display conditional totals of 70 or 80. They remain scenarios until the applicable nomination or sponsorship conditions are met; the main estimate stays at 65 when support is only planned.
Is 65 points enough?
Home Affairs’ subclass 190 eligibility guidance explains the 65-point minimum and that an invitation can require a higher score. Reaching the reference does not establish an eligible occupation, a suitable skills assessment, nomination, an invitation or a visa grant.
Do not read a result as “competitive” unless there is current, relevant evidence for the particular occupation and route. This tool does not forecast invitation rounds or provide a live occupation checker. Check the actual invitation and your supporting records rather than relying on a generic online cutoff.
Prepare an evidence checklist before changing an EOI
- Identify the relevant occupation, assessing authority and assessment conditions.
- Check the age band and validity of English evidence at the relevant date.
- Document employment periods, duties and the basis for treating them as skilled and relevant.
- Retain qualification, Australian-study, regional-study and credential evidence for any claimed points.
- Confirm the applicable partner category and report changes that can affect the claim.
- Separate support you hope to receive from nomination or sponsorship that satisfies the actual conditions.
For application-system distinctions, our Australian visa application guide helps explain the next administrative steps. A saved calculator result is not an EOI, visa application or government record.
Frequently asked questions
Does this calculator check visa eligibility?
No. It estimates points from your selections and flags a few obvious conflicts. It does not assess occupations, documents, medical or character requirements, state criteria or your full circumstances.
Are partner points added together?
No. Choose one applicable category. You cannot add single-person points to skilled-partner or competent-English partner points. Relationship changes during processing can affect what can be awarded.
Does selecting 190 or 491 automatically add points?
No. The main estimate excludes the bonus until you confirm applicable nomination or accepted sponsorship. The planning option displays a separate conditional scenario instead.
Can I use this for a 482 visa?
No. This tool is limited to the general points-test factors used for the covered 189, 190 and 491 streams.
Where can I check the official calculation?
Use the Department of Home Affairs points calculator and the linked official points tables. If your circumstances or evidence are uncertain, resolve them before relying on an EOI claim.