General Skilled Immigration to Australia
If you want to live permanently in Australia as a Skilled Migrant you will need to meet the following requirements:
you must be under 45 years of age at the time you apply (unless you have been invited to apply for a General Skilled Migration visa)
you must have a high level of English
your occupation must be listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
an Australian organisation, known as the relevant assessing authority, must assess your skills as being appropriate for the occupation you apply under.
you must have recent skilled work experience, or
after two years full-time study in Australia you have recently completed a qualification.
be an eligible Occupational Trainee or Working Holiday visa holder.
If applying from outside Australia with no relatives in Australia willing to sponsor you, you need to apply as an independent applicant. You must score 120 points or more in a points test. If you score 70 or less, your application is automatically declined.
If you score above the 'pool mark' of 70 but below the pass mark of 120, your application will be held for up to two years after assessment. If the pass mark is lowered at any time in that two-year period, and your score meets the new pass mark, your application will be processed.
Apart from waiting you could consider other options. For example, if you score 110 points you may be eligible to lodge an application for a Regional Visa.
You may claim points as follows:
English Language Ability:
Competent 20 points
(A generally effective command of the English language. The ability to use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.)
Vocational 15 points
(A reasonable command of the English language. Coping with overall meaning in most situations and the ability to communicate effectively in your nominated field of employment.)
Age:
18-29 30 points
30-34 25 points
35-39 20 points
40-44 15 points
Skills:
Most occupations requiring occupation specific training 60 points
(You will probably have a trade qualification / degree. Your qualifications and experience will meet Australian standards and any registration requirements. Your qualifications and experience will be specifically related to your nominated occupation. Sometimes, experience without formal qualifications may be acceptable.)
General professional occupations 50 points
(Your qualification must be equivalent to an Australian bachelor degree or higher. It need not be specifically related to your nominated occupation. )
Other general skilled occupations 40 points
Work Experience :
Higher Level 10 points
(You get 10 points if your nominated occupation is worth 60 points for "skills". For at least 3 of the 4 years immediately before you apply you must have worked in your nominated occupation or a closely related 60 point occupation listed on the SOL.)
Lower Level 5 points
(You get 5 points if your nominated occupation is worth 40, 50 or 60 points in the skills part above and you have worked in any occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List, for at least 3 of the 4 years immediately before you apply.)
In Demand Occupation / Job Offer:
Higher Level 20 points
(You get 20 points if your nominated occupation is on the Migration Occupation in Demand List and you have a job offer for full-time employment in Australia in your nominated occupation from an organisation that has employed at least 10 people on a full-time basis for the 24 months immediately prior to the date you make your application.)
Lower Level 15 points
(15 points are awarded if your nominated occupation is on the Migration Occupation in Demand List and you do not have a job offer.)
Australian Qualification:
Doctorate 15 points
(Points are awarded if you have completed a doctorate at an Australian institution after at least two years full-time study while physically present in Australia.)
Degree Completed 10 points
(You have completed an Australian Masters or Honours degree (at least upper second class) at an Australian institution while physically present in Australia. Prior to completing the Masters or Honours degree, you must have been awarded an Australian bachelor degree as a result of at least one year full-time study in Australia and at least years full-time study.)
Full Time Study 5 points
(You have completed full-time study in Australia for a total of at least two academic years towards the award of a degree, diploma or trade qualification.)
Spouse Skills:
Spouse skills 5 points
(If your spouse is able to satisfy the basic requirements of age, English language ability, qualifications, nominated occupation and recent work experience, and has obtained a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority.)
Regional Australia:
Low Growth Area 5 points
(You get 5 points provided you have lived and studied for at least two years in 'Regional Australia' or a 'low population growth metropolitan area'.)
Bonus Points:
Bonus 5 points
(You get these additional bonus points for Australian work experience, capital investment in Australia, or fluency in one of Australia's many 'community languages'. "Community languages" includes most of the languages spoken in the world's countries.)