Lodging an Expression of Interest (EOI) is an integral part of the skilled visa process.
What is an Expression of Interest?
When applying for a skilled visa – such as subclass 189, 190 or 491 – an applicant needs to successfully submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). The EOI is an online application which includes personal details, skills assessment and English test results.
EOI’s are lodged online via SkillSelect and generate a point score. Points are awarded for the applicant’s age, highest qualification, work experience and more. You can calculate your points score using Visa Go Australia’s online calculator.
It is crucial an applicant completes an EOI correctly, as over-claiming points can result in a visa refusal. If you require migration advice you should consider booking a consultation with a Migration Agent.
EOI invitation rounds are changing
When lodging an EOI for a Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) or Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), applicants are subject to regular invitation rounds. Invitations are issued to those with the highest point score. Where applicants have the same points, the EOI submitted earliest will take precedence.
Invitation rounds generally take place once a month, however this is changing. The Department will run quarterly invitation rounds for the remainder of 2020-21 the program year. The last invitation round was run in January 2021. The results are yet to be published on the Department website.
EOI points score
Each month, invitation rounds are published on SkillSelect. The results are a good indication of how many points are required to secure an invitation, however COVID has temporarily skewed this.
The most recent results show that 65 points is enough to secure an invitation for a 189 visa, which many people will know has not been the case in years! In comparison, some applicants needed a minimum of 100 points last year.
The likelihood is that those securing invitations on 65 points will have occupations on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). This list was created to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19, and currently contains just 18 occupations. As expected, most roles are in healthcare.
Invitations are not guaranteed and an EOI will expire after 2 years.
How many points do I need for a skilled visa?
Applicants can lodge an EOI on 65 points, however in most cases meeting the minimum threshold is not enough to secure a visa invitation. It has been this way for years, as more people apply than there are spaces available, thus making it competitive.
At Visa Go Australia we believe an applicant requires at least 90 points to have a chance of securing a 189 visa. We do not anticipate this lessening any time soon.
If an applicant’s occupation is on the PMSOL, then there may be an opportunity to secure a visa invitation on 65 points. At Visa Go Australia we are yet to see this.
How can I increase my points?
There are two primary ways to increase your points score; The English Test and State Sponsorship (visa subclasses 190 and 491). State Sponsored visa categories (subclass 190 and 491) are not subject to invitation rounds. States choose applicants according to their skill shortages and own criteria. If State Sponsorship is approved, an applicant is invited to lodge a skilled visa soon after.
To secure State Sponsorship an applicant must check their occupation is on the state’s list. Additionally, states set additional criteria such as financial capacity and providing employability evidence. The minimum points required to apply is 65, however the more points the better.
Currently State Sponsorship options are limited, with many temporarily closed to offshore applicants. However, we expect states to open up again in the next financial year (July 2021) as skills shortages in Australia grow. Tasmania recently opened to offshore applicants.
At Visa Go Australia we are advising clients on how they can be State Sponsorship ready. It is still possible to move forward with a skilled visa application.
To conclude
As Australia rebuilds its economy post-Covid, there are increasing reports of skill shortages and an outcry for overseas workers to fill these gaps. With state nomination being offered to a select number of occupations, we anticipate this to increase during 2021.
You can use Visa Go Australia’s free points calculator to determine your skilled points score. Alternatively, you can seek advice from our licensed Migration Agent Darren Chatt MARN:0211214 by booking a consultation.
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/job-2-scaled.jpg17092560Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2021-02-04 15:15:352021-02-04 15:15:35Skilled Migration – What is an Expression of Interest?
Visa Go have been really supportive and knowledgeable in terms of the process. Sue Tempany is really knowledgable and responsive to any questions. I would fully recommend visa go. Swift service!
Our process started with an initial conversation with Darren, before we were assigned our emigration agent Sue. The visa process itself is quite complicated, and I don’t know how we’d have even attempted to do this on our own!
Sue was amazing throughout, keeping us updated each step of the way, and providing detailed guidance at the start of each stage, which enabled us to start preparing and collating everything needed for the next part when the time came. Sue’s replies to the many emails that I've sent her way over the course of this process, were always prompt and patient, and nothing ever seemed to much trouble. Sue’s experience and understanding of the processes, timelines and the strict format in which things had to be done, meant that she was able to advise us and provide guidelines, which meant that when we submitted each stage, we were not having to worry about delays due to incomplete applications.
18 months on from that initial meeting - we have now been living and working in Australia for 8 months, and have recently changed onto a permanent visa.
We are extremely glad that we chose to work with Visa Go, and want to say a massive thank you to Sue, Darren and the team for all of their support and assistance throughout.
This was one of the most difficult challenges of my life to obtain a regional skilled migration visa for Australia. There were so many obstacles and hurdles to jump due to Covid lockdown and a race against ageism rules of turning 45. I certainly could not have done this without the help of visa go! Managed to secure an Invitation to apply from the Australian Government and with the assistance of my wonderful agent managed to fast track my ITA four days before my birthday! Never give up on your dreams. I now have my visa that can lead to PR thanks to Visa Go! You guys were awesome and really appreciate your help. ☺️
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We would just like to say a huge thank you to the Visa Go Australia team, especially Sue our caseworker who has been fantastic since the start, everything went smooth through the whole process, we was kept updated and informed along the way. We would definitely recommend and we can’t wait to head down under now our Visa has been granted. Couldn’t of done it without you. Thank you again!
After 4 1/2 years since our first contact with Visa Go Australia, and just over 3 years since starting our process with them, our visa has finally been granted and I cannot thank Sue and Darren enough! We had a very complex skill assessment stage but without Sue helping us with what we had to do, it wouldn’t of been possible without her. I highly recommend using Visa Go if you’re ready to start your journey to Australia or anywhere else, they have made our dreams come true! Thank you Sue, Darren and Kimberley 😁
I would highly recommend visa go. Darren always took the time to answer any questions and help me through the process. Within weeks he had my partner visa submitted and now I have my permanent residency! I couldn’t thank Darren and the team enough 👍
Visa Go Australia are experts in their field. My case officer, Sue, has been very professional and knowledgeable throughout the process providing great customer service, from providing the documents required to promptly replying to all queries. So, to Darren, Kimberley and Sue, thank you all for your support to achieve my Visa.
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I used Visa Go to apply for my Partner Visa and I have been super impressed with the service and turnaround time. Kimberley was very thorough with her communication and kept us updated through out the whole process. I can’t recommend the service enough!
My agent with Visa go was Kimberley Chatt. She was fantastic the whole way through. Always had very professional and prompt responses whenever I had a query. I felt like she went above and beyond to help me understand each step of the process. I now have my permanent partner visa in Australia and couldn't be happier. She turned what can often be a long arduous ordeal into a streamlined easy process. I would highly recommend this agency to anyone looking to immigrate to Australia. Thanks again Kimberley!
My Husband and I used Visa Go Australia to support us through our Visa process. Our Visa advisor was Sue, Sue was great from start to finish, always so helpful and replied to our emails and calls so quickly. Our visa process took 11 months (as expected for the visa we applied for) and Sue kept us on track and up to date all the time, extremely organised and always happy to help and provide us with her support. I highly recommend Visa Go Australia, we couldn't imagine trying to go through this process without Sues help and guidance. Samantha Mills
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Using Visa Go Australia was the BEST decision we made when planning for our move to Australia. My husband is British and needed an offshore 309 spouse visa. Sue made our life so much easier supporting us every step of the way. I was impressed with her knowledge, every question I had was answered quickly and with confidence. There is a huge amount of time and effort your agent does in the background so that you don't have to. I always felt like a priority and that I was in the safe hands of an expert. Not to mention how kind and friendly the agents are. I would highly recommend this company to anyone - 5 star service!
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We were recently granted a PR Visa and the work that Sue puts in in the background is commendable. Darren and Sue have been great to work with over the last 2 years and we were kept up to date the whole way. I would highly recommend anyone applying for a visa to do it through them. They made sure we had all the information at every step of they way and nothing was ever a problem if I called or emailed. Thank you so much to all of the team! Denny, Victoria and Caitlyn
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https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Cairns-QLD-scaled.jpg7921200Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2023-02-28 03:00:092023-02-28 03:13:15Teaching in Australia after 45 – Is PR possible?
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/time-scaled.jpg16952560Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2023-02-16 02:28:422023-02-16 02:28:42Increased Processing Times for Vetassess Trades
