The Grattan Institute just dropped a proposed overhaul of Australia's skilled migration points test
A new proposed points test would reward high-earning Australian jobs, strong partner skills, and youth, while cutting weight on education and overseas experience. A truck driver earning $125k could still get rejected. A nurse with 2 years of overseas experience could get in. It's genuinely different.
So the Grattan Institute released an analysis proposing a redesigned points test for skilled migration visas, and I've been digging through the numbers. A lot of people are going to have opinions on this, so here's a breakdown of what actually changes vs the current system.
How the weighting shifts
⬇ Loses weight
- Age: 23% → 20%
- Education: 15% → 12%
- Skilled work exp: 15% → 10%
- Partner skills: 8% → 18%
⬆ Gains weight
- English language: 15% → 18%
- High-pay Aus. job: 0% → 18%
- Partner skills: 8% → 18%
- Community lang: stays at 4%
The biggest shift is introducing high-paying Australian work experience as a major category (currently worth 0 points!). Earning $120k+ in Australia = 90 points. That's massive.
Case Studies
✅ 26-year-old single nurse: Eligible (360 pts)
Age 26, excellent English (IELTS 8), bachelor's degree, 2 years overseas, skill-level-1 work. Minimum 360 pts — gets in. Can boost further with Australian work exp (up to +90 pts).
✅ 28-year-old management consultant + skilled partner: Guaranteed (450 pts)
Excellent English, bachelor's, 2 years overseas + $125k job offer, partner with IELTS 8 + degree. Hits 450 pts — guaranteed invitation.
❌ 24-year-old truck driver — Ineligible (370 pts but can't qualify)
Even with excellent English, a $125k Australian job, and a young age, no post-high-school qualification, and no skilled work experience means they can't meet minimum thresholds. The points are there; the prerequisites aren't.
❌ 25-year-old graduate accountant — Ineligible (280 pts)
Age 25, very good English (IELTS 7), bachelor's degree, 1 year local at skill level 2, earning $60k, single. Only hits 280 pts. Needs significant improvement across multiple categories.
What people will argue about
The system heavily rewards people who already have high-paying jobs in Australia, which critics will say creates a "pay-to-stay" dynamic that favors migrants already here over fresh offshore applicants. The 34-year-old experienced engineer with a skilled partner only scrapes 315 pts despite being highly qualified, because they don't have Australian work history yet.
On the flip side, proponents would argue this selects for people who have already demonstrated they can integrate economically, which is a pretty defensible position if you're trying to reduce net fiscal risk.
The partner skills weighting jumping to 18% is also interesting; couples where both partners are skilled get a huge leg up. Could be seen as discriminatory toward single applicants or as pragmatic (two productive migrants > one).
Curious what people think, especially anyone who's been through the current points process. Does the new weighting feel fairer, or does it just entrench whoever's already here?