After a Positive Skills Assessment: Your Next Steps

Receiving a positive skills assessment is good news — but many people are unsure what to do next. This is a stage where time is easily wasted without a clear plan.

First: check and keep your result

When you receive your skills assessment:

1. Read the content carefully: confirm the ANZSCO code recognised, the skill level confirmed, and the assessment’s expiry date
2. Store the original safely: the assessment result must be lodged again with the Department when you apply for the visa — losing the original creates complications
3. Note the expiry date: most assessments are valid for 3 years from the date of the result — plan ahead so you do not have to redo it

See Validity of a skills assessment.

The 189/190/491 pathway: lodge an EOI now

If your goal is a GSM visa (189, 190, 491):

Step 1: Lodge an EOI (Expression of Interest) on SkillSelect — the Department’s online system.

In the EOI, you record:

• Your ANZSCO code (which must match the skills assessment result)
• Your self-assessed points (age, English, experience, qualifications, and so on)
• The visa or visas you wish to apply for (189, 190, 491, or a combination)
• The state you wish to settle in (for 190) or region (for 491)

Step 2: Update your EOI regularly — whenever something changes (more experience, better English, and so on), update it straight away so the points reflect your current situation.

Step 3: Wait for an invitation in each round of invitations. The Department and the states invite in rounds — usually monthly.

The 186 Direct Entry pathway: find an employer

If your goal is the 186 Direct Entry stream:

With a skills assessment in hand → start actively looking for an Australian employer willing to sponsor a 186 Direct Entry. The assessment is evidence of your capability to persuade an employer, and it is a mandatory requirement of the Department when the employer lodges the 186 Direct Entry nomination.

The 482 → TRT 186 pathway: a skills assessment is less relevant

If you are following the 482 → TRT 186 pathway, a skills assessment is usually not required. You may keep the assessment as a backup option, but there is nothing you need to do with it for this pathway.

If your EOI points are not yet enough for an invitation

Low EOI points → no invitation → you need to improve your points. Factors that can raise your points:

• More work experience: each additional 3 years usually corresponds to more points
• Higher English: moving from Competent → Proficient → Superior adds points significantly
• Further study: an Australian qualification adds points
• State nomination: some states have a lower threshold than the national pool
• Regional areas: some regions accept lower points

Assessment validity and waiting time

A skills assessment is usually valid for 3 years — enough time to wait for an invitation if your points are not too low. If your assessment is about to expire and you have not received an invitation, you will need to renew or redo it.

See also Validity of a skills assessment.