See the score. Then see what the paper still needs.

45

Pass mark to lodge is 65. Many invitation rounds sit near 80.

20 short of the pass mark

SkillSelect visas need at least 65 to lodge. That is the floor, not an invitation.

• Age30
• English0
• Skilled work outside Australia0
• Skilled work in Australia0
• Qualification15
• Australian study0
• Professional year0
• Partner0
• Nomination0

Not a points visa

• Skills in Demand / 482

  Employer nominates you. No points test. English, skills, salary floor and a sponsor instead.

• 186 Employer Nomination

  Time with a sponsor or Direct Entry. Not a points score.

• Student 500

  A CRICOS course and Genuine Student. Not points.

Papers they usually want

Tick what you have. Do not upload the files here.

• PassportValid for the whole process. Bio page clear. All passports you have held.Won’t fly: Expired, damaged, or a bio page you cropped. A driver’s licence is not a passport.
• Birth certificate or identity papersFull certificate with parents’ names where your country issues that. Certified translation if not English.Won’t fly: Hospital cards, photocopies with no certification, names that do not match the passport.
• PhotosThe size and background Home Affairs lists for that visa. Recent.Won’t fly: Selfies, filters, old photos, busy backgrounds.
• English testA test on the Home Affairs list, still in date (often three years). Every part at the listed score.Won’t fly: An overall 7 with one part at 5.5. A test that has expired. A test they do not list.
• Skills assessmentThe assessing body for your ANZSCO. Positive. Occupation matches the visa.Won’t fly: A different occupation to the one you nominate. An expired assessment. A short course sold as an assessment.
• Work referencesLetterhead, dates, hours, tasks that match the occupation. Payslips help.Won’t fly: A mate’s email. Titles that do not match the duties. Gaps you cannot explain.
• Police certificatesEach country you lived in for 12 months or more after 16, in the window they ask.Won’t fly: Missing a country. An old check when they asked for a new one.
• Health examinationsPanel clinic they name. Book through their process.Won’t fly: Your GP at home unless they say so. Skipping a family member who is on the form.
• CharacterAnswer the questions. Disclose charges. They check.Won’t fly: Leaving a charge off. PIC 4020 problems from false papers.
• Partner and childrenIf they are on the form: relationship evidence, their IDs, their health and character.Won’t fly: Not declaring a partner or a child. A relationship with no history. A spouse visa mixed into a 482 without advice.

Where files often stall

• Mixing up 482 and points

  A 482 is a job and a sponsor. 189 / 190 / 491 are points. You can hold one and plan the other. They are different files.

• English parts, not the average

  Skilled visas look at each part. One weak listening score can drop you from superior to proficient, or off the visa.

• Occupation does not match the work

  Cook vs Chef. The assessing body and ANZSCO duties have to line up with what you actually did.

• Family left off the form

  Undeclared partners and children are a common reason files stall. Declare, then get advice if the situation is messy.

• False or pretty papers

  PIC 4020 is the public interest criterion on bogus documents. A fake reference can follow you for years.

• Resigning too early on a 482

  Time off the sponsor is limited. Do not leave the old job until the public rule and a MARA agent say the timing is safe.

• Health and character surprises

  Old charges, TB history, a family member who cannot meet health. Ask a MARA agent before you pay a lodgement fee.