Australia PR from Dubai
SkillSelect is the gateway. From a UAE profile the points are calculable today, and the right subclass depends on your occupation, your state preference, and how willing you are to start regional. This page lays out the structure.
The three skilled-migration subclasses accessible from the UAE
Subclass 189 - Skilled Independent
No state nomination, no employer sponsorship. You submit an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect, the Department of Home Affairs invites top-ranked candidates by points, and you have 60 days to lodge the visa.
Hardest of the three to obtain because invitation thresholds are typically high (85+ points for many ANZSCO codes). Best for ANZSCO occupations on the Skilled Migration Occupation List with strong points across age, English, education and work experience.
Subclass 190 - Skilled Nominated
State or territory nominates you, which adds 5 points to your SkillSelect score. You commit to live and work in the nominating state for 2 years post-arrival.
Each state runs its own occupation list and selection criteria. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory each open and close streams independently. The advisory work is finding the state whose current selection pattern matches your profile.
Subclass 491 - Skilled Work Regional
Provisional 5-year visa, with pathway to permanent residence (subclass 191) after 3 years of regional residence and meeting an income threshold. Adds 15 points - the biggest points boost in the system.
Available occupations are broader than 189 or 190, and the points threshold is lower. Best route for applicants whose 189 score is below the typical invitation cut-off but who are willing to settle in a designated regional area for the provisional period.
Use the Australia points calculator to estimate your SkillSelect score.
The four prerequisites that gate every SkillSelect application
1. Occupation on the Skilled Migration Occupation List
Each subclass references a specific list. The ANZSCO code you nominate determines your assessing authority and your points for the "skilled employment" criterion. UAE residents in IT, accounting, engineering, healthcare and trades have the broadest ANZSCO coverage; some niche occupations (e.g. specific niche-finance roles) do not map cleanly and need careful job-description analysis.
2. Skills Assessment from the relevant authority
Each ANZSCO code has a designated assessing body. Engineers Australia for engineers, ACS for ICT, Vetassess for many professional and management roles, AITSL for teachers, ANMAC for nurses, TRA for trades. The skills-assessment outcome is what the visa application relies on. Submitting the visa before the skills assessment is positive is a common, costly error.
3. English-language proficiency
IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET (for healthcare), or Cambridge English Advanced are accepted. The score thresholds for "Competent", "Proficient" and "Superior" English are published on the Department of Home Affairs site - the points difference between Proficient (10 points) and Superior (20 points) often decides the invitation.
4. Age (under 45)
Hard cut-off at 45. Maximum age points (30) are awarded between 25 and 32. Applicants approaching the cut-off should not delay - the points loss between 39 and 44 is significant.
Evidence from a UAE profile
Skilled-employment claims are typically the documentation-heavy section. The Department of Home Affairs wants:
- Reference letters on company letterhead with exact dates, role, hours, salary, signatory contact
- Payslips covering the claimed period
- MOHRE labour contract
- End-of-service or current employment certificate
- Bank statements corroborating salary
One reference letter alone, even from a respected employer, is rarely sufficient. The cross-referenced bundle is the pattern that survives.
Who in our firm gives Australia-regulated advice
Regulated migration advice for Australia is a MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) function. Cosmos engagements for Australia cases are signed off by MARA-registered agents, named on your engagement letter and verifiable on the MARA public register at mara.gov.au. Verify our credentials.
Run the points first
Most decisions on subclass and state become obvious once the points are calculated against current invitation patterns. Request profile review.
