Australia Announces Points Test Redesign With Uplift for Housing Trades

What happened

In his National Press Club speech on 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government has redone the points test for skilled migration. He said the work was done in consultation with Treasury, to get “the best possible economic benefit for Australia” from the permanent skilled program.

The Minister also announced a new feature. The test will be able to give an “uplift” to chosen skills, so they score as if they were a higher qualification. He said that, on implementation, anyone skilled in the housing trades will get the same number of points as for a university qualification. The aim is to attract the construction trades Australia needs.

Who is affected

The points test decides who gets invited to apply for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas. A redesign could change scores for everyone in SkillSelect, not only tradespeople.

Under the current points table, a bachelor degree earns 15 points and a diploma or trade qualification earns 10. If housing trades are scored like a degree, a qualified tradesperson in those occupations could gain about 5 points. The government has not yet named the occupations that count as “housing trades”.

What it means for your move

Nothing changes yet. The pass mark is still 65 points and you must be under 45 when invited. Until a new table is published, your score is calculated under the current rules.

The Minister did not release the new points table or say whether other factors, such as age, English or work experience, will be weighted differently. Do not plan around rumoured numbers. Build your score on what counts now, such as better English test results or skills assessments, which are likely to matter under any version of the test.

What to do now

• Check your current score with our points test calculator guide.
• If you work in construction, make sure your skills assessment and work history are in order so you can update your Expression of Interest quickly.
• Compare the 189, 190 and 491 routes in our 189 vs 190 vs 491 guide. State nomination adds points under the current test.
• Keep your EOI accurate. See our SkillSelect guide.

What happens next

Home Affairs says the September measures will be rolled out over the next 12 months. A new points test would need changes to the Migration Regulations, which would be published on the Federal Register of Legislation. As of 11 October 2026 nothing has been registered. We will report the start date and new table on the Australia hub and the updates page.