Skilled visas (subclass 189, 190, 491) — Australia
Australia gives points for age, English, work experience and study. If your occupation is on the skills list and your points are high, you may be invited to apply for PR — no job offer needed.
What you need
A positive skills assessment from the right body (e.g. ANMAC for nurses, Engineers Australia, ACS for IT)
Age under 45 when invited
At least 'competent' English (IELTS 6 in each part). Higher English = many more points
At least 65 points — but in practice invitations often go to people with about 75–95 points
Health and police checks
Step by step
Check your occupation is on the skilled list.
Get your skills assessed.
Take an English test — aim for the highest score you can.
Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. For 190/491 also apply to a state.
If invited, you have 60 days to apply with all documents.