Partner Points for Australia PR Explained (2026)

The "Partner Skills" category in the Australian Permanent Residency (PR) points test is often one of the most misunderstood areas for prospective migrants. A lot of folks assume that being single puts them at a major disadvantage, or that their partner has to work in the exact same industry to claim any points at all.

Thankfully, that's simply not true. Part 6D.11 of Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994 clearly spells out how you can claim up to 10 points based on your relationship status and your partner's qualifications.

In this guide, we'll break down the four possible scenarios for partner points, exactly what evidence you need to provide, and how your relationship status determines your tie-breaker ranking when submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect.

The 4 Partner Point Scenarios

Scenario 1: Single Applicants (10 Points)

If you're applying as a single applicant without a spouse or de facto partner, you automatically receive 10 points.

You don't need to provide any complex evidence to claim these points. Simply declaring yourself as "Never Married," "Divorced," or "Separated" in your EOI is enough to secure them.

Scenario 2: Skilled Partner (10 Points)

If you have a spouse or de facto partner, they can contribute a very handy 10 points to your application if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Age: They must be under 45 years old at the time of invitation.
• English: They must have at least Competent English (e.g., IELTS 6.0 in all bands, PTE 50 in all bands, or hold a passport from a recognised English-speaking country).
• Skills Assessment: They must hold a valid, positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority.
• Occupation List: Their nominated occupation must be on the appropriate skilled occupation list. For a Subclass 189 visa, both your occupation and your partner's occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). For state-nominated visas (Subclass 190 and 491), both occupations simply need to be on the eligible lists (which usually encompasses the MLTSSL, STSOL, and ROL).

Scenario 3: Partner with Competent English Only (5 Points)

If your partner doesn't have a skills assessment, or their occupation just isn't on the right list, they can still contribute 5 points to your score.

To claim these 5 points, your partner only needs to demonstrate Competent English. This can be done by achieving the minimum required scores in an accepted English test (like IELTS or PTE) or by holding a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland.

Scenario 4: Australian Citizen / PR Partner (10 Points)

If your partner happens to be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, you automatically receive 10 points.

It's worth noting that if your partner is already a citizen or PR holder, they generally aren't included as an applicant in your skilled visa application, seeing as they already have the right to live and work in Australia.

The Tie-Breaker: EOI Ranking Priority

While a Single applicant and an applicant with a Skilled Partner both receive 10 points, what happens when they tie on total points? How does SkillSelect choose who gets an invite first?

The Department of Home Affairs applies a strict ranking order for applicants who are tied on points, which is based entirely on your partner status:

1. First Priority: Single applicants AND applicants with a Skilled Partner (10 points). These two groups are ranked equally.
2. Second Priority: Applicants with a partner who has Competent English only (5 points).
3. Third Priority: Applicants with a partner who contributes no points (0 points).

This means if you have 85 points with a 5-point English partner, and a Single applicant also has 85 points, the Single applicant will be ranked higher in the queue and naturally invited first.

Frequently Asked Questions