Points Test Reform Consultation Is Open: What It Means for You

If you hold an Expression of Interest (EOI), are weighing when to lodge, or are simply trying to separate genuine policy signal from social-media speculation, this is the update that matters. Below we set out what the consultation actually is, what is on the table versus what is still guesswork, who is shaping the outcome, and the practical steps to take while the current rules still apply.

What the Consultation Actually Is

The points test review is a formal, staged policy process - not a single announcement. It was flagged in the 12 May 2026 Federal Budget, which committed the Government to reforming the points test to better select younger, higher-skilled and English-proficient migrants. Following that, the Department of Home Affairs published a Review of the Points Test discussion paper and opened it for written submissions from industry, unions, employer groups, registered migration agents, and state and territory governments. That submission window is what is live as of July 2026.

The critical point for applicants is the sequencing. A discussion paper is the start of a reform, not the end. The typical path runs: discussion paper and consultation → analysis of submissions → draft legislative instrument → registration and commencement. On the current published timeline, draft legislation is expected by December 2026, and the new test is proposed to commence on 1 July 2027. Until that new instrument is registered, the current Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994 governs every invitation - so an EOI invited today, or any time before 1 July 2027, is assessed under today's rules.

That gives the sector an unusually clear runway. Rather than a surprise overnight change, there is a defined consultation-to-commencement corridor, and the Government has signalled that candidates already invited under the current framework will be protected by transitional arrangements. The table below sets out where the process actually stands as at July 2026.

What's on the Table vs What's Still Speculation

Because the discussion paper frames questions rather than final answers, it is important to separate the review's genuine terms of reference from the more specific numbers circulating online. The Budget and the discussion paper confirm the direction - a test weighted more toward youth, higher skills, English proficiency and demonstrated earning capacity - and confirm that several long-standing settings are being examined. What they do not yet confirm are the exact point values that will replace them.

The most widely reported specific proposals - a lift in the EOI entry threshold from 65 to 70 points, a new bonus for salaries above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT, now $146,717 from 1 July 2026), and the possible removal of Australian-study, Professional Year and NAATI bonuses - are exactly that: proposals and informed expectations drawn from the review's direction and from stakeholder commentary. They are covered in depth in our companion guide, Points Test 2027: The 70-Point Minimum, Salary Bonus & What's Going Away. What the current consultation adds is the opportunity for those proposals to be tested, refined or dropped before they are written into a draft instrument.

The table below separates what the consultation has genuinely put in scope from what remains unconfirmed detail.

Who Is Shaping the Outcome

One reason this consultation is worth watching rather than ignoring is that serious, credible organisations are engaging with it - which means the final test is being pulled in several directions at once. Professional services and economic-policy bodies including KPMG and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) have made submissions, alongside the international education sector, employer associations, unions and state governments. Each brings a different priority, and the draft instrument due in December 2026 will reflect wherever the balance lands.

Broadly, three camps are visible. Economic and employer-side submissions tend to favour rewarding demonstrated earning capacity and in-demand skills - which is where the proposed salary-linked bonus comes from. The international education sector is pushing back hard on any removal of Australian-study, Professional Year and community-language credits, arguing those bonuses are precisely what makes Australia competitive as an English-speaking study destination. State and territory governments, meanwhile, have a stake in how 190 and 491 nomination pathways interact with any new scoring, since regional and state-nominated migration depends on candidates being able to reach a workable score.

For an individual applicant, the takeaway is not to pick a side but to recognise the uncertainty this creates. When well-resourced bodies are actively lobbying to keep or cut specific bonuses, it is a strong signal that those exact bonuses are genuinely in play - and that building a score today that depends heavily on a single at-risk bonus is riskier than it looks. For the fuller background on how this reform emerged from the earlier think-tank and Budget debate, see our earlier piece, Points Test Overhaul Coming? What We Know About the 2026-27 Skilled Migration Reform.

What You Should Do During the Consultation Window

The consultation period - roughly mid-2026 through to the draft legislation in December 2026 - is a planning window, not a panic window. Because the current rules stay in force until 1 July 2027, the smart response is to use this time to position yourself, not to make rushed decisions on unconfirmed detail. Here is a practical sequence.

1. Model your score under the rules that actually apply now. Every invitation before 1 July 2027 uses the current 65-point Schedule 6D. If you are already competitive, keep your EOI current and your skills assessment valid through to at least mid-2027. Confirm your occupation is on the relevant list using our ANZSCO Occupation Search, then re-score yourself against every current Schedule 6D category.

2. Identify whether your score depends on an at-risk bonus. If your pathway to a competitive score leans on the Australian-study, Professional Year or NAATI five-point credits, treat those points as potentially time-limited. The qualifications keep their value; the points may not survive the review. Where possible, build a more durable score - a jump from Competent to Proficient English is worth 10 points and is the single most reliable top-up under both the current and any likely future test.

3. Watch for the draft legislation, not the rumours. The moment that actually changes your planning is the December 2026 draft instrument, when the real point values become visible. Until then, avoid restructuring your life around a specific "70-point" figure that has not been legislated. When discussing 190 and 491 options, remember that state nomination requirements and occupation lists are subject to change - always confirm current availability before applying.

4. Consider parallel pathways that don't ride the points test at all. For some profiles, an employer-sponsored route is less exposed to points-test reform than a GSM route. Our skilled visa service page and employer-sponsored visa overview walk through the alternatives, several of which are unaffected by Schedule 6D scoring.

The Bottom Line

The points test consultation is the most important thing happening in skilled migration right now precisely because nothing has changed yet. This is the window where the post-2027 rules are being written, where credible bodies are arguing over which bonuses survive, and where applicants under the current 65-point system still have a fully valid skilled visa pathway. The worst response is to freeze on the assumption the changes are already here; the best is to model your position under the rules in force, protect against the bonuses most at risk, and watch for the December 2026 draft rather than the noise.

How First Migration Can Help

A reform still in consultation is exactly the situation where expert guidance pays off - because the right move depends on your specific profile, not on a headline number. At First Migration Service Centre, our registered migration agents are already modelling client scores against both the current Schedule 6D and the proposed post-2027 direction, so that every EOI and application lodged from today is positioned for the most favourable pathway.

Ready to take the next step? We invite you to submit a free visa assessment so we can model your score under both the current and proposed rules and recommend the right timing for your EOI.