We Keep Hearing About the 70-Point Pass Mark. But Is It Official?

16 minutes ago

4 min read

By Shreyy Duggal, September 29 2026

Within days of Tony Burke's National Press Club speech on 17 September 2026, our inbox filled with the same question: "Is the pass mark really going up to 70?" Migration forums and agent websites were already predicting a 70-point pass mark, a July 2027 start date and sweeping changes to who qualifies.

So we went back to the official documents. Most of those claims share one problem. They don't appear in any of them.

If you're planning a 189, 190 or 491 visa, the difference between what was announced and what is being repeated matters. In this article, we separate the two using only the Minister's speech and the 2026–27 Budget. The 60-Second Summary

Confirmed: The points test has been redesigned with Treasury to maximise economic benefit.
Confirmed: Housing trades will earn the same points as a university degree. Today, a bachelor's degree earns 15 points and a trade qualification 10.
Confirmed: The Budget commits to selecting better-educated, higher-skilled and younger migrants overall.
Not confirmed: a 70-point pass mark or any start date.

Does This Affect You?

If you are…	What it means for you
Skilled in a housing trade	Likely positive: your trade qualification could count like a degree
A degree-qualified professional (IT, accounting, engineering, management)	Your pathways remain open, but the weighting of age, education and experience may change
Planning a 189, 190 or 491 application	The current points test applies until the regulations are amended
Waiting on a skills assessment	Faster assessments have been funded; timing is still unclear

What the Minister Actually Said A points test rebuilt for economic value

Burke confirmed that the government has reworked the points test with Treasury to get the most economic benefit from the permanent skilled program. That matters more than it might seem: almost two-thirds of permanent skilled migrants come through points-tested visas.

The new "skills uplift"

The redesigned test introduces a mechanism that lets selected skills count as a higher qualification. Its first confirmed use applies to housing trades, which will receive the same points as a university qualification once the change is implemented.

Two profiles, two different outcomes

Here's how we explain it to the professionals we work with, using two hypothetical applicants. A qualified carpenter currently earns 10 points for a trade qualification. Under the uplift, that could rise to 15, a five-point gain from a single rule change.

A software engineer with a bachelor's degree still earns 15 points for the qualification. But the Budget's focus on younger, higher-skilled migrants suggests other factors may be weighted differently. Until the new table is published, nobody can honestly say how that profile will score, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Priority processing

Ministerial Direction 119 will be updated to prioritise construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture and fisheries. Priority affects processing speed, not eligibility.

What the Budget Commits To

Budget Paper No. 2 (12 May 2026) is the formal commitment. It states that the points test will be reformed to select better-educated, higher-skilled and younger migrants. The same measure funds faster skills assessments and requires every assessing authority to publish an annual performance report from 2027.

The reform follows a review that began with a Home Affairs discussion paper in April 2024, which drew 204 submissions. The ideas in that paper were consultation options, not decisions. In our experience, that detail is often lost in online commentary.

Where the Rumours Fall Short

The 70-point pass mark and 2027 start date

Many agents claim the pass mark will rise from 65 to 70, with the new test starting on 1 July 2027 (some say March 2027). We couldn't find either claim in any official source. The Budget gives no start date, and the speech says only that the change will apply once implemented. Home Affairs has reportedly indicated the wider package will roll out progressively over the next 12 months.

Where the real answer will appear

The new test is expected to be introduced by amending Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994, published on the Federal Register of Legislation. Until that amendment appears, the current points test remains the law, and we're watching for it closely.

The Real Risk Right Now

The danger in this period isn't the reform itself. It's making decisions on the wrong information.

If you rush to lodge because of a rumoured deadline, you may do it with an incomplete profile. If you pause everything to wait for final rules, you may lose months you can't get back. We see both mistakes, and both are avoidable.

What we recommend doing now

Confirm your occupation code. Your job title and your nominated occupation are not always the same.
Start or review your skills assessment. It takes time regardless of policy.
Improve your English score. It's one of the most significant points factors.
Plan a profile reassessment for when Schedule 6D is amended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the pass mark increasing to 70?

Not as far as any official document shows. We haven't found it in the Minister's speech or the Budget.

When does the new points test start?

No official date has been announced. It will start once Schedule 6D is amended.

Will trade qualifications earn the same points as degrees?

For housing trades, yes, once the change is implemented. How We Can Help You Through the Change

At WeAbide, we work with skilled professionals who want clarity, not speculation. We can help you:

Understand your points today, under the current test, and how the announced changes could affect your profile.
Separate fact from rumour, with guidance grounded in official sources.
Prepare your skills assessment and documents ahead of the new rules.
Choose the right pathway across the 189, 190 and 491 visas.