VPT vs SkillSelect: why you have two points scores
Applicants for a Victorian nomination are scored twice, by two governments, on two different scales. Confusing them is the most common mistake in the process.
| Federal SkillSelect | Victorian Points Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Department of Home Affairs | Victorian Government |
| What it decides | Whether you are eligible for the visa | Whether you are invited to apply for nomination |
| Maximum | Varies by factor | 950 |
| Pass mark | 65 points, fixed | None — it is a ranking |
| Age at its peak | 30 points | 300 points |
| Superior English | 20 points | 200 points |
| Partner | 10 points | 50, under stricter conditions |
| Victorian salary | Not counted | Up to 150 points |
Never add the two together, and never enter a VPT total as your SkillSelect score. They are separate systems on separate scales. You need 65+ on SkillSelect to be eligible at all, and then your VPT total decides where you sit in Victoria’s queue.
Why Victoria has no pass mark
Victoria has a limited number of nomination places. Rather than set a threshold and invite everyone over it, it sorts every Registration of Interest by VPT total and invites from the top down until the places for that round are used. A score that is invited in one round may not be in another. That is why the only useful question is not “is my score enough” but “where does my score sit against everyone else’s”.