Australian Study Requirement: The 5 Points Explained (2026)
How the Australian Study Requirement adds 5 points to the skilled migration points test, on top of your qualification points — the CRICOS rule, the 92-week minimum, and the extra points for studying regionally. Includes what doesn't count. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Australian study can be worth
- 0:12 3 rules:
- 0:34 The course must be
- 0:44 92 weeks:
- 0:57 Studying in English isn't
- 1:09 Studying regionally can add
- 1:19 A PhD also qualifies —
- 1:30 What doesn't count
- 1:43 Where to read more
Transcript
Studied in Australia? That's 5 points on the skilled migration points test — if it meets 3 specific rules.
3 rules decide it: an Australian award, taught in English, and at least 92 weeks of study — about 2 academic years.
The 5 points aren't a replacement — they stack. A master's completed in Australia earns 15 points for the qualification, plus 5 for Australian Study: 20 points total from study alone.
The institution has to be CRICOS-registered — every Australian university already is, along with TAFEs and many private and vocational providers.
The 92 weeks doesn't need to be one continuous program. A 3-year bachelor's clears it easily, a 1.5 to 2-year master's meets it too, and separate CRICOS courses can even be combined to reach it.
Studying in English satisfies the Australian Study Requirement itself — it doesn't replace your English test. IELTS or PTE points are still claimed separately.
Study at a regional campus, and there's an extra 5 points on top of the Australian Study Requirement — up to 10 points total from where you chose to study.
A PhD at an Australian university meets the Australian Study Requirement too, and carries the highest qualification points on its own: 20, for a Doctorate.
What trips people up: a stand-alone English-language course doesn't count, study delivered offshore by an Australian provider usually doesn't count, and the award has to actually be completed — partial study earns nothing.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- 5 points most graduates don't realise they've already earned (0:35)
- The Australian Study Requirement: what actually doesn't count (0:34)
- Studying regionally adds up to 10 points (0:32)
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