Skilled Migration to Australia After 40: What Actually Changes
How Australia's skilled migration age points drop after 40, which visas require being under 45 at invitation, which have no age cap, and why the Business Innovation and Investment visa is no longer an option for new applicants. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Age 40: −10 points.
- 0:12 Age points, by bracket
- 0:24 Under 45 at invitation, not at application
- 0:35 Subclass 482: no age limit
- 0:53 Subclass 188 closed 31 July 2024
- 1:04 Subclass 858: no formal age cap
- 1:21 English: up to 20 points
- 1:31 States set their own criteria
- 1:49 Where to read more
Transcript
Turning 40 costs you 10 points on Australia's skilled migration age test — and turning 45 can end your eligibility altogether.
Home Affairs' age points run 30 from 25 to 32, 25 from 33 to 39, 15 from 40 to 44, and nothing from 45.
The subclass 189, 190 and 491 all require the applicant to be under 45 — not at application, but at the moment of invitation.
The subclass 482 has no age limit at all, and remains available through your 40s and beyond.
The subclass 186 has its own age limit of 45, but with stream-specific exemptions that Home Affairs sets out on its own visa page.
The Business Innovation and Investment visa, subclass 188, closed to new applications on 31 July 2024. It's no longer an option.
The National Innovation Visa, subclass 858, has no formal age cap and replaced the old Global Talent visa.
Three pathways carry no age cap at all: the subclass 482, the partner visa, and the parent visa.
For applicants still under 45, English is the single biggest lever: superior English is worth 20 points, against 0 for competent.
Each state and territory sets its own nomination criteria and occupation lists, which can matter more than a single points score.
The right pathway after 40 depends on occupation, partner circumstances, and which visa's age rules actually apply to your case.
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
- Turning 45 can end your visa eligibility overnight (0:31)
- The Business Innovation visa is no longer an option (0:34)
- Your age points, bracket by bracket (0:31)
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