You have spent years building your career. If Australia is part of your plans, an employer-sponsored job is not the only route worth exploring. Some skilled migration visas assess your occupation, qualifications, English ability and other factors through a points-based system.
For Filipino applicants, the Skilled Independent visa (189), Skilled Nominated visa (190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (491) may be options. None requires an employer to sponsor the visa. Each has its own requirements, and an eligible occupation is only the starting point.
Three pathways, three different starting points
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent: A permanent visa for invited applicants with an eligible occupation. You do not need employer sponsorship or state nomination. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and must receive an invitation before applying. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation.
Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated: A permanent visa requiring nomination by an Australian state or territory and an invitation to apply. Nomination adds five points. Each state or territory sets its own selection criteria, including which occupations and offshore applicants it will consider. Applicants should understand the nominating state's settlement expectations.
Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional): A five-year provisional visa requiring state or territory nomination, or sponsorship by an eligible relative, and an invitation. Nomination or eligible family sponsorship adds 15 points. Visa holders must follow designated regional living, work and study conditions. A later subclass 191 permanent residence application may be possible after holding an eligible visa for at least three years and meeting the other requirements. Permanent residency is not automatic.
No employer sponsorship does not mean every state pathway is available without a job offer. Some nomination streams have employment or job-offer requirements. Applicants should check the specific state’s current rules and whether it accepts applicants living in the Philippines.
Nursing & Allied Health
Registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and medical laboratory scientists are examples of occupations on Australia's skilled migration lists. The exact occupation and assessment requirements matter; not every healthcare or care-support role has the same options.
For nurses, a migration skills assessment and professional registration serve different purposes. ANMAC assesses nursing skills for migration, while registration through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra concerns practising as a nurse. Passing NCLEX alone does not establish migration eligibility or Australian registration. Your qualification, registration history and work background determine which assessment route needs to be considered.
Teaching
Early childhood, secondary and special education teachers are examples with potential skilled migration pathways. Primary school teachers have different occupation-list access, so their options need a separate review rather than an assumption that subclass 189 is available.
Teacher-training qualifications, subjects or age groups taught, supervised teaching practice and employment history are relevant considerations. Skills assessment requirements depend on the nominated occupation: for example, AITSL assesses secondary and relevant special education teaching occupations, while ACECQA assesses early childhood teachers. State or territory teacher registration is a separate consideration before working.
Construction Trades & Engineering
Carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, civil engineers, quantity surveyors and construction project managers are examples of occupations to explore. An employer sponsor is not compulsory simply because your occupation is a trade or construction profession.
Your actual duties matter as much as your job title. A general construction role does not automatically match a listed skilled occupation, and a qualification or trade certificate alone does not establish eligibility. The relevant assessing authority will determine the evidence and assessment required. Occupational licensing may also be needed before you can perform regulated work in Australia.
What factors matter for skilled migration?
Relevant factors include your exact occupation and the applicable visa list; your age, qualifications and work history; English ability; skills assessment requirements; and any state nomination or regional requirements. These points-tested pathways generally require applicants to be under 45 when invited and to have at least competent English and a suitable skills assessment.
The minimum points threshold is 65, including any applicable nomination or sponsorship points. This is a minimum eligibility threshold, not a promise of selection. Actual invitation scores and selection priorities can be higher and vary by occupation, visa and invitation round. Visa processing priority is also different from receiving an invitation.
Interested in exploring your options?
If you work in nursing, allied health, teaching, construction or engineering and are considering Australia, you can submit your background to Mates Cebu for preliminary profiling.
Complete our online enquiry form and provide an updated CV, including your employers, employment dates, job descriptions and main responsibilities, and your Transcript of Records (TOR), including all relevant pages.
Preliminary profiling helps us gather an overview of your education and work experience before contacting you to discuss your enquiry. Our team can share general information from official sources and help organise your background documents. Where individual migration advice is needed, we can discuss a referral to a registered migration agent.
This article provides general information. Preliminary profiling is not a formal skills assessment or a determination of visa eligibility. Occupation lists and visa requirements may change, and submitting your profile does not guarantee a job, invitation or visa approval.