Dhiraj Kandel
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Quick answer
The essentials at a glance
PR courses in Australia are courses that train you for a job on Australia's skilled occupation lists, such as nursing, teaching, engineering, IT or accounting. No course gives permanent residency (PR) by itself, so Nepali students should choose a course for the job it leads to. After you graduate, you need a skills assessment for that job and an invitation to apply. You also need at least 65 points, competent English such as IELTS 6 in each part, and you must be under 45. The rules differ by visa and change often, so check the official lists before you enrol.
Key takeaways
Main points from this page
- No course guarantees PR, and a course helps only if its job is on a current skilled list and you reach 65 points or more.
- The 189 visa needs at least 65 points, competent English, a skills assessment and an invitation before you turn 45.
- For PR, competent English in PTE Academic means at least 47, 48, 51 and 54 in the 4 parts, not an overall 6.0 to 7.0.
- Proficient English adds 10 points and superior English adds 20 points to your score.
- A degree or diploma earned while living and studying in regional Australia adds 5 points.
What Is a PR Leading Course in Australia?
A PR leading course in Australia is a course that trains you for a job on Australia’s skilled occupation lists, but the course alone never gives you PR.
PR means permanent residency, the right to live and work in Australia for good. You do not get it for finishing a course. You get it later, through a skilled visa, if your job and your profile meet the rules on the day you are invited. So a “PR course” is really a course that keeps that door open. Many Nepali students and parents hear “PR course” from agents and think it is a promise. It is not, and no college or consultancy can promise it.
Home Affairs keeps a skilled occupation list with each job, its code and the body that checks your skills. After you graduate, the path to permanent residency usually runs in this order.
| Step | What happens | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Study | You finish a course that matches a skilled job | A CRICOS course, usually 2 or more years |
| 2. Skills assessment | An assessing body checks your degree and work | The body named for your job on the list |
| 3. Expression of interest | You fill in a profile in SkillSelect | Your job, points, English and age |
| 4. Invitation | Home Affairs or a state invites the best profiles | At least 65 points, often more |
| 5. Visa | You apply for a skilled visa within the deadline | Health, character and your papers |
For the full picture of visas, costs and universities, read our main guide to study in Australia from Nepal. This page covers only the PR side of choosing a course.
Which Skilled Visas Can a Course Lead To?
Most students who stay on for good use one of 3 points-tested visas: the 189, the 190 or the 491.
All 3 ask for a job on the right list, a skills assessment, an invitation and a points score. Home Affairs says the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) needs at least 65 points, competent English, and that you are under 45 when you are invited. The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) also needs a state or territory to nominate you. Each state picks its own jobs and rules, and they change often.
The 491 visa is for regional areas. Home Affairs says it lasts 5 years, and you can apply for permanent residence after 3 years if you meet its rules. Our guide to the 491 visa for Nepali students explains it in detail.
| Visa | Who invites you | How long | Where you live |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (189) | Home Affairs, no sponsor | Permanent | Anywhere in Australia |
| Skilled Nominated (190) | A state or territory nominates you | Permanent | Usually in that state at first |
| Skilled Work Regional (491) | A state, or a family member in a regional area | 5 years, then PR after 3 if eligible | A regional area |
PR Courses List: Which Courses Are Linked to Skilled Jobs?
Nursing
A Bachelor of Nursing leads to the registered nurse job, one of the best-known roles on the skilled lists.
Every job on the list names the body that does your skills assessment. For nurses it is ANMAC, and you also need to register with the nursing board. That board has its own English rule, often higher than the visa rule. +2 science students from Nepal usually choose this path. Read our guide to nursing courses in Australia before you choose a university.
Early Childhood Teaching
A teaching degree in early childhood leads to the early childhood teacher job, and it suits management and humanities students too.
Teachers are assessed by AITSL, and some childcare roles are assessed by ACECQA. The course includes placements in real centres, so you need a police check. Our guide to early childhood education courses in Australia shows which level fits you.
Engineering
A 4-year engineering degree can lead to civil, electrical, mechanical and other engineer jobs on the lists.
Engineers Australia checks your degree. A degree that it accredits makes that check simpler, so ask the university before you accept. Our guide to civil engineering courses in Australia is a good place to start.
Information Technology
IT degrees can lead to jobs such as software engineer or ICT business analyst, but this field has many applicants.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) assesses most IT jobs. Because so many people apply in IT, a high points score matters even more here. See our guide to IT courses in Australia for the options.
Accounting
An accounting degree can lead to the accountant job, which CPA Australia, CA ANZ or the IPA assess.
Many Nepali students who did +2 in management take this route, often as a Master of Professional Accounting. Like IT, accounting draws a lot of applicants, so English and points decide a lot. Our guide to accounting courses in Australia covers the degrees.
Social Work
A social work degree leads to the social worker job, which the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) assesses.
The AASW wants a degree it has accredited, so check that first. Many students from Nepal take the 2-year master’s after a bachelor’s in any field. Read our guide to the Master of Social Work in Australia.
Trades and Cookery
Trade courses such as cookery, carpentry or electrical work can lead to trade jobs, which Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) assesses.
These are usually taught at TAFE and private colleges, and TRA often asks for paid work in the trade as well. Our guide to hospitality courses in Australia covers cookery, and our list of colleges in Australia for international students covers TAFEs.
Aged Care and Health Support
Aged care and disability support courses train you for care jobs, but not every care job is on the lists for skilled visas.
Some care roles appear only on lists used by employer-sponsored visas. So check the exact job on the combined list before you enrol, not after. Many Nepali students use aged care as part-time work while they study nursing.
Is There a Best Course for PR in Australia?
No single course is best for PR in Australia, so pick one that fits your +2 subjects, your English and a job you would really do.
Nursing and teaching are named most often, and there is a reason. On its 189 visa page, Home Affairs says it gives priority to applications in healthcare, teaching, construction and agriculture. Priority means faster processing of the visa, not an easier invitation.
A course you will not finish, or a job you will not do for 3 to 5 years, does not help. If your +2 was in science, nursing, engineering and IT are open to you. If it was in management, accounting, teaching and social work fit better. Check your entry rules on our page about eligibility to study in Australia, and work out your grade with the NEB GPA calculator. Before you pick a course, ask yourself these questions.
- Is the job this course leads to on a skilled list today, and for which visa?
- Which body assesses that job, and does it accept this exact course?
- Can I reach the English level for the extra points, not just the pass?
- Would I still be happy in this job if the lists changed?
How Does the Points Test Work for Students?
The pass mark is 65 points, but invitations often go to people with more, so plan to score well above it.
Points come from your age, English, education, work and study in Australia. The official points table for the 189 visa sets them out. A Nepali student who graduates in their mid-20s gets high age points, but little for work, because Nepal work only counts after 3 years in your job. Home Affairs does not publish a fixed cut-off, and the scores that get invited go up and down each round.
| Points factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Age 18 to under 25 / 25 to under 33 / 33 to under 40 / 40 to under 45 | 25 / 30 / 25 / 15 |
| English: competent / proficient / superior | 0 / 10 / 20 |
| Bachelor’s or master’s degree / PhD / Australian diploma or trade | 15 / 20 / 10 |
| Australian study requirement (2 years of study) | 5 |
| Study in regional Australia | 5 |
| Professional Year (accounting, IT or engineering) | 5 |
| Work in your job in Australia, 1 to under 3 years | 5 |
| Work in your job outside Australia, 3 to under 5 years | 5 |
| Single, or partner is an Australian citizen or PR | 10 |
As a student, you can add points in these ways:
- Choose a course of at least 2 years, so you meet the Australian study rule.
- Study at a regional campus if your course is taught there.
- Raise your English from competent to proficient or superior.
- Do a Professional Year if you studied accounting, IT or engineering.
- Work in your field in Australia after you graduate.
What English Score Do You Need for PR in Australia?
You need at least competent English to be invited, and proficient or superior English adds 10 or 20 points.
This is not the same as the English rule for your student visa. For PR, Home Affairs wants a minimum score in each of the 4 parts of the test, not just an overall score. These are the scores for tests taken from 7 August 2025, from its pages on competent English, proficient English and superior English. For PTE, note that each part needs its own score, so one weak part can cost you points.
| Level (points) | IELTS (each part) | PTE Academic (listening, reading, writing, speaking) | TOEFL iBT (listening, reading, writing, speaking) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent (0) | 6 | 47, 48, 51, 54 | 16, 16, 19, 19 |
| Proficient (10) | 7 | 58, 59, 69, 76 | 22, 22, 26, 24 |
| Superior (20) | 8 | 69, 70, 85, 88 | 26, 27, 30, 28 |
Most Nepali students take IELTS or PTE in Kathmandu before they leave, and again in Australia near the end of the course. For the scores you need to get into a course, read our guide to minimum IELTS and PTE for Australia. Keep these points in mind:
- Your test result must still be valid when you are invited.
- Nurses and some other jobs have their own English rule for registration.
- Book the TOEFL iBT under the option for Australia, or the result does not count.
Does Studying in Regional Australia Help with PR?
Yes, a degree or diploma earned while you live and study in a regional area gives 5 extra points.
The points table says the course must meet the Australian study rule, and you must live in and study at a regional campus. Online study does not count. Regional areas also have their own visa, the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491), which keeps you in a regional area for the first years.
Regional cities often have lower rent too, which helps Nepali families who are paying from home. Our guide to regional study in Australia lists the areas and other benefits. Before you sign up for any course with a PR promise, avoid these common mistakes:
- Picking a short course at a cheap college only because an agent called it a PR course.
- Choosing a job that the assessing body will not accept with your degree.
- Waiting until the last semester to work on your English score.
- Planning on a single list, when lists can change in any year.
What Happens Between Graduation and PR?
Most graduates stay on with a 485 post-study work visa while they gain work, points and a skills assessment.
The 485 visa usually gives 2 to 3 years after a degree, and up to 18 months after a diploma that matches a skilled job. Our guide to the Australia 485 visa has the rules and the cost. During your course, the student visa lets you work up to 48 hours a fortnight, as our page on working hours for students in Australia explains. Work in your own field counts more for later than any part-time job.
The level you study also matters. A diploma is cheaper, and our guide to diploma courses in Australia shows where it leads. A PhD in Australia gives the most education points. To compare every level, see courses in Australia for Nepali students, or browse courses in Australia for international students by subject. For fees, read our page on the total cost to study in Australia from Nepal, and our list of universities in Australia for international students.
How Can Goreto Help You Choose a PR-Related Course?
Our counselors check the job, the assessing body and the points before you pick a course, and we never promise PR.
We look at your +2 or bachelor’s subjects, your English and your budget, then show you the jobs your course could lead to. We also tell you plainly when a course has a weak link to any skilled job. Students from any town in Nepal, such as Dhangadhi or Janakpur, can talk to us online. Our branches are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara, and you can contact Goreto to book a free session.
FAQs on PR Courses in Australia
No. No course, college or agent can guarantee PR. A course only helps if its job is on a skilled list when you apply. You then still need the points, English, age, skills assessment and an invitation.
Nepali students most often choose nursing, accounting, IT, engineering, early childhood teaching and social work. They are popular because each one links to a known skilled job, not because they lead to PR on their own.
Not always. A bachelor’s and a master’s give the same 15 points for education. A 2-year master’s can be the faster route if you already have a bachelor’s from Nepal, as long as the skills body accepts it for your job.
There is no fixed time. Most students study for 2 years or more, then work on a 485 visa while they build points. After that, it depends on invitation rounds and on processing times for the visa.
It is possible to apply for a skilled visa from Nepal if your job, skills assessment and points meet the rules, but it is hard. Without Australian study or work, you lose the points students usually rely on.
Check the combined list on the Home Affairs website, and look at which visas each job can be used for. The Core Skills Occupation List is used for employer-sponsored visas, while points-tested visas use other lists. A state may also have its own list for nomination.
Cookery can lead to the chef or cook jobs if they are on the list for your visa, and TRA usually wants work in the trade too. A general hospitality management course has a much weaker link to skilled visas.
Some science jobs, such as agricultural scientist or environmental consultant, have appeared on the lists. Check the exact job and its assessing body first, because many science degrees do not match a listed job.
Not always, but it adds points. Work in your job in Australia gives 5 points after 1 year, and work outside Australia gives 5 points after 3 years. Some skills bodies, like TRA, ask for work before they assess you.
Sources
Reference links
Disclaimer
Important guidance note
This page provides general guidance about studying abroad. Requirements, fees and policies can change. For advice about your situation, speak with a Goreto counselor before applying.
