Australia Visa Risk Pre-Scan Tool
Answer questions across 7 risk areas. Your risk score and flagged issues update instantly. This tool does not collect your data or give legal advice. It helps you spot gaps before you apply.
Age, English, and salary thresholds updated in July-August 2025. Old calculators may give wrong scores.
Only paid work of 20+ hours per week in a nominated skilled occupation after gaining the qualifying qualification counts.
Your assessment must be valid at the time your visa is decided, not just when you apply.
A mismatch between your skills assessment ANZSCO code and your nominated visa occupation is a direct refusal risk.
One band below the minimum means the entire test fails, even if your overall average looks fine. This is the most common English mistake.
The “one fails, all fail” rule applies. A health condition on any family member included in the application can affect the outcome of the primary applicant’s visa.
Health exams must be conducted by a Department of Home Affairs approved panel physician only. Your own doctor’s assessment is not accepted.
You must provide a police clearance certificate from Nigeria (NIS PCC) and from every country where you have lived for 12+ months in the past 10 years.
Nigeria Police Force PCCs and Interpol clearances (if required) can take 4 to 12 weeks. Start early. PCCs generally expire after 12 months.
Prior visa refusals do not automatically disqualify you but must be declared. Failure to disclose a prior refusal is itself grounds for refusal under PIC 4020.
Officers compare your resume, reference letters, payslips, and tax documents. Even small date inconsistencies across documents can raise red flags.
Name variations between different Nigerian documents (birth certificate vs passport) are common and must be explained with a statutory declaration.
189 requires MLTSSL. 190 and 491 require MLTSSL, STSOL, or ROL depending on the state. State lists change; always verify on the current official list.
The Department cross-checks your job duties against ANZSCO definitions. Recoding to a different ANZSCO than your actual duties is flagged in compliance checks.
Your risk scan appears here
Open each section on the left and answer the questions. Your risk score updates with every answer.
No data is stored. All answers are processed locally in your browser.
How the Australia Visa Risk Pre-Scan Works
The PRISM Risk Pre-Scan is a structured self-assessment across 7 domains that represent the most common reasons Australian skilled visas are refused or delayed. For each domain, your answers generate a risk weight. The formula aggregates those weights into a total score from 0 to 100:
Domain weight = f(answer_severity) per question
Total capped at 100
Low risk: 0 to 25 (strong application)
Medium risk: 26 to 55 (preparation gaps exist)
High risk: 56 to 79 (critical issues to resolve)
Critical risk: 80 to 100 (likely refusal if unchanged)
Each domain covers a real refusal pathway. Points Accuracy catches the most common self-reporting error: overclaiming work experience or misunderstanding the band-specific English rules. Skills Assessment catches validity and ANZSCO mismatch issues. English covers the common mistake of relying on an overall average rather than checking every individual band. The Health domain flags the “one fails, all fail” rule and the requirement for official panel physicians. Character covers PCC completeness and prior visa history disclosure. Documentation quality addresses evidence inconsistencies. Occupation Eligibility catches ANZSCO code mismatches and state list verification failures.
The 7 Risk Domains Explained
Domain 1: Points Accuracy
The Department of Home Affairs assesses your points at the time you receive your invitation to apply, not when you submit your EOI. If your age drops a bracket between EOI submission and invitation, your claimed score is wrong. Work experience must be post-qualification, at least 20 hours per week, paid, and in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related one. Claiming partner skills assessment points when the partner has not also met the age and English requirements is one of the most frequently seen overclaiming errors.
Domain 2: Skills Assessment
A positive skills assessment from the correct assessing authority is mandatory. The assessing authority is determined by your ANZSCO occupation code, not your job title. Most assessments are valid for 3 years from the positive result date. If your assessment expires before your visa is decided, your application is at risk. The ANZSCO code on your skills assessment must match the occupation you nominate in your visa application exactly. A mismatch, even between closely related codes, is a direct refusal risk.
Domain 3: English Language
Every individual band score must meet the required minimum. An overall or average score that looks like Proficient English does not count if Writing or Speaking falls short. From 7 August 2025, PTE Academic now has component-specific thresholds, making this even more important for PTE users. IELTS scores have not changed but still operate on a per-band basis. Your test must remain valid at the time your visa is decided, not just when you apply. Processing times vary from 6 to 18 months after lodging, so a test taken close to your application date may expire mid-processing.
Domain 4: Health Requirement
Permanent skilled visas (189, 190) are subject to PIC 4005, which has no health waiver. If you or any dependent family member included in the application exceeds the Significant Cost Threshold of A$86,000 in estimated health care costs, the visa will be refused. There is no discretion available. Health examinations must be conducted by a Department of Home Affairs-approved panel physician. Your own doctor’s assessment is not accepted regardless of how qualified they are.
Domain 5: Character
Every country where you have lived for 12 or more months requires a police clearance certificate. For Nigerian applicants, this means obtaining a Nigeria Police Force PCC (via NIS or the police force), and PCCs from any other country where you have lived. PCCs typically expire after 12 months and can take 4 to 12 weeks to obtain in Nigeria. Any prior visa refusal from any country must be declared. Non-disclosure is itself grounds for refusal under PIC 4020 (false and misleading information), which is one of the most serious visa bans.
Domain 6: Documentation Quality
Employment references must be detailed and verifiable. A strong reference includes: employer’s letterhead, contact details, your full name, job title, ANZSCO duties performed, start and end dates, and your salary or contract type. Generic reference letters that simply say “this person worked here” are frequently flagged. Any inconsistencies between documents are red flags even when genuinely accidental. Nigerian names often appear differently across birth certificates, passports, and academic records due to administrative variation. Any difference must be addressed with a statutory declaration before lodging.
Domain 7: Occupation Eligibility
Your actual job duties must match the ANZSCO definition for the code you nominate. Officers use CASCOT and ANZSCO definitions to verify alignment. Choosing a higher-skilled ANZSCO code to access better salary thresholds or list eligibility is a known integrity risk that the Department specifically monitors. For state nomination visas, your occupation must also appear on the state’s current occupation list. This list changes; an occupation that was listed when you began your application may have been removed by the time you apply.
Table of Truth: Risk Factor Summary
| Risk Domain | Common Issue | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points Accuracy | Claiming pre-qualification work experience | Overclaimed score; possible refusal | Recalculate with only post-qual work |
| Skills Assessment | ANZSCO code mismatch with visa nomination | Direct refusal | Verify codes match exactly before lodging |
| English | One IELTS band at 5.5 when claiming Proficient | English requirement not met; refusal | Resit targeting 7.0+ in every single band |
| Health | Undisclosed chronic condition in family member | Visa refused; no waiver for 189/190 | Pre-assess with IME panel physician early |
| Character | Missing Nigerian PCC or failing to disclose prior refusal | Character test failure or PIC 4020 | Apply for NIS PCC early; declare all prior refusals |
| Documentation | Generic reference letters without duties or dates | Insufficient evidence; s56 request or refusal | Obtain detailed references matching ANZSCO duties |
| Occupation | Occupation not on current state nomination list | Nomination ineligible; application fails | Verify on state portal before submitting ROI |
Realistic Scenarios
Scenario 1: Nurse applying offshore, 75 points
Adaeze is a registered nurse applying from Nigeria. Her risk profile: Points accuracy is clean (75 pts, recalculated correctly). AHPRA skills assessment is positive and valid. IELTS 7.5 overall but with Writing at 6.5 (she is claiming Proficient: this is a fail, the Writing band is 0.5 short). Health: no conditions. Character: Nigerian PCC obtained. Documentation: reference letters are generic. Occupation: on MLTSSL. Her two risks are English (Writing band) and documentation quality. Both are fixable before she applies. Her pre-scan score should be around 30 (medium risk).
Scenario 2: Engineer applying onshore, spouse and child included
Emeka is a civil engineer on a 482 visa. He includes his wife and 4-year-old in his 190 application. His wife has a pre-existing controlled chronic condition. He used a private doctor for the health exam, not a panel physician. His points are accurately calculated. Skills assessment is valid. His risk: Health domain is high (spouse’s condition, wrong physician type). Character is clean. Documentation is strong. His pre-scan score might be around 55 to 65 (high risk), driven entirely by the health factors. Both are fixable: book an official IME panel physician and consult a migration agent about the spouse’s condition under PIC 4005.
Scenario 3: Accountant targeting 190, 80 points
Chidi is a management accountant targeting a Victorian 190. His ANZSCO code on the skills assessment is 221112 (Management Accountant), but he intends to nominate 221111 (General Accountant) because it is more commonly listed. This is a direct mismatch. His occupation is on the MLTSSL but not currently on VIC’s priority list. His PCC from a country where he studied is missing. His documentation includes one reference letter with no salary details. Pre-scan score: likely 70 or above (high to critical risk). The occupation mismatch alone is refusal-level.
