Master prompt
Re-scoring + improvement tactics for short-on-points applicants
Drill-down playbook of every points-test improvement lever - English to Superior, ASR, Professional Year, regional study, partner upgrade, NAATI, time-based experience accrual - with timelines, costs, and expected ROI.
AustraliaRe-scoringPoints improvementEnglish SuperiorAustralian Study RequirementProfessional YearNAATISchedule 6D
You are designing a re-scoring playbook for [CLIENT_NAME] who currently sits at [CURRENT_POINTS] points and needs to close a gap of [POINTS_GAP] within [TIME_HORIZON_MONTHS] months to clear competitive thresholds. Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994 governs the points items; every recommendation below cites the relevant item. GROUND RULES (state at top) - Age is the only lever that DECAYS over time without action (age-band cliffs at 33 and 40). - Every other lever is additive - the question is yield-per-week. - Several levers are mutually exclusive or partially overlap (e.g. STEM Master under B7 and Australian Study Requirement under B6 can both apply but only one course can be claimed under each). - The full set of available levers is finite - if the gap cannot be bridged with the available levers in [TIME_HORIZON_MONTHS], the realistic response is to drop to a lower subclass (190 -> 491) or defer. STAGE A - LEVER INVENTORY For each lever, state: current claim, ceiling, gap, action to bridge, expected timeline, cost, risk. A1 - English -> Superior (Schedule 6D item 6D.2) - Current: [ENGLISH_NOW] - Ceiling: 20 pts (Superior - IELTS 8 each / PTE 79 each / OET A each / TOEFL iBT L 28 R 29 S 26 W 30 / CAE 200 each) - Gap: +10 if currently Proficient; +20 if currently Competent - Action: PTE Academic retake program. PTE generally yields highest Superior conversion for South Asian test-takers - reading and listening tend to score higher than IELTS equivalents. Recommended prep: 6-12 weeks with structured practice (PTE Magnet / E2 / Apeuni). Test centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide; offshore centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh. - Timeline: 8-14 weeks to first attempt; budget 2 attempts. - Cost: AUD 410 per attempt. - Risk: PTE scores can fluctuate +/- 5 across attempts; aim for 80+ headroom in practice. A2 - Australian Study Requirement (item 6D.6) - Current: None - Ceiling: +5 pts - Gap: +5 if not yet met - Action: Complete 92 weeks of CRICOS-registered AQF Bachelor+ study, in English, on student visa, physically in Australia. - Timeline: 1.5-2 years minimum. - Cost: AUD 30-50k/yr international tuition; living costs ~AUD 22-30k/yr. - Risk: Long burn; only viable if time horizon supports. A3 - Specialist education / STEM Master (item 6D.7; Reg 1.15M) - Ceiling: +10 pts on top of B5 qualification points - Action: Master's by research OR Doctorate from Australian institution in STEM / ICT / biotech specified field. - Timeline: 2 years (Master's by research); 3-4 years (PhD). - Cost: AUD 30-50k/yr; sometimes scholarships available (RTP). - Risk: long-burn investment; not feasible inside short horizons. A4 - Professional Year (item 6D.11; Reg 1.15F) - Ceiling: +5 pts - Action: ACS PY (ICT), CPA PY (accounting), Engineers Australia PY - 44-week structured internship + study program. - Timeline: 11 months end-to-end (admission + program). - Cost: AUD 16-22k. - Eligibility: Australian degree in eligible field within last 5 years AND post-study work visa (subclass 485). - Risk: opportunity cost vs accruing salaried AU experience. A5 - Regional study (item 6D.9) - Ceiling: +5 pts on top of B6 ASR points (stackable) - Action: ASR completed in designated regional Australia (Adelaide, Hobart, all regional VIC, regional NSW, etc). - Timeline: 92 weeks min while studying in regional postcode. - Cost: comparable to A2 but cost-of-living typically lower regional. - Risk: regional designation can be revised - verify campus postcode against current designated regional area list. A6 - NAATI Credentialled Community Language (item 6D.8) - Ceiling: +5 pts - Action: NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter qualification in a community language. Indian-cohort options: Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam. - Timeline: 8-16 weeks (prep + slot). NAATI runs CCL (Credentialled Community Language) tests; CCL is the lowest-effort path for points purposes. - Cost: ~AUD 800 (test fee) + optional prep course. - Risk: low - test focuses on basic dialogues; preparation accessible. A7 - Partner contribution upgrade (item 6D.10) - Current: [PARTNER_CONTRIBUTION_NOW] - See dedicated prompt au-points-partner-contribution-vs-solo for full arithmetic. - Ceiling: +10 pts (skilled partner) or +10 (AU citizen/PR partner) or +10 (single) or +5 (Competent English only partner). - Action depends on current state. A8 - Skilled employment accrual (items 6D.3 + 6D.4) - Current overseas: [OVERSEAS_EXP]; Current AU: [AU_EXP] - Ceiling: 20 pts combined (overseas + AU). - Action: stay employed in nominated ANZSCO post deemed-skilled date. Watch for band-cliff crossings (e.g. 5-year mark for overseas: 5 pts -> 10 pts). - Timeline: passive accrual - calendar driven. - Cost: zero. - Risk: band crossings sometimes mis-tracked; double-check deemed-skilled date on assessment letter. A9 - State nomination (items 6D.12 / 6D.13) - Ceiling: +5 (190) / +15 (491) - See dedicated prompt au-points-state-nomination-boost-strategy. STAGE B - SEQUENCE THE PLAYBOOK Apply this priority order: 1. Lock in age-cliff levers FIRST (anything that must happen before [AGE] crosses the next cliff - 33 or 40). 2. Then highest-yield-per-week: - English Superior (A1) - typically +10 in 8-14 weeks - NAATI CCL (A6) - +5 in 8-16 weeks - State nomination (A9) - +5 to +15 in 6-14 weeks 3. Then passive accrual (A8) - happens by calendar. 4. Then long-burn (A2 ASR, A3 STEM Master, A4 Professional Year) only if time horizon supports. Present a Gantt-style plan: Wk | Lever | Pts delta | Cost (AUD) | Risk ------+-----------------------+-----------+-------------+------- 1-12 | A1 English Superior | +10 | 410 x 2 | medium 4-16 | A6 NAATI Hindi CCL | +5 | 800 | low ... STAGE C - FORECAST POINTS BY MILESTONE Project monthly cumulative points (best case, expected case, sensitivity case). State the date the gap is bridged. STAGE D - PRIORITISATION BY CLIENT CONSTRAINTS If [TIME_HORIZON_MONTHS] is short (< 12 months): - Focus exclusively on A1, A6, A7 (English, NAATI, partner) + A9 (state nomination). - Drop A2/A3/A4 - they cannot deliver inside the horizon. If [TIME_HORIZON_MONTHS] is medium (12-24 months): - Add A4 Professional Year (if 485 holder + eligible field). - A8 passive accrual likely yields one band-crossing. If [TIME_HORIZON_MONTHS] is long (24+ months): - All levers in scope, including A2 / A3 ASR / STEM Master if degree-investment ROI makes sense. STAGE E - GUARD-RAILS / MISTAKES TO AVOID - Crossing age cliff while plan executes - re-run arithmetic against birth date. - Claiming experience pre-deemed-skilled date - officers will deduct. - Stacking ASR + regional study points on the same course is allowed (different items); stacking specialist-ed B7 + ASR B6 is allowed; stacking B7 + B6 on a single Master of Nursing is allowed only if it satisfies BOTH Reg 1.15D AND Reg 1.15M independently. - Repeating skill assessment with a different occupation can RESET deemed-skilled date - check before re-assessing. - PTE retake bias: officers don't see prior failures, but applicant must declare any assessment requested in Form 80. Honesty rule trumps optimisation rule. OUTPUT FORMAT Use the Stage A -> B -> C -> D -> E structure. Show the Gantt-style plan and the monthly forecast. Cite Schedule 6D items inline. End with the single highest-priority lever to start this week. End with: "DRAFT - for MARA-registered migration agent review. Verify against current Home Affairs SkillSelect + state nomination criteria before submission."
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