Expression of Interest (EOI)

An Expression of Interest (EOI) is a formal declaration submitted through SkillSelect by a person who wishes to be considered for an invitation to apply for a points-tested skilled migration visa.

An EOI is not a visa application. It does not create a visa application in the legal sense and does not engage the decision-making power of the Minister under s 65 of the Migration Act. The EOI is the first step in the two-stage selection process — invitation comes second.

When submitting an EOI, the applicant provides information about:

• Personal details (age, citizenship, English language level)
• Nominated occupation and skills assessment outcome
• Work experience (Australian and overseas)
• Educational qualifications
• The visa subclass or subclasses being sought
• Whether state/territory nomination is being sought (for Subclass 190 or 491)

The points score calculated from the EOI information determines the applicant's ranking in the SkillSelect pool. EOIs remain valid for 2 years.

An EOI is a prerequisite for the Subclass 189, Subclass 190, and Subclass 491 visa application pathways.

The requirement in s 101(b) of the Migration Act — that the applicant has been invited "in accordance with the regulations" — is satisfied by receiving an invitation through SkillSelect following submission of an EOI.

Important distinctions:

• An EOI does not guarantee an invitation to apply
• An invitation to apply does not guarantee visa grant
• The information in the EOI must be accurate — providing incorrect information can give rise to cancellation grounds under s 116(1A)
• Updating an EOI (other than to correct an error or update a skills assessment) resets the submission date, which may reduce ranking where scores are equal