What are the "points" all about, and what do they mean?

What's a doctorate degree in the Australian new points system for immigration mean?

• Under the new 'Educational Qualifications' in the immi.gov website an applicant gets the most points if he has a doctorate degree. i.e 20 points. What exactly does it mean- does he get 20 points if he has a Phd or a professional doctor's degree. My husband is a doctor of pathology. Is he eligible to get 20 points?? Please source your answer with a relavant website if you could. Thanks

• Answer:

  A doctorate degree is a degree at an equivalent level of a PhD i.e. higher than a Masters. A medical degree is usually worth only 15 points. Whether his degree would be considered at PhD level can probably only be determined after he has applied for skills assessment for his occupation and will depend on his country, educational institution and other factors. http://www.amc.org.au/index.php/img Skills assessment for medical practitioners If he needs guaranteed points for the points test, he should consider doing IELTS for the higher points awarded for Superior English.