I don't really know who to ask about this so I'm posting here anonymously. I'm first year IT at Monash, from Vietnam. I've been here 8 months now and I'm working at a cafe 3 days a week because I needed money urgently when I arrived. I just heard from a third year student that the PR points system rewards skilled work experience and that hospitality doesn't count. I looked it up and now I'm panicking. I'm 20 years old and feel like I've already wasted 8 months of my best years visa-wise. Is it too late to change course? Do I need to quit the cafe job immediately? I'm scared I've made a mistake that's going to cost me my chance to stay in Australia. Any advice from someone who actually knows what they're doing would help.
Career & Internships2d ago20 views
I have 2 years left on my visa — am I already behind on PR?
A
Anonymous
Mentor answer
Samridh Limbu
Verified Mentor
You haven't. I want to be direct about that before anything else, because the panic in your message is going to make the next part harder to absorb if I don't. 8 months at 20 is not damage. Here's what your points snapshot actually looks like right now: - Age (18–24): 30 points — maximum bracket, you're in it - English (superior IELTS/PTE): up to 20 points - Onshore Australian study: 5 points at graduation - Skilled employment: 0 right now — but this is the one you can build The current invitation threshold for most IT occupations sits around 65–80 points depending on the round. You're already at or near the floor on age and study alone. Skilled employment is what takes you over the line — and you have two full years of study left to build it. On quitting the cafe: don't quit into a gap. The move is to find one skilled role — IT support, junior web work, tech admin — and transition across when you have something confirmed. Your university's student employment portal is the first place to look. Monash has IT support roles specifically for students and they're entry-level by design. The third-year student who told you hospitality doesn't count is right about the ANZSCO classification — but they left out the part where you're 20, you have two years left, and your age points alone give you a starting position most applicants would envy. The students who end up in trouble are the ones who figure this out in fourth year, not first. You're not behind. You just got the information early. Use it.
SL
Samridh Limbu2d ago
@samridh.limbu wrote:
You haven't. I want to be direct about that before anything else, because the panic in your message is going to make the next part harder to absorb if I don't.
8 months at 20 is not damage. Here's what your points snapshot actually looks like right now:
- Age (18–24): 30 points — maximum bracket, you're in it
- English (superior IELTS/PTE): up to 20 points
- Onshore Australian study: 5 points at graduation
- Skilled employment: 0 right now — but this is the one you can build
Thank you, this actually helped me calm down. One follow-up — how do I find the ANZSCO code for my specific degree? My IT major is in cybersecurity and I don't know if that's treated differently.
Mentor answer
Samridh Limbu
Verified Mentor
Cybersecurity is well-covered. The most relevant ANZSCO codes for your path are 262112 (ICT Security Specialist) and 261313 (Software Engineer) — both are on the MLTSSL, which is the list you want to be on for the 189 and 190 visas. Go to abs.gov.au/anzsco and look up both. Read the task list for each. Whichever description better matches what you'll actually be doing in a job — that's your code. You can also ask your university's international student office to confirm; they do this regularly. One practical move: look for internship or casual roles that explicitly mention those ANZSCO codes in job descriptions. Some employers, especially in the public sector, list them. It's a reliable signal that the role will produce usable experience for your application.