Recently, many students have messaged me saying: “My visa expired and I went back to China—does this mean I’ll never have a chance to go to Australia again?” “Does returning home mean my migration pathway is completely cut off?”Actually, no. As long as you choose the right pathway, returning home can even become a “reset and accelerate” stage.
- Returning Home Doesn’t Mean the End —It Might Be Your “Preparation Phase”
Many occupations require work experience for skills assessment. For example:
- Landscape Architect
- Urban Planning
- Some IT occupations
- And many more
These professions commonly require at least 1 year of relevant full-time work experience before you can pass your Skills Assessment.
So if you return to China and continue working in your field, you’re actually collecting the exact experience required.Once you obtain your Skills Assessment, you can still:
✔ Submit an EOI from within China
✔ Wait for an invitation just like any applicant
✔ Continue all skilled migration processes normally
✔ Accumulate work experience + obtain skills assessment + submit EOI—all according to official rules
Returning home ≠ losing opportunities
Returning home = still accumulating “migration value.”
- After One Year of Work in China:
Skilled Migration Is Still Completely Possible
Skilled migration = Skills Assessment + points + EOI in the pool.If your occupation is in a high-demand category (engineering, IT, construction, social work, nursing, etc.), and your work experience is genuine and relevant, then even from overseas you can:
- Submit your EOI anytime
- Wait for an invitation (depending on points and occupation list)
- Apply for 189 / 190 / 491 when invited
What actually affects your outcome is:
- Whether your occupation is on the list
- Whether your duties truly match your nominated occupation
- Whether your skills assessment is successful
- Whether your EOI points are competitive
It has nothing to do with whether you are in Australia or not.
- Employer Sponsorship Isn’t Closed Off Either —Just Keep Building Work Experience
Employer-sponsored visas include:
- 482482 (eligible after 1 year of full-time work)
- 186 DE (eligible after 3 years of work + skills assessment)
If you have returned home, continuing your work in the same field still helps you accumulate experience toward future 482 or 186 applications.
- The Most Practical, Safe and Realistic Advice
If you’ve just returned to China but still want to migrate in the future, here’s what you should do:
- Step 1Continue working in your field. Make sure your duties are real, verifiable, and aligned with ANZSCO.
- Step 2Prepare your skills assessment. The earlier you start preparing documents, the better.
- Step 3Once you obtain your skills assessment, submit your EOI from China. This won’t delay your career or your migration pathway.
- Step 4If your points are competitive → you will still receive an invitation. Once invited, you simply follow the instructions and lodge the visa as normal.
- Final Thoughts
What determines your migration success has never been “where you are.” It has always been:Whether you’re accumulating the criteria Australia recognises.Whether you have the right occupation.Whether your experience is genuine.Whether your points are competitive.The door between you and Australia is never closed. If you’re unsure whether your occupation can pass skills assessment, whether your points are enough, or whether you still have a chance—send me your occupation, duties, age, and education anytime. I’ll help you evaluate your real prospects.You haven’t “lost Australia.” You’re simply entering the next preparation stage.