Prospective skilled migrants to Australia will face a slightly lower pass mark to be eligible for a skilled Australian visa from July 1.

The government has announced that the pass mark will be lowered from 65 points to 60 points, with candidates first having to complete an expression of interest form through the new online system, SkillSelect.

A Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) spokesperson said the change to the pass mark was made in the context of the series of reforms to the skilled migration programme undertaken by the government since 2008.

“The reforms have ensured the skilled migration programme is a responsive and demand driven programme,” the spokesperson said.

“The cornerstone of this migration reform package will be the introduction of SkillSelect from July 1.”

The annual update to the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) has also been announced, with bricklayers and tilers removed.

Chemists and audiologists have also been removed from the list.

The SOL determines which occupations are eligible for independent and family sponsored skilled migration.

New additions to SOL include production managers for mining, metallurgists, optometrists, and computer network and systems engineers.

The new points pass mark and SOL comes into effect on July 1.