Subclass 190: state nomination, occupation match, and post-arrival obligations

The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa sits between the independent 189 and the regionally-bound 491. It requires nomination by a state or territory government and awards an additional five points, making it the most effective route for applicants who fall just below competitive 189 cutoffs — but it comes with strings. Nomination is not guaranteed, the criteria are different in every jurisdiction, and the expectation that the applicant intends to live in the nominating state for at least two years carries practical weight even if it is not a visa condition in the same way that regional residence is under the 491.

This article covers how state nomination works in 2026, the occupation-list landscape across eight jurisdictions, the post-grant obligations that matter, and what has changed in the last twelve months.

Who this pathway is for

The 190 is designed for skilled workers who can add value to a specific state or territory economy. The core eligibility mirrors the 189: under 45, positive skills assessment in an occupation on the relevant state list, competent English or higher, at least 65 points on the General Skilled Migration test. The key difference is the fifth point category: the applicant receives five bonus points for the state nomination itself. Nominations must be sponsored by a state or territory government agency — Migration Tasmania, the NSW Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade, and so on — and each state sets its own occupation list, eligibility thresholds, and application process.

The 190 is not independent. An applicant who receives 190 nomination from NSW but subsequently moves to Victoria shortly after grant faces the Department’s stated expectation that the visa holder has made a genuine commitment to live and work in the nominating state. In practice, enforcement is rare once a permanent visa is granted, but the expectation exists and is written into Department policy.

The state-by-state nomination landscape

Australia’s six states and two mainland territories each operate a distinct nomination program, and the rules can shift with each program year (1 July to 30 June). Below is a summary of the major differences as they stood in early 2026.

New South Wales

NSW operates on an invitation-only model. Applicants cannot apply directly for nomination; they must first be selected from the SkillSelect pool by the NSW government. NSW publishes a Skills List organised by ANZSCO unit group, with each occupation assigned to a specific region within the state. In practice, NSW prioritises applicants who have resided in NSW for at least six months and who hold employment in the nominated occupation. Offshore applicants face a longer wait, particularly for non-healthcare occupations.

Victoria

Victoria uses a Registration of Interest (ROI) model. Applicants submit an ROI on the Live in Melbourne portal, indicating their occupation, points score, and annual earnings in skilled employment. Victorian nomination is heavily weighted toward onshore applicants already living and working in Victoria, and toward priority sectors: health, education, social services, digital, and advanced manufacturing. Offshore applicants with Superior English and at least five years of skilled experience in a priority sector are competitive.

Queensland

Queensland runs four streams under its Skilled Program: Skilled Workers Living in Queensland, Offshore Skilled Workers, Graduates of a Queensland University, and Small Business Owners in Regional Queensland. The small-business stream — unique to Queensland — allows applicants who have operated a business in a regional area for a set period to secure nomination. Queensland publishes an occupation list for each stream and imposes employment or asset thresholds.

South Australia

South Australia uses a points-based matrix called the SA Graduates and Skilled Occupations List. Onshore applicants must demonstrate at least six months of skilled employment in South Australia, unless they qualify for a waiver as a high-performing graduate or a long-term resident. SA gives preference to applicants who have lived in the state for extended periods.

Western Australia

WA’s 190 program is unusual in that the occupation list includes many trades and semi-skilled occupations that do not appear on other state lists. WA operates on a schedule of monthly invitation rounds, and the published invitations show the most recent EOI submission date and points score for each occupation. As of 2025–2026, WA prioritises applicants living in WA and those with a job offer in a WA-based role.

Tasmania

Tasmania’s nomination programs require applicants to demonstrate commitment to the state. For the Skilled Employment pathway, the applicant must have worked in a skilled role in Tasmania for at least six months. The Tasmanian Skilled Graduate pathway requires completion of at least one academic year of study at a Tasmanian institution. Tasmania’s processing times are generally faster than the mainland states, but the occupation lists are narrower.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT runs a merit-based Canberra Matrix, a unique points system separate from the Department’s points test. Canberra Matrix points are awarded for length of ACT residence, occupation demand, English proficiency, spouse employment, and assets. Invitations are issued in rounds, with published cutoff scores. The ACT system rewards long-term ACT residents — applicants who have lived in Canberra for five years or more receive a substantial Matrix advantage.

Northern Territory

The NT has the smallest migrant intake of any jurisdiction. For onshore applicants, the primary pathway requires at least two years of residence and full-time employment in the NT in a skilled occupation. The NT also offers a designated area migration agreement in certain regions.

Application process

The process for a 190 is two-stage: state nomination first, visa application second.

Stage 1: State nomination

The applicant must first secure nomination from a state or territory agency. The method varies:

• Invitation-only states (NSW, ACT): lodge an EOI through SkillSelect and wait to be selected.
• Application-based states (Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania): submit a separate application or ROI to the state agency, usually through a dedicated portal, and wait for an outcome before proceeding.

Nomination applications typically cost between AUD 200 and AUD 500, depending on the state. These fees are separate from the visa application charge and are not refundable if the visa is refused.

Stage 2: EOI and SkillSelect

Once nominated, the nomination is recorded in SkillSelect and the applicant’s EOI is automatically updated. The five nomination points are applied, and the applicant is invited to apply for the visa in the next invitation round.

Stage 3: Visa application

Same as the 189: lodge through ImmiAccount within 60 days, with all supporting evidence. The VAC is identical (AUD 4,765 primary). Processing times for 190 are roughly comparable to 189 — typically 6 to 18 months for a decision-ready application.

Post-grant obligations and the “commitment” question

The most frequently misunderstood aspect of the 190 is what happens after the visa is granted. Subclause 190.1 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations does not attach a condition requiring the visa holder to remain in the nominating state. However, the Department’s Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) states that the applicant must have a “genuine intention to reside” in the nominating state.

In practice, there is no systematic enforcement of post-grant movement between states. A 190 holder who moves from Victoria to NSW six months after grant is unlikely to face visa cancellation on that basis alone. But the Department can — and occasionally does — take action against applicants who obtained nomination through false or misleading information about their intentions.

The two-year expectation is also relevant to citizenship eligibility. An applicant for citizenship by conferral must satisfy the general residence requirement, which includes lawful residence for four years, with at least 12 months as a permanent resident. State of residence during this period is not an element of the citizenship test, but the citizenship application process does request residential address history.

Recent policy changes

Several state nomination programs underwent major overhauls in 2024–2025:

Victoria narrowed its occupation list. In early 2025, Victoria removed several ICT occupations (including ICT Business Analyst and Systems Analyst) from its priority sector list, redirecting them to the subclass 491 stream. Onshore applicants in Victoria who held these occupations were advised to explore 189 or 491 pathways instead.

NSW raised its work-experience thresholds. Effective mid-2025, NSW’s minimum skilled employment requirement for onshore 190 applicants increased from three months to six months of work in the nominated occupation in NSW.

South Australia introduced the “ROI in SA” requirement. From July 2025, onshore SA applicants must submit a separate Registration of Interest before being invited to apply for nomination, mirroring Victoria’s model.

WA introduced a building-and-construction priority stream. Reflecting the national housing supply priority, WA added carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, and building inspectors to a fast-tracked nomination stream with reduced employment requirements.

NT published its first formal occupation ceiling. For the first time, NT capped the number of nominations available for specific occupations in the 2025–2026 program year, signalling that the Territory’s capacity to absorb skilled migrants is reaching its limit.

Key takeaways

1. Before choosing a state, compare the published invitation round data from the past six months, not the generic eligibility criteria. The question is not “am I eligible?” but “do people with my profile get invited?”
2. Onshore applicants with employment in the nominating state have a significant advantage in every state program. If you have the option to relocate before applying, it is worth considering.
3. The five bonus points from state nomination can bridge a points gap, but the trade-off is visibility. If your points score without nomination is 85 or above, the 189 may be a simpler path with fewer administrative burdens and lower fees.
4. State nomination fees are not refundable and do not guarantee a visa. Treat the application as a sunk cost at the time of lodgement.
5. Keep evidence of your commitment to the nominating state — lease agreements, employment contracts, utility bills — for at least two years post-grant, even though the visa itself carries no formal condition number.
6. The state of nomination matters to future citizenship applications only indirectly, but providing false information about residential intention at the time of nomination is a character issue under the Migration Act and can be grounds for visa cancellation.