Subclass 190: How the Skilled Nominated Visa Works

What the 190 Visa Is

The Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) visa is a points-tested permanent visa for skilled workers who have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government. It sits within the General Skilled Migration program, alongside the 189 and 491, and it's one of the more accessible permanent pathways because state nomination adds points to your score and opens up occupations the 189 doesn't cover.

Official visa page: Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) - Department of Home Affairs

Federal Requirements

Before a state will even consider you, you need to meet the Department of Home Affairs' baseline requirements:

• - Age - under 45 at the time of invitation

• - Occupation - on the relevant skilled occupation list for this visa, and matched to a valid skills assessment

• - Skills assessment - a positive assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation, valid at the time of invitation. Home Affairs treats an assessment as valid for 3 years from issue if no validity period is stated on it, but many assessing authorities set their own, shorter validity period on the assessment itself (ACS, for ICT occupations, generally issues 2-year assessments), so check what your specific assessing authority states rather than assuming 3 years

• - English - Competent English or higher (IELTS 6.0 or equivalent across each band)

• - Points test - a minimum of 65 points, which must include the 5 points awarded for state or territory nomination

• - Health and character - standard requirements for all permanent visas

Full points table: Points table for Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

How State Nomination Works

This is the part that distinguishes the 190 from the 189. You don't apply for nomination directly, you submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect, and states review the pool of EOIs against their own criteria, which typically include:

• - Your occupation appearing on that state's own skills list, which is narrower than the national list

• - Recent residency or work experience in that state, or continuous residence offshore for a minimum period

• - Sometimes a job offer or employment history in the nominated field

Each state runs its own program, on its own timeline, with its own priorities, so nomination outcomes vary significantly depending on where you apply. New South Wales, for example, runs a selection-based invitation process and nominates against its own NSW Skills List, and different states open and close their programs at different points in the financial year, so checking each state's own migration site directly matters more than relying on general advice.

What Nomination Costs You

Nomination itself adds 5 points to your points test score, which is often the difference between reaching the invitation threshold and missing it. In exchange, most states attach a two-year obligation to live and work in the nominating state after your visa is granted. Requirements and enforcement vary by state, so it's worth checking the specific nomination conditions before you commit to one.

Visa Application Fees

As of the current fee schedule, the Department of Home Affairs lists the subclass 190 visa charge from AUD $6,140 for the main applicant, current for the 2026-27 financial year and indexed each 1 July. This is the visa application charge only, it doesn't include your skills assessment, English test, state nomination fee (where one applies), health examinations, police certificates, or translations, all of which are separate and paid at different stages.

Use the official Visa Pricing Estimator immediately before you lodge, since charges are set by the date Home Affairs receives your application, not the date you started planning.

190 vs 189: The Core Trade-off

	Subclass 189	Subclass 190
Sponsorship	None required	State or territory nomination required
Occupation list	MLTSSL only	MLTSSL or STSOL (broader)
Points boost	None	+5 points for nomination
State obligation	None	Generally 2 years in nominating state
Competition	Purely merit-based, national pool	Nomination criteria vary by state

The trade-off comes down to points versus obligation: applicants who clear the 189 threshold on their own points avoid any state obligation, while the 5 points from nomination are, for many applicants, what separates an invitation from missing the threshold entirely, in exchange for a state residency commitment.

Processing Times

Processing time for the 190 varies more than the 189, largely because it depends on how quickly the nominating state processes its own nomination queue, on top of Home Affairs' visa processing time. Home Affairs publishes indicative processing times and current lodgement progress on its site, and these move regularly, so we won't quote a fixed figure here. Check the current guidance at the official visa page before planning around a specific timeframe.

How the Process Runs

1. 1. An occupation is confirmed against the relevant list and a skills assessment is obtained

1. 2. An English test is sat and points are calculated, including whether nomination would clear the threshold

1. 3. State occupation lists and residency requirements are checked to identify which state's criteria are met

1. 4. An EOI is submitted through SkillSelect

1. 5. If nominated, an invitation is issued and the visa application is lodged within the given timeframe

1. 6. Health and character checks are completed and a decision is issued

A Note on This Guide

This is general information, not migration advice. State nomination criteria, occupation lists, and fees change regularly, and eligibility depends on your specific circumstances. For advice on your situation, a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer is the right person to talk to. For the current rules, always check the Department of Home Affairs and the relevant state or territory migration site directly.