State requirements for 190 visa

190 visa is points based and allows skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian state or territory government live and work in Australia as a permanent resident.

Update: See state migration programs closing in response to COVID-19 that are affecting 190 visa.

Below is a summary of the state requirements for the 190 visa.

Victoria 190 visa criteria

To receive a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), you will need to meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the following:

• Age
• English Language
• Occupation
• Finances

You will also need to provide evidence of a genuine Victorian job offer if:

• You are living interstate; or
• You are an international graduate and it is a requirement for your occupation.

The employment offer must be in the nominated occupation for permanent work, for at least 20 hours per week and for at least six continuous months.

To see the occupation list for Victoria, please see here.

Australian Capital Territory 190 visa criteria

You must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa:

• You must be residing in Canberra for at least six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission and continuing until date of any invitation; and
• You must be working full time for an ACT employer in Canberra for at least six months at date of matrix submission, and
• You must meet one of the following three criterion:

1. Your nominated occupation is open on the ACT Occupation List at date of Matrix submission; or
2. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer: or
3. You have at least five years continuous ACT residence immediately before the date of matrix submission (and continuing until date of invitation).

To see the occupation list for ACT, please see here.

Western Australia 190 visa criteria

The table below provides an overview of WA 190 criteria:

The work experience requirement can be met through:

• at least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation** over the last 10 years; or
• at least three years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years.

You must work at least 20 hours per week in the nominated occupation.

You can access the occupation list here.

Northern Territory 190 visa criteria

In addition to the meeting the Department of Home Affairs requirements, NT 190 criteria include:

• Generally, you must have lived in the NT for a minimum of 2 years.
• You must provide strong evidence of good employment prospects in the NT either in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.
• You can show you have employment prospects by showing:
  • An offer of employer from an NT employer
  • A statement describing how your skills and experience meet NT employer needs
  • Evidence that your occupation has been advertised in NT multiple times and an explanation of how your qualifications and experience match the job vacancy
  • Evidence of feedback from potential NT employers.

You can find the NT occupation list here.

Queensland 190 visa criteria

To be eligible for the QLD state nomination, you must meet the following:

• have an occupation on the QSOL ‘Working in Queensland’ list
• provide evidence of full-time post-qualification employment (minimum of 35 hours per week) in your nominated occupation for the past 6 months in Queensland immediately prior to EOI submission.
• provide evidence of ongoing employment with a Queensland employer registered in Australia for a further 12 months (minimum of 35 hours per week).
• commit to living and working in Queensland for 2 years for the 190 visa.

QLD Postgraduate

To apply under the postgraduate stream, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

To see the occupation list for QLD, please click here.

New South Wales 190 visa criteria

NSW will no longer invite candidates who reside in another Australian state or territory. The requirements for NSW 190 are:

• be residing in NSW, or offshore for at least the last six months, or;
• be residing and employed in NSW or offshore for at least the last one month in your nominated occupation.

If additional criteria apply, the applicant must:

• be residing in NSW for at least the last six months, and;
• have been employed in NSW for at least one year, in your nominated occupation.

You can access the NSW occupation list here.

Tasmania 190 visa criteria

Tasmania Graduate Category

To be considered for this category you must meet all the following criteria:

• Have completed and graduated from a CRICOS registered tertiary institution in Tasmania and met the Australian study requirement through study in Tasmania
• Have lived in the state for at least 2 years and during your period of study prior to applying for visa state nomination
• You and your dependants must currently be living in Tasmania and can provide evidence of genuine commitment to continue to live in Tasmania

** For applicants who enrolled in a Tasmanian tertiary institution prior to 31 July 2017, to be considered for this category, you must meet the following criteria:

completed and graduated from a CRICOS registered tertiary institution in Tasmania. The course undertaken:

• must be a degree (bachelor or any higher degree), a diploma (standard, advanced, associate or graduate) or a trade qualification (minimum Cert III level for a skilled occupation in Major Group 3 in ANZSCO)
• must have a minimum duration of one academic year (40 weeks)
• must be full-time and on-site in Tasmania
• you have lived in the state for at least 1 year during your period of study
• you and your dependants are currently living in Tasmania and can provide evidence of your ongoing genuine commitment

Working in Tasmania Category

If you are looking for employment opportunities in Tasmania, please refer to the comprehensive resources on the Make It Tasmania website.

To be considered for this category, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• you must have been working in Tasmania for six months immediately prior to your application for state nomination
• your employment must be in an occupation listed on the Tasmanian Skilled Occupations List (TSOL) – (please note the English Proficiency and Other Requirements listed on TSOL do not apply to this category)
• your employer must be a well-established business that has been actively operating in Tasmania for the past 12 months
• there must be a genuine, ongoing need for your position within the business
• your employment needs to be in your nominated occupation
• your employment needs to be at least 35 hours per week in one full-time job or in two or more part-time jobs and you are able to provide evidence of your employment claims
• you and your dependants must currently be living in Tasmania and can provide evidence of genuine commitment to continue to live in Tasmania

Please note that internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for the purpose of this category.

* There are areas of non-skill shortage in Tasmania that are not supported for visa state nomination under the ‘Working in Tasmania’ category. This includes employment relating to:

• supermarkets
• service stations
• limited service restaurants** (cooks, chefs and café / restaurant managers)
• massage clinics
• taxi/uber driving

**A limited service restaurant includes the following:

• fast food or takeaway food services
• fast casual restaurants
• drinking establishments that offer only a limited food service
• limited service cafes including, but not limited to, coffee shops or mall cafes
• limited service pizza restaurants.

To see the occupation list, please click here.

South Australia 190 visa criteria

State nomination requirements include:

1. Commitment to South Australia – State nomination is granted on the basis of your genuine interest and commitment to living and working in South Australia with a view to long-term settlement in the state
2. Age – under 45 years at the time of nomination
3. Occupation– this must be listed on the State Nominated Occupation List as available.  Access to a supplementary occupation list and ‘special conditions apply’ occupations are available in some circumstances.
4. Skills Assessment – a positive General Skilled Migration skills assessment from the relevant authority
5. Work experience – at least one year of skilled work experience in the last three years. Some occupations have a higher work experience requirement. If you are an international graduate of South Australia, you may be able to access a work experience waiver
6. English– ability to meet Immigration SA’s minimum English language requirement for your occupation.  If you are a passport holder or citizen of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada or New Zealand, you don’t need to provide an English test result
7. Financial capacity – sufficient funds to settle in South Australia
8. SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) – you need to have an EOI which meets the Department of Home Affairs criteria and Immigration SA nomination requirements.

SA has two occupation lists; State Nominated Occupation List and the Supplementary Skilled List. If your occupation is on the Supplementary Skilled List, you are required to meet additional requirements.

Applicant who can access this list include:

• International graduate of SA
• Worked in a skilled occupation in SA for the last 12 months
• Have immediate family member permanently residing in South Australia for 24 months or more
• Have high points (95 points including state nomination)

To see the occupation lists, click here.