AustraliaWork and qualifications

Skilled Nominated visa in Australia

The Skilled Nominated visa is a permanent Australian visa for workers in occupations in demand who are officially backed by a state or territory government. The candidate lodges an expression of interest in SkillSelect, receives a nomination from the state and an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs to lodge the visa.

Work

You work and live in Australia as a permanent resident.

The visa grants permanent residence straight away.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

Who can obtain the visa

An invitation to apply for the visa is issued only after an Australian state or territory has officially nominated the candidate.

Requirements for the candidate

The occupation is on the list of eligible occupations that applies to the nominating state
There is a positive skills assessment for that occupation, obtained no earlier than 3 years before the date of the invitation
At the date of the invitation you must not be 45 or older
English at no lower than competent at the date of the invitation
At least 65 points scored in the SkillSelect questionnaire; the final cut-off score in the invitation itself may turn out to be higher

How the nomination works

You lodge an expression of interest (EOI) through SkillSelect
The state or territory government looks at your EOI and decides whether to nominate you — each state has its own selection criteria
After the nomination the Department of Home Affairs sends an invitation to lodge the visa
Once the visa is granted you may work and study in any state or territory of Australia — with no tie to a region
If the state withdraws the nomination after the visa application has been lodged, the application becomes invalid

What it costs

Visa for the main applicant	6 140 AUD

Documents to gather

The full list of documents depends on the occupation and the state, but at federal level the following are required:

A copy of the skills assessment for the nominated occupation; for doctors and lawyers it is replaced by registration with the relevant body or admission to practice
Language test results confirming English at no lower than competent
Evidence for every point claimed in the EOI — it is requested when the visa application is lodged
Confirmation of a valid nomination from a state or territory

How the process runs

The route to the visa runs through SkillSelect and takes several stages.

1
Lodge an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
You state your occupation, skills assessment, English and the other criteria used to calculate points — the expression becomes visible to states and territories.
2
Obtain a state or territory nomination
The government agency looks at your EOI in SkillSelect and decides whether to nominate you against its own selection criteria.
3
Receive an invitation to lodge the visa
60 days from the date of the invitation to lodge the application
After the nomination the Department of Home Affairs sends an invitation to lodge the visa; the application has to be lodged within 60 days of the date of the invitation.
4
Lodge the application and the documents
You attach the skills assessment, the language test and the evidence for the EOI points. The application is lodged online, either inside Australia or outside it.
5
Receive the visa decision
The Department notifies the decision in writing: on approval — the visa number, the date it comes into effect and the conditions; on refusal — the reason and the right of review. The application charge is not refunded.

Who you can bring with you

A partner and children who are members of the family unit can be included in the same application.

Partner and dependent children

They are included in the visa application together with the main applicant — either at lodgement or later, before the visa is decided. Every family member who applies for the visa has to pass the health and character checks; an additional visa charge is payable for each of them.

Relatives who did not apply for the visa with you

Once you hold the permanent visa you can lodge separate family reunion visas for them.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

The travel facility lasts 5 years. After that you obtain a Resident Return visa (subclass 155): 2 of the last 5 years in Australia as a permanent resident.

The visa is permanent and allows you to live in Australia indefinitely. But you can enter and leave the country freely as a permanent resident only for 5 years from the date the visa is granted. To keep entering Australia after that period you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Skilled Nominated visa	Skilled Independent visa	Visa 491
Grounds	A nomination by a state or territory plus an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs	An invitation from the Department of Home Affairs following selection in SkillSelect	A state nomination or sponsorship by a relative in a designated regional area
Work	You work and live in Australia as a permanent resident	You work and live anywhere in Australia, with no tie to an employer or a state	You work in a designated regional area
Residence	The travel facility lasts 5 years	The travel facility on a permanent visa lasts 5 years	You live in a designated regional area for the whole period the visa is valid

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

You apply for citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence, the last 12 months of them on a permanent visa. Absence limit: 12 months over the 4 years and 90 days over the final year.

Frequently asked questions about Skilled Nominated visa

Who can obtain a subclass 190 visa?

A skilled worker whose occupation is on the list of eligible occupations, who has a positive skills assessment, English at no lower than competent, at least 65 points scored in SkillSelect and an age at the date of the invitation of under 45, and who has received a nomination from a state or territory and an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs.

What does a subclass 190 visa cost?

The base visa cost for the main applicant is from AUD 6,140 (concessions apply to certain categories of applicant). An additional charge is levied for each family member who lodges the visa together with you. The exact amount for your situation is worked out in the Visa Pricing Estimator on the Home Affairs website.

How long does the visa take?

The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a fixed processing time — a current guide based on recently decided applications is given by the visa processing time guide tool on the Home Affairs website. The only exact deadline in the process is the 60 days from the date of the invitation within which the visa application has to be lodged.

Can a partner and children be included in the application?

Yes. A partner and dependent children can be included in the visa application — at lodgement or later, before the decision. Every family member included has to pass the health and character checks.

What happens if the state withdraws the nomination after the visa application has been lodged?

If the government agency that nominated you withdraws the nomination after you have lodged the visa application, the application becomes invalid.

How does subclass 190 differ from the independent subclass 189 visa?

For subclass 190 a nomination by a state or territory government is mandatory — without it no invitation is issued. For subclass 189 (the points-tested stream) no nominator or sponsor is needed: an invitation on points is enough.

Other ways to move to Australia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Australia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.