190 Skilled Nominated Visa

The 190 visa is permanent residency with a state behind you and 5 extra points. A state has to choose you first.

Check if you qualify

The subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is a points tested permanent residency visa. It is the same permanent residency as the 189, with one difference. A state or territory government nominates you, and that nomination adds 5 points to your score.

A 190 visa gives you and your family permanent residency in Australia. You can live and work, access Medicare, study, and later apply for citizenship once you meet the requirements. In return, you commit to living and working in the state that nominates you, commonly for two years.

You do not apply to one place. You lodge an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect and apply to a state or territory for nomination. Each state runs its own program with its own occupation list and rules. If a state nominates you and you are invited, you then apply for the visa.

The 190 gives you 5 points and a second door. Each state decides who walks through it.

The Skilled Nominated visa is the same permanent residency as the 189, with one difference. A state or territory nominates you, which adds 5 points to your score. In return you commit to living and working in that state, and you have to meet its rules, not just the federal ones. That trade can lift a borderline score into a competitive one. It also means eight separate governments, each with its own list and its own bar.

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points added when a state nominates you
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states and territories, each its own list and rules
2 yrs
commitment to live and work in your state
Tier 5
where an offshore 190 sits in the processing queue
1. What state nomination changes

The 189 and 190 are the same visa with a different door

Both give you permanent residency on a points test. The 189 is national and sponsored by no one. The 190 hands the decision to a state, which adds 5 points but attaches conditions.

Subclass 189
  • No sponsor, no state involved
  • One national occupation list (MLTSSL)
  • Invited through national SkillSelect rounds
  • Live and work anywhere in Australia
  • No extra points for location
Subclass 190
  • A state or territory nominates you
  • Your occupation must be on that state's list
  • Nomination adds 5 points to your score
  • You commit to living in that state, commonly 2 years
  • You meet the state's own criteria as well as the federal ones
2. Each state is its own gatekeeper

Eight programs, eight sets of rules

You do not apply to one place. You apply to a state or territory, and each runs its own program with its own occupation list, caps and priorities. Most favour people already living, working or studying there.

State lists, caps and score bars change often, sometimes several times a year. In practice states invite around 75 to 85 points, not 65. We check which state fits your occupation and score before you apply.
3. Nomination does not speed up processing

Direction 119: where your 190 sits in the queue

Since 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 119 sets the order applications are processed. Priority is decided by your occupation and whether you are onshore or offshore, not by the visa, and state nomination adds nothing here. If you work in health, construction or teaching and you are onshore, your 190 sits in Tier 3. In any other field you sit in Tier 4 onshore, or Tier 5 if you apply from offshore.

Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs; state and territory nomination programs. Fees from 1 July 2026. Processing order: Ministerial Direction 119, in effect 25 July 2026. State requirements change frequently; this is a guide, not migration advice. Registered Migration Agent MARN 2318121.

Subclass 190 Independent Visa Points Calculator

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Your 190 score updates as you go
This includes 5 points for state nomination. Add your details above to see your total.
This is a guide only, not a formal points assessment or migration advice. It includes the 5 points a state nomination adds to a 190. Employment points are capped at 20 combined. The points test can change. For an exact assessment book a consultation. Registered Migration Agent MARN 2318121.

190 visa compared with the 189 and 491 visa

The 189, 190 and 491 all use the points test, and they suit different situations. The 189 needs no sponsor and lets you live anywhere, but you carry the full points bar alone. The 190 needs state nomination, adds 5 points, grants permanent residency, and ties you to one state. The 491 needs state or family sponsorship in a regional area, adds 15 points, and is a provisional visa that leads to permanent residency through the 191.

If your points are strong, the 189 is the cleanest option. If you are a few points short, the 190 or 491 can get you there. We compare all three against your real numbers.

If the 190 visa isn’t right for, here’s what could be

  • 189 Skilled Independent

    A state nomination adds the points you're missing.

  • 491 Skilled Regional

    Adds the most points, leads to PR through the 191.

  • 482 & 186 Employer Sponsored

    Reach PR through your job, not your points

190 visa requirements

To be eligible for the subclass 190 you need to meet the federal rules and the rules of the state that nominates you.

The federal requirements are: your occupation is on the relevant skilled occupation list, you have a positive skills assessment for that occupation, you are under 45 when you are invited, you have at least Competent English, and you score at least 65 points including the 5 nomination points.

You must lodge an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect.

On top of that, each state sets its own requirements.

Your occupation must be on that state's list.

Many states ask for a genuine commitment to live there, and some ask for work experience, a job offer, or prior study or residence in the state.

Meeting the federal minimum does not guarantee a state will nominate you.

subclass 190

Who the 190 visa is for

The 190 suits skilled workers whose occupation is on a state or territory list, and who are willing to commit to living in that state. It works well if your points are close to the cut-off, because the 5 nomination points can be the difference between waiting and being invited. It also suits people already living, working or studying in a state, since most programs favour them.

You are a strong 190 candidate if your occupation is on the nominating state's list, you can get a positive skills assessment, you are under 45, you have at least Competent English, and you are happy to settle in that state.

Who the 190 is not for?

The 190 is not the right choice if you want to live anywhere in Australia without conditions. It ties you to one state. It is also not for you if your occupation is not on any state list, or if you cannot meet a state's extra requirements, such as work experience in the state or a genuine commitment to stay.

If that is your situation, there are other options. The 189 needs no sponsor and lets you live anywhere, if your points are strong enough on their own. The 491 is a regional visa that adds 15 points and leads to permanent residency through the 191. Employer sponsored visas such as the 482 and 186 do not use the points test at all. We map these against your occupation and points before you commit to one path.

190 visa points test

The 190 uses the same points test as the 189, with 5 points added once a state nominates you. The test scores your age, English, skilled employment, qualifications, study in Australia, and several bonus factors. The minimum to be invited is 65 points, and that 65 includes the nomination points.

In practice, states invite well above 65. Most invitations sit around 75 to 85 points, and the bar shifts by state and occupation. States set their own thresholds and often prioritise higher scores, occupations in shortage, and people already in the state. You can estimate your score with the points calculator, then we check which state gives you the best chance.

190 visa cost

The main cost of a 190 visa is the visa application charge. From 1 July 2026 the charge for the primary applicant is A$6,140. Each additional adult applicant is A$3,070. Each child under 18 is A$1,535.

There are other costs. Some states charge a nomination fee, which ranges from nothing to several hundred dollars. You also pay for a skills assessment, an English test, health examinations, and police clearances for each applicant. We give you a full cost estimate for your situation before you commit, so there are no surprises.

Including your family on a 190 visa

You can include your partner and your dependent children in your 190 application. They receive the same permanent residency as you. Your partner can work and study. Your children can go to school. Each family member has their own application charge and must meet health and character requirements.

If your partner is also skilled, their skills assessment and English can add points to your total. This is worth checking early, because partner points can lift a borderline application into a competitive range.

Impact of Ministerial Direction 119 on 190 Visa

Getting nominated and invited is not the end. Once you lodge, the Department of Home Affairs processes applications in a priority order set by Ministerial Direction 119, which took effect on 25 July 2026.

The order ranks by your occupation and location, not by the visa, and state nomination gives no priority here. Defence and law enforcement occupations are processed first. Health, construction and teaching occupations come next, if the applicant is onshore. All other onshore occupations follow. All offshore occupations are last. So a 190 in health, construction or teaching, applied onshore, sits in Tier 3. A 190 in any other field sits in Tier 4 onshore, or Tier 5 offshore, at the bottom of the queue.

For applicants in India, Nepal and elsewhere offshore, this matters. Even a nominated, invited 190 is processed behind almost everything else. We factor this in before we recommend the 190 over an onshore or regional pathway.

The 190 has two gates, the state and the department, and each has its own detail. The right state for your occupation and score, a skills assessment prepared correctly, a points claim that holds up, and a nomination application that meets that state's rules. Small errors cost nominations, invitations and money.

Dhara Sajwani is a Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2318121, and a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser. She works with applicants offshore and onshore, in Hindi, Gujarati and English. We assess your eligibility, find the state that fits you, and tell you honestly whether the 190 is your best pathway or whether a 189, 491 or employer sponsored route suits you better. Book a consultation to get a clear answer on your 190.

How we help with your 190 visa:

189 Visa Frequently Asked Questions

  • The subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is a points tested permanent residency visa for skilled workers. It needs a state or territory to nominate you, which adds 5 points to your score. It gives permanent residency, full work rights, Medicare, and a pathway to citizenship.

  • Both are points tested permanent visas. The 189 needs no sponsor and lets you live anywhere. The 190 needs a state to nominate you, adds 5 points, and asks you to commit to living in that state, commonly for two years.

  • The minimum is 65, and that includes the 5 nomination points. In practice states invite higher, usually around 75 to 85 points, and the bar changes by state and occupation.

  • All eight states and territories run 190 programs: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. Each has its own occupation list, caps and rules, and most favour people already living, working or studying there.

  • Some states don’t require youto be living their at the time of lodging while others have minimum requirements on how long after you have lived there you become eligible to file. After the nomination, Yes. When a state nominates you, you commit to living and working there, commonly for two years. Moving away early can affect future visa applications, so choose your state carefully.

  • Your occupation must be on the nominating state's list, you need a positive skills assessment, you must be under 45, have at least Competent English, and score at least 65 points including the nomination points. You also have to meet that state's own requirements.

  • From 1 July 2026 the primary applicant charge is A$6,140. Add A$3,070 per adult and A$1,535 per child. Some states also charge a nomination fee. On top of that you pay for a skills assessment, an English test, health checks and police clearances.

  • Processing time depends on your priority under Ministerial Direction 119, which ranks by occupation and location. State nomination gives no priority. A 190 in health, construction or teaching, applied onshore, is processed first, in Tier 3. Other onshore applications sit in Tier 4, and offshore applications sit last, in Tier 5.

  • Yes. You can include your partner and dependent children. They receive the same permanent residency. Each pays their own application charge and must meet health and character requirements.

  • Yes. You can apply offshore, but a state still has to nominate you and your occupation still needs to be on its list. Be aware that offshore 190 applications are processed in the lowest priority tier under Direction 119.