State Nomination Visas Explained (Subclass 190 & 491): How States Pick Skilled Migrants

If your occupation isn’t on the national priority list, or your points score is a little short of an invitation, state and territory nomination can be the difference between missing out and getting an invitation. Every Australian state and territory runs its own nomination program with its own occupation list, and being nominated adds real points to your score. This guide covers how the two main nominated visas — Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 — actually work.

TL;DR

• Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) is a permanent visa. State or territory nomination adds 5 points to your score, and you can generally live anywhere in that state.
• Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Provisional) is a 5-year provisional visa. Nomination or eligible family sponsorship adds 15 points — the largest single points boost available — but you must live, work and study in a designated regional area.
• 491 leads to permanent residence via the Subclass 191 visa, once you’ve held an eligible regional visa for at least 3 years and met an indexed minimum income threshold during that time.
• Every state and territory sets its own occupation list and criteria, and these change during the year as quotas fill — always check the current list on the relevant state government site before planning around a specific occupation.

Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated Visa

The Subclass 190 is a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government agency. According to Home Affairs, to be eligible you must:

• have an occupation on the relevant state’s skilled occupation list
• have a suitable skills assessment for that occupation
• be invited to apply after being nominated
• satisfy the points test, with a minimum of 65 points required for an invitation

Being nominated for a 190 adds 5 points to your score under the official points table, on top of points for age, English, skilled employment, and qualifications. Once granted, a 190 is a permanent visa: holders can work and study anywhere in Australia (not just the nominating state), sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence, and apply for citizenship once eligible.

Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa

The Subclass 491 is a provisional visa, valid for 5 years, for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government agency, or sponsored by an eligible family member living in a designated regional area. To be eligible you must:

• be nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative
• have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• have a suitable skills assessment
• be invited to apply
• satisfy the points test

Nomination or family sponsorship for a 491 adds 15 points — three times the boost a 190 nomination gives, which is why many applicants who are short on points specifically target this visa. In exchange, you must live, work and study in a designated regional area for the life of the visa. Home Affairs maintains the current list of designated regional postcodes, which covers most of Australia outside central Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

490 vs 491 Nomination: Points and Requirements Compared

From 491 to Permanent Residence: The Subclass 191 Pathway

The 491 is a stepping stone, not an endpoint. Home Affairs’ Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence — Skilled Regional) visa, regional provisional stream, lets holders of an eligible regional visa move to permanent residence once they:

• have held an eligible visa (such as the 491 or the employer-sponsored 494) for at least 3 years and complied with its conditions
• have had a taxable income at or above a specific threshold for at least 3 of those years — this income threshold is indexed and reviewed, so check the current figure on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au rather than relying on a fixed number

Unlike the original 491 nomination, no sponsor or state nomination is required to apply for the 191 — it’s assessed on your residence and income history in the regional area. This is the core trade-off of the regional pathway: a longer road with a lower up-front points bar (thanks to the 15-point boost) versus the 190’s faster route to permanent status but a smaller points advantage.

How State Nomination Actually Works

Each state and territory government runs its own nomination program, separate from the federal points test. In practice this means:

• Each state publishes its own skilled occupation list, which can differ significantly from the national Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and from other states’ lists. An occupation open in one state may be closed in another at any given time.
• States open and close occupations throughout the year as they fill their allocation for that occupation — a list you checked three months ago may no longer be current.
• Most states require you to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and, for many states, a separate state-specific application or registration of interest before they’ll consider nominating you.
• Some states prioritise applicants already living and working in that state, or with a genuine, demonstrated connection to it — this varies significantly by jurisdiction and by occupation.

Because state criteria change often and vary widely, this guide deliberately doesn’t reproduce a state-by-state occupation list or quota table — treat any such list you find online (including ours, if we publish one later) as a starting point only, and always confirm current details directly on the relevant state or territory government’s own migration website before you plan around a specific occupation.

If you’re weighing a regional pathway against staying in a capital city, our guide to living in regional Australia and our breakdown of the points, visa and scholarship benefits of regional study cover the lifestyle and cost side of that decision, while this piece on regional study to save money looks at the financial trade-offs. For the full picture of how state nomination fits into your broader PR options, start with our PR pathways overview, and check our common myths about PR before you plan around any assumption.

Where to Get Real Help

State nomination criteria, occupation lists and quotas change often enough that even accurate information can go stale within months. Before you make decisions based on a specific occupation or state, check the current position directly on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and the nominating state or territory’s own website, and consider getting advice from a MARA-registered migration agent who can assess your specific circumstances. This article is general information only, not a substitute for that advice.

Frequently Asked Questions