Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

Points added to your SkillSelect score for state nomination

Combined 190 & 491 nomination places allocated nationally (2025–26)

Years generally required living & working in the nominating state

Years required in a Designated Regional Area under Subclass 491

Applicants whose points score falls short of what the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) currently requires, but who clear the 65-point floor once a state's 5 nomination points are added in. It also suits applicants whose occupation simply isn't on the national list the 189 relies on but does appear on a specific state's own list and applicants with a genuine reason to commit to a particular state, whether that's family, a job offer, or a state where their occupation is a clear current priority. Moreover, Subclass 189 is highly competitive, and an invitation is not guaranteed simply because you meet the minimum points threshold of 65 points. Invitations are generally issued to candidates with higher points scores, subject to occupation demand, available places and invitation round settings.

If subclass 189 is your preferred pathway, it is highly advisable to also consider subclass 190 or subclass 491 visa pathways as alternative options. Maintaining these as a Plan B can significantly broaden your prospects of receiving an invitation for skilled migration.

Our team is OMARA-registered, with Graduate Certificates in Migration Law from the ANU behind every state nomination strategy we put together. Because every state runs a different program, advice on the 190 only holds up if it's current for the specific state being targeted, not a generic description of how state nomination works in principle.

We assess which state's occupation list and priorities actually match an applicant's profile before recommending a nomination strategy, since applying to the wrong state, or applying without checking whether that state's program for the relevant occupation is even open, wastes months an applicant often doesn't have if their points position is time-sensitive.