Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

You'll apply for the Subclass 190 visa through a multi-stage process involving a skills assessment, an Expression of Interest, state nomination, and finally a formal visa application. The entire journey typically takes 12–18 months from start to finish, though some applications are processed faster.

Stage 1: Obtain Your Skills Assessment (1–3 months)

Before you can proceed, you need proof that your occupation qualifies as "skilled" in Australia. This comes from a formal skills assessment.

What to do:

• Identify the correct assessing authority for your occupation. The skilled occupation list shows which authority assesses each job.
• Contact that authority and submit your qualifications, work experience, and any other required evidence.
• Pay the assessment fee (typically AUD $500–$1,200, depending on your occupation and the assessing body).
• Wait for your positive assessment. The assessment must be valid at the time you receive your visa invitation and must have been issued within 3 years of that invitation date.

Important: If your assessment has an expiry date, it must still be valid when you're invited to apply. Once you have your positive assessment in hand, you can move to the next stage.

Stage 2: Submit Your Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect (Immediate)

An Expression of Interest is not a visa application—it's a preliminary notification to Australian state and territory governments that you're interested in sponsorship.

What to do:

• Go to SkillSelect and create an account (or log in if you have one).
• Complete the EOI form with details about your age, English proficiency, work experience, qualifications, and nominated occupation.
• SkillSelect will calculate an indicative points score. You must score at least 65 points to be considered for invitation. (The 5 points for state nomination are included in this total.)
• Submit the EOI. There is no fee.
• Your EOI will be visible to state and territory governments for up to 2 years. You can update it at any time before receiving an invitation if your circumstances change (e.g., you gain more work experience or take an English test).

Note: Submitting an EOI does not give you any visa status. If you're already in Australia, you must hold a valid substantive visa (such as a student visa or temporary work visa) while waiting for an invitation.

Stage 3: Wait for State or Territory Nomination (2–8 weeks, varies significantly)

Each Australian state and territory runs its own skilled migration program. They review EOIs and decide whom to nominate based on their own criteria and available places.

What to do:

• Monitor your SkillSelect account and email for updates.

• Research your target state's specific requirements. Each state has different occupation lists, residency requirements, and selection processes. For example:

  • New South Wales prioritizes key sectors (construction, care, healthcare, education, infrastructure) and prefers applicants who have lived in NSW for 6 months or are currently working there.
  • Victoria uses a Registration of Interest system and is currently operating on a small interim allocation.
  • Queensland requires offshore applicants to score at least 80 points and onshore applicants to have 9 months of work experience in the nominated occupation.
  • South Australia has a broader occupation list than the national list and emphasizes innovation.
  • Tasmania prioritizes health and allied health occupations and requires a 2-year residency commitment.
  • Western Australia uses its own occupation list (WASMOL) and prioritizes critical demand sectors.
  • Australian Capital Territory (ACT) uses a points-based "Canberra Matrix" and requires onshore applicants to have lived and worked in the ACT for 6 months.
  • Northern Territory generally prioritizes the Subclass 491 visa over 190 and rarely considers offshore applicants for 190.

• If your state uses a separate Registration of Interest (ROI) system (like Queensland, Victoria, or ACT), you may need to submit an additional ROI directly to that state's migration program.

• Be aware: State nomination places are limited and highly competitive. Some occupations and states fill their quotas quickly. For example, NSW's Subclass 491 pathways reached capacity and closed within one day in January 2026.

If nominated: You'll receive a letter of invitation from the state or territory government. This is a critical milestone—it means you've been selected and can now apply for the visa itself.

Stage 4: Receive Your Invitation to Apply (Up to 2 years after EOI submission)

Once a state nominates you, the Department of Home Affairs issues a formal invitation to apply for the visa.

What to do:

• Check your SkillSelect account and email for the invitation letter from the Department of Home Affairs.
• Note the deadline: You have exactly 60 calendar days from the date of the invitation to lodge your visa application. This deadline cannot be extended. Mark it clearly and plan to submit well before the deadline.
• The invitation will specify the points you must achieve in your visa application (which may be 65 or higher).

Stage 5: Lodge Your Visa Application Online (Within 60 days of invitation)

This is where you formally apply for the visa. You'll use the Department's online system, ImmiAccount.

What to do:

• Log into your SkillSelect account and click "Apply for visa."
• This will take you to ImmiAccount, a separate online portal where you'll complete the full visa application.
• Create an ImmiAccount login if you don't have one already.
• Fill in all required information:
  • Personal details
  • Passport and travel history
  • Work experience (with dates, job titles, employers, and salary details)
  • Education and qualifications
  • English language test results
  • Family details (spouse, children, dependents)
  • Health and character information
• Attach all supporting documents, including:
  • Certified copies of your passport
  • Your positive skills assessment
  • English language test results (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge, OET, LanguageCert, or CELPIP)
  • Educational qualification certificates and transcripts
  • Employment references and payslips
  • Police certificates from every country where you've lived for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since age 16)
  • Health examination results (if required by the Department)
  • Completed Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment)
  • Completed Form 1221 (Additional personal particulars information)
  • Life in Australia booklet and signed Australian Values Statement (for applicants 18+)
  • Certified English translations of any non-English documents (translated by accredited translators)
• Pay the first instalment of the visa application charge: AUD $4,910 for the main applicant (or AUD $2,455 for additional applicants aged 18+, or AUD $1,230 for additional applicants under 18).
• Note the transaction reference number (TRN) for your records.
• Submit the application before the 60-day deadline.

Important: Submit a decision-ready application with all required documents from the outset. Incomplete applications trigger a "pause effect"—the file leaves the active processing queue when the Department requests information, extending your overall timeline.

Stage 6: Department Assessment and Verification (6–18 months)

After you lodge your application, the Department of Home Affairs assesses it thoroughly.

What happens:

• The Department checks your health, character, and all eligibility criteria.
• They may contact your employers directly to verify your work experience claims.
• They may request police certificates or health examinations if not already provided.
• External agencies (police, health authorities, national security) conduct checks.
• You can monitor progress in your ImmiAccount.
• If the Department requests additional information, respond promptly. Delays in providing requested documents extend your processing time.

Current processing times (as of March 2026):

• 50% of applications are processed in approximately 10 months
• 90% of applications are processed in approximately 15 months

Processing speed varies based on:

• Whether your application is complete and decision-ready
• Your occupation (healthcare, teaching, and construction occupations are prioritized under Ministerial Direction 115)
• Whether your application requires additional verification
• External agency delays
• Application volume in the processing queue

Stage 7: Visa Grant Decision

The Department will issue a written decision on your application.

If approved:

• You'll receive a visa grant letter with:
  • Your visa grant number
  • The date your visa starts
  • Any visa conditions (most Subclass 190 visas are granted without conditions)
  • A "must arrive before" date if you're applying from outside Australia
• You become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted (if you're in Australia) or on the day you enter Australia on the visa (if you're outside Australia).
• You can now live, work, and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely.

If refused:

• The Department will explain the reasons for refusal.
• You may have the right to request a review through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) within a specified timeframe.

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Item	Cost
Visa application charge (main applicant)	AUD $4,910
Visa application charge (additional applicant, 18+ years)	AUD $2,455
Visa application charge (additional applicant, under 18 years)	AUD $1,230
Second instalment (if family member 18+ lacks functional English)	AUD $4,885
Skills assessment	AUD $500–$1,200
English language test (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc.)	AUD $300–$400
Health examinations (if required)	AUD $300–$400 per person
Police certificates	AUD $50–$200 per country
State nomination application fee (some states only)	AUD $200–$800 (varies; some states charge nothing)

Total estimated cost (excluding migration agent fees): AUD $6,000–$8,000+

Does not include: Migration agent fees (typically AUD $1,500–$3,000+ if you use a registered migration agent), accredited document translation costs (AUD $100–$500+), or any costs related to obtaining employment or accommodation in Australia.

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Visa Application Processing (After Lodgement)

Current timelines (as of March 2026):

• 50% of applications: Approximately 10 months
• 90% of applications: Approximately 15 months

This represents significant improvement from previous periods. However, timelines vary based on application complexity, occupation, and whether your application is decision-ready.

Complete Timeline from Start to Finish

• Skills assessment: 1–3 months
• EOI submission to state nomination: 2–8 weeks (varies significantly by state; some states process faster than others)
• State nomination to Department invitation: Varies (can be weeks to months depending on state workload)
• Invitation to visa application lodgement: 60 days (fixed deadline—you must apply within this window)
• Visa processing: 6–18 months (median 10–15 months as of March 2026)

Overall: Expect 12–18 months from EOI submission to visa grant for most applicants, though straightforward applications may be processed in 8–12 months and complex cases may take 24+ months.

Document Validity Periods

• Skills assessment: Must be valid at the time of invitation and issued within 3 years of the invitation date
• English language test results: Generally valid for 3 years from the test date
• Police certificates: Typically valid for 12 months from issue date; obtain close to your visa application lodgement
• Health examination: Valid for 12 months from the examination date (or longer for some tests)