Subclass 190 Visa Australia: Requirements, Eligibility, and How to Apply

If you're a skilled professional with 65–80 points on the Department of Home Affairs points test, the Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) visa is almost certainly out of reach. IT professionals and accountants in federal rounds routinely need 90 or 95 points to receive an invitation. The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa exists precisely for this situation — and in 2025–26, it has become the primary permanent residency pathway for the majority of skilled migrants.

Here's what the 190 visa actually involves, who qualifies, and how the application process works end to end.

What Is the Subclass 190 Visa?

The Subclass 190 is a permanent, points-tested visa that lets you live and work in Australia indefinitely. Unlike the 189, it requires nomination from an Australian state or territory government — you cannot apply directly to the Department of Home Affairs without that state backing.

When a state nominates you, two things happen immediately:

1. You receive an automatic 5-point addition to your SkillSelect score
2. The Department of Home Affairs issues you an Invitation to Apply for the visa

The 5-point bonus is significant. An applicant with an independent score of 60 points reaches the legal minimum of 65 points the moment state nomination is confirmed. That said, 65 points is merely the floor — it will not be enough to attract an invitation in high-demand occupations. The practical competitive threshold varies by state and occupation, but in many cases sits between 75 and 90 points.

Who Is Eligible for the 190 Visa?

The core eligibility criteria are set federally by the Department of Home Affairs:

Age: You must be under 45 at the time you are invited to apply (not at the time of application lodgement).

Occupation: Your occupation must appear on the federal Combined List — which includes the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL). This is one of the key advantages over the 189, which restricts applicants to the MLTSSL only. Occupations like Marketing Specialist, Retail Pharmacist, and Analyst Programmer can access the 190 even when they cannot access the 189.

Skills Assessment: You must hold a positive skills assessment from the relevant Australian assessing authority — Engineers Australia, ACS, VETASSESS, TRA, or another body depending on your occupation. Crucially, this must be a full skills assessment for permanent migration purposes, not a provisional assessment issued under the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa.

English Language: At minimum, Competent English (IELTS 6.0 overall, or PTE Academic 50 in each component). This meets the legal threshold for a 65-point application, but earning Proficient (IELTS 7.0 / PTE 65) or Superior (IELTS 8.0 / PTE 79) adds 10 or 20 extra points respectively and can be decisive in competitive state programs.

Points Test: Minimum 65 points including state nomination. Because state nomination itself contributes 5 points, the independent pre-nomination threshold is effectively 60 points.

Health and character clearances: Standard DHA requirements apply.

How the Application Process Works

The 190 process has two distinct phases managed by two different bureaucracies.

Phase 1: State Nomination

This is entirely state-managed. You cannot skip it. The process differs by state:

• NSW searches the SkillSelect database and selects candidates — there is no direct application. Your EOI must designate NSW as your exclusive preferred state.
• Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania require you to submit a separate Registration of Interest (ROI) through the state's own portal after lodging your SkillSelect EOI.
• Western Australia and South Australia primarily select from SkillSelect but also allow direct applications for certain streams.
• ACT uses the Canberra Matrix, a proprietary scoring system that replaces the DHA points test as the selection mechanism.

For the 2025–26 program year, total Subclass 190 places nationally were capped at 12,850 — a 22% reduction from the previous year. Victoria holds the largest allocation at 2,700 places, followed by NSW at 2,100 and WA at 2,000.

Each state publishes its own occupation list, residency requirements, and opening schedule. Meeting federal eligibility does not automatically make you eligible for any specific state — state-level requirements layer on top.

Phase 2: Federal Visa Application

Once a state nominates you, the Department of Home Affairs pushes an Invitation to Apply to your ImmiAccount. You have exactly 60 calendar days to lodge the full federal application. This deadline cannot be extended under any circumstances.

The federal application requires:

• Identity documents (passport, birth certificate)
• Skills assessment certificate
• English test results
• Employment evidence (reference letters, payslips, tax returns, superannuation records)
• Police clearance certificates for every country you've resided in for 12 months or more over the past decade
• Health examinations via eMedical
• Relationship documents if including secondary applicants

Post-lodgement, the DHA assesses health, character, and the validity of all claims made in your original EOI. The current median processing timeframe from lodgement is 6.5 to 10 months, though this varies significantly by case complexity.

The 2-Year Residency Obligation

When you accept state nomination, you sign a declaration committing to live and work in the nominating state for two years after the visa is granted.

This commitment is not a formal visa condition in the same way that the Subclass 491 regional requirement is legally enforced. The 190 is a federal permanent visa — you have the legal right to live anywhere in Australia. However, the commitment is a genuine moral and professional obligation to the state government. States issue post-grant settlement surveys and track economic outcomes. Breaching the agreement in bad faith — particularly by moving interstate immediately after grant — can trigger a Department of Home Affairs inquiry under Section 109 of the Migration Act for providing false intent during the EOI phase.

If genuine hardship arises (job loss, family emergency, no suitable employment after exhaustive searching), the correct approach is to document your efforts, communicate transparently with the state, and formally request a release before relocating. States are pragmatic and routinely grant formal releases when legitimate circumstances are demonstrated.

Is the 190 Visa Right for You?

The 190 makes strategic sense if you score between 75 and 85 points and are willing to commit to a specific state for two years. It grants immediate permanent residency — unlike the 491, which is a five-year provisional visa requiring regional living before you can transition to the permanent Subclass 191.

If your score is below 75, the Subclass 491 may be more accessible because it awards a 15-point bonus rather than 5. If your score is 90 or above, the independent 189 may be worth targeting depending on your occupation.

Navigating eight separate state programs — each with its own occupation lists, residency requirements, and selection mechanics — is the hardest part of the 190 process. The Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (190) Guide consolidates all eight state frameworks into a single decision matrix, including the quota data, hidden caveats, and state-specific document requirements that make the difference between a nomination and a rejection.

Key Numbers for 2025–26

The 190 visa is competitive and the quota is shrinking. Understanding which state to target — and exactly what that state requires — is the strategic decision that determines whether you get permanent residency this program year or wait another 12 months.

Get the complete state-by-state breakdown, decision matrices, and application checklists at the Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (190) Guide.