Victoria 190 Visa Requirements for Vietnamese Applicants: The ROI System Explained

Victoria is the most popular state nomination target for Vietnamese skilled migrants. Melbourne has the second-largest Vietnamese-born community in Australia — approximately 36% of the 318,000+ Vietnamese-born residents choose Victoria — and that existing network of family and former colleagues is a significant pull factor when deciding which state to target.

But Victoria's nomination system does not work the way many Vietnamese applicants expect. Understanding the difference between lodging an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect versus registering for Victoria's Registration of Interest can save you from waiting six months in the wrong queue.

How Victoria's 190 System Is Different

Most Australian states use a relatively straightforward model: if your occupation is on the state's skills list and your points score is above the threshold, you receive an invitation in the next round. Victoria does not work this way.

Victoria uses a Registration of Interest (ROI) system. The state invites people based not just on points score, but on how well the applicant's skills match Victoria's stated economic priorities at that moment. Two applicants with identical points totals can have different outcomes if one is in a "growth sector" occupation that Victoria is prioritising and the other is not.

For Vietnamese applicants, this means the standard advice — "get your points as high as possible and wait" — is necessary but not sufficient for Victoria. You also need to understand what Victoria is looking for in 2025–2026.

Victoria's Current Priority Sectors

For 2025–2026, Victoria has publicly emphasised nomination for professionals in:

• Renewable energy and construction: Civil engineers, structural engineers, project managers working in infrastructure
• Healthcare: Registered nurses, general practitioners, and allied health professionals
• Technology (specific sub-sectors): Cybersecurity specialists, cloud engineers, and data scientists — not generic software developers
• Advanced manufacturing: Engineers with manufacturing process or quality management backgrounds

For Vietnamese IT professionals, this distinction matters practically. A Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313) whose daily work involves backend systems for a generic tech company may be viewed less favourably than a cybersecurity analyst or cloud infrastructure engineer, even if both hold identical points scores.

A Vietnamese professional working for a company like FPT Software in roles tied to renewable energy infrastructure projects, or with experience in healthcare IT systems, has a stronger Victoria ROI narrative.

Victoria's Occupation List and Points Requirements

Victoria's skills list for the Subclass 190 is updated periodically and reflects occupation demand at the state level. Vietnamese applicants should check the live list at vic.gov.au before lodging their ROI, as occupations are added and removed based on market conditions.

For recent rounds, common patterns for offshore Vietnamese applicants (those applying from Vietnam rather than already in Victoria on a temporary visa):

• ICT occupations: Victoria has been selective about offshore ICT applicants. Competition is high and points requirements for offshore candidates in ICT have been running at 90+ in recent rounds.
• Nursing and healthcare: Victoria has been more open to offshore healthcare candidates, with lower relative competition for Registered Nurses.
• Engineering: Civil and structural engineers with construction or infrastructure experience have had more consistent access to nominations.

The "+5 points" from state nomination applies to your total SkillSelect score, bringing a candidate with 85 base points to 90 for the purposes of an ITA round.

The Offshore vs. Onshore Distinction

Victoria, like most states, distinguishes between "onshore" applicants (those already in Australia on another temporary visa) and "offshore" applicants (those applying directly from Vietnam). For the 2025–2026 program, Victoria has maintained both categories but has generally allocated a larger portion of its quota to onshore applicants — particularly those already in Victoria on a student, 485 post-study, or 482 employer-sponsored visa.

As an offshore Vietnamese applicant, this means:

1. Competition is real — you are not only competing against other offshore applicants but indirectly against the state's internal priorities
2. Demonstrating a genuine connection to Victoria helps — mentioning family or previous study connections to Melbourne, or a specific employer offer in Victoria, strengthens your ROI narrative
3. The NT, South Australia, and Western Australia have been more accessible for pure offshore applicants with no prior Australian study or work experience

Northern Territory and Western Australia: Alternatives Worth Considering

If Victoria's offshore competition is a barrier, two other states offer stronger access for Vietnamese professionals applying directly from Vietnam.

Western Australia has been actively recruiting offshore engineers and construction professionals, with a significant infrastructure pipeline from resources and energy projects. Vietnamese civil, structural, and electrical engineers have had consistent access to Western Australia nominations in recent rounds.

Northern Territory is the most accessible state for lower-points applicants, with some rounds accepting candidates at 65–70 points. The trade-off is a requirement to live and work in the Territory for three years — but the NT's proximity to Southeast Asia and its Vietnamese community (small but present) make it a viable option for those who prioritize the speed of invitation over geographic preference.

South Australia has maintained consistent offshore access across healthcare and engineering, and the state's "offshore priority" policy means applicants from Vietnam who clearly intend to settle in Adelaide are evaluated positively.

NSW Skilled Occupation List and What It Means for Vietnamese Applicants

NSW — home to 38% of the Vietnamese-born population in Australia and the Cabramatta community — is where most Vietnamese applicants want to go. However, NSW operates differently from Victoria for the 190 visa.

NSW uses a simplified "Skills List" approach where only certain ANZSCO codes are eligible in each round. The list is updated regularly and does not necessarily align with what is on the national MLTSSL. For offshore Vietnamese applicants in ICT, NSW has required 90+ points in competitive rounds and has not been consistently open to offshore applicants outside of priority windows.

For Vietnamese accounting professionals, NSW has maintained eligibility for Accountants (General) on the 190 list, but the points threshold for offshore applicants has also been elevated.

The practical implication: if you are an offshore Vietnamese applicant with 85 points targeting NSW, you may face a wait of 12–24 months before NSW opens a window for your occupation and applicant type. Broadening your state nomination strategy to include WA, SA, or the ACT (which uses a separate matrix system) reduces your dependence on NSW's irregular rounds.

Practical Steps for Vietnamese Applicants Targeting Victoria

1. Check the live Victoria Skills List at vic.gov.au — confirm your ANZSCO code is currently listed for offshore applicants
2. Complete your skills assessment first — you cannot register an ROI with Victoria without a valid skills assessment outcome
3. Reach PTE 79+ or IELTS 8.0 before registering your ROI — Superior English is not a formal requirement for Victoria 190, but at 90+ points, it is effectively required to be competitive
4. Frame your ROI application around Victoria's growth sectors — include specific project experience, employer names, and any ties to Victoria (family, study, previous employment)
5. Lodge your federal EOI in SkillSelect simultaneously — a Victoria ROI is separate from your SkillSelect profile; you need both active at the same time

A complete state nomination comparison and ROI strategy for Vietnamese applicants — including which state suits which occupation and points total — is in the Vietnam to Australia Skilled Migration Guide.

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