Australia’s States and Territories frequently nominate qualified people for immigration to Australia for employment. The nominations are made via the Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190. This Australia Visa Programme is invitation-only. Selected individuals are allowed to reside permanently in Australia to pursue their academic, professional, and other goals.
Eligibility requirements to be meet
To qualify for the Visa Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated, you must:
- Be contacted to extend an invitation to apply after expressing interest
- Be put forward by a State or Territory government organisation in Australia.
- Possess a current, applicable skills assessment at the time of invitation. At the time of invitation, your skills evaluation had to have been completed within the previous three years.
- When encouraged to apply, you must be younger than 45. You may still obtain a 190 visa if, after being invited, you are 45 or older.
- Possess 65 or more points. A points-based visa is a Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). You won’t be invited for this visa if your score is 65 or more. The POINTS CALCULATOR allows you to determine your point total.
- You need to be able to provide proof that your English is COMPETENT.
- Fulfil the necessary skill requirements for the Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) by holding a job from the applicable SKILLS OCCUPATION LIST.
- Fulfil the required health standards.
- Meet the standards for character.
- Sign the declaration of Australian values.
- Not had any prior visas revoked or rejected
Requirements for visa subclass 190
190 visa requirements are as follows:
The English Language Proficiency requirements
For visa 190, the English language proficiency criterion is still the same—that is, it is the same as for subclass 189. You qualify as having “competent” English language ability if you can have:
- A minimum score of six on the speaking, reading, writing, and listening sections of the IELTS exam or
- An OET test result of at least a B in writing, speaking, reading, and listening test components or
- A TOEFL iBT test result that includes the minimum of the following scores in each of the four sections: speaking (18), reading (13), writing (21), and listening (12); or
- A minimum score of 50 on the PTE Academic exam in each of the four test categories—speaking, reading, writing, and listening or
- A passport from Ireland, New Zealand, the United States, or Canada
If your English language proficiency is the basis for your point total, you must still meet the applicable requirements to receive those points.
A State or Territory Government’s Nomination
Unlike the subclass 189 straight entry visa, this visa is in that you can’t get an invitation from the federal government till a state has nominated your application.
Note that certain states have requirements for who can submit a nomination and that not all states accept submissions for all positions.
Requirement for an invitation to apply
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) isn’t processing your visa until you receive an invitation to apply for the programme; we will go over this in more detail later in the guide.
You can’t go to this round unless you have received a state nomination; this can only happen if you have received one.
Age requirement of 45 years
Similar to other skilled visa categories, only primary candidates younger than 45 and who get the “invitation to apply” are eligible for subclass 190.
In other words, your age is only fixed once you have a current application on file with the Department of Home Affairs, not when you begin the procedure.
Either partner (married or de facto) may be the primary applicant; if one is over 45, you may apply on their behalf using their spouse or partner, provided they meet the requirements.
The Requirement of 65 Points
The minimum number of points needed to submit a winning application has increased to 65.
Your score is determined by several factors listed on the Department’s website, including your age and proficiency in English. Remember that if you apply for this 190 visa, your state nomination will earn you an extra 5 points.
Employment requirement
- You must have worked in your designated skilled occupation or a comparable field for at least 20 hours a week for pay.
- Work can’t be done for free; it must be compensated
- Only “skilled” employment—that is, labour performed after the candidate satisfies the minimum entry-level qualifications established by the applicable assessing body for that occupation—is eligible for counting.
- The moment an assessor determines that a candidate satisfies the requirements for a suitable skills assessment may differ from the time the candidate is deemed “skilled.”
Educational requirements
- You can only receive points for one recognised qualification if you possess several recognised qualifications.
- If you have any qualifications from outside Australia, your relevant skills assessment body will usually be able to tell if they are on par with the applicable Australian credentials.
- You can obtain points for a qualification unrelated to the job chosen.
Final Thoughts
Skilled workers nominated by an Australian state or territory government can live and work permanently in Australia with a points-based visa subclass 190. Applicants must first successfully obtain a nomination from a state or territory government to apply for the visa subclass 190. It is important to remember that, in addition to the minimal standards given by the Department of Home Affairs, every state and territory government has additional requirements that candidates seeking nominations must fulfil. It can be challenging to navigate the state and territory regulations. You can seek guidance from a professional immigration expert to understand the visa terms and conditions.
