190 Visa – Skilled Nominated Visa

Skilled Nomination Visa / 190 visa is for nominated skilled workers that allow them to live and work in Australia as Permanent Residents (PR) in a particular State in Australia.

Skilled Nominated Visa subclass 190 is an excellent alternative for skilled worker who want to migrate to Australia but couldn’t satisfy the 189 visa point requirements.

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Written by Indah Melindasari, B.Com
Updated May 2020

What is a 190 visa?

Skilled Nomination Visa / 190 visa is for nominated skilled workers that allow them to live and work in Australia in a particular State or Territory.

Skilled Nominated Visa subclass 190 is an excellent alternative for skilled workers who want to migrate to Australia but couldn’t satisfy the 189 visa point requirements.

Is 190 a PR visa?

Yes, the visa 190 Australia allows you to stay in Australia permanently, work and study in Australia, enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare.

It allows you to sponsor your relatives to come to Australia and travel to and from Australia for 5 years. If eligible, you become an Australian citizen.

Requirements To Apply For Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190

You must have an occupation on the relevant skilled list.
You must have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation.
You must be invited to apply for this visa.
You must be able to score 65 points or more because this visa is a points-tested visa.
You must be under 45 years old.

Benefits for Subclass 190 Visa Holder

There are three main benefits of obtaining a Skilled Nominated Visa / 190 visa. Those benefits are:

You can work and study anywhere in Australia;
You can sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence;
You can become an Australian citizen if you are eligible for that.

Relevant Skill Assessment For Skilled Nomination Visa

You must submit a completed expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. Please make sure you completed in the 3 years prior to the date of your invitation.

If your skills were assessed based on a qualification you obtained in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.

Is 70 points enough for 190 visa?

You need to reach 65 points, at the minimum. The higher scores you get, the better chances you will have against other migrants.

What’s the difference between 189 and 190 visa?

The principal difference between the 189 and visa 190 Australia is the invitation process as with the 189 visa you are invited by the Federal government through SkillSelect whereas with the visa 190 Australia you are invited by an Australian State or Territory. As visa 190 Australia requires that you be sponsored by an Australian State or Territory, this means there will be additional requirements as set by the State or Territory.

Another significant difference between the 189 and visa 190 Australia is the occupation lists for the nominated occupation. The 189 visa only requires you to nominate an occupation on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skilled List). For the visa 190 Australia your occupation must be on the individual State or Territory’s occupation list as the different regions will have their own skilled occupation list.

Which visa is better 189 or 190?

The 189 is considered to be the most sought after visa because it allows you to live and work anywhere in Australia, however because of the the competition for the 189 is so high it means the points minimum to be granted may change at times.

As applicants for the visa 190 Australia are only competing with a state or territory context it is not a points race where only applicants with the highest amount are accepted unless it is in a state like visa 190 NSW or Victoria where there will be more candidates applying and only higher scores will be accepted.

So generally you will have better chances with the visa 190 Australia unless it is the visa 190 NSW. These state programs are much more popular as Sydney is in NSW and Melbourne is in Victoria which make them more attractive to potential applicants which is why the visa 190 NSW and Victoria are more competitive.

Visa 190 Australia Program for New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) is home to Sydney, the rugged Blue Mountains, rainforests and beautiful coastlines as such it is a very popular destination among people to migrate to. With this in mind the competition for the visa 190 NSW program is very high.

Due to the high competition for the visa 190 NSW, you cannot apply directly, or request to be invited for the visa 190 NSW. As is generally the case for most skilled occupations the list for the visa 190 NSW is dominated by engineering, medical, IT and Sciences. There are also other occupations now concerning the hospitality industry such as hotel manager and chef roles on the list for the visa 190 NSW. Which an occupation within the STEM fields will mostly like give you the best opportunity for an out of state application for 190 NSW.

There are 3 streams for the visa 190 NSW:

Stream 1 for the visa 190 NSW is for those living and working in NSW;
Stream 2 for the visa 190 NSW is for those that recently completed study in Regional NSW;
Stream 3 for the visa 190 NSW is for those that are skilled in an occupation required in Regional NSW.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Subclass 190 Visa

ONE derland Consulting managing director and also registered migration agent, Indah Melindasari, B.Com (MARN 0961 448) is here to answer your Skilled Nominated subclass 190 visa questions!

How to check my occupation? Does my occupation have to be listed?
- You may refer to the Skilled Occupation List from the Department of Home Affairs website, and your nominated occupation has to be on the list.
How to calculate my points?
- Points may come from: Your age, English language requirements, work experience (inside and outside Australia), recognised qualification, partner skills, State or Territory nomination and regional study. We have a system made for you to see the bigger picture of your points. Please click here.
Is there any minimum age to apply for the 190 visa Australia?
- You have to be under 45 years old or turn 45 after being invited to apply for the visa 190 Australia.
Can I include my family in this visa application?
- You can include your partner and/or dependent children in your application, either when you lodge the visa application or add them afterwards, but before the Department finalises your application.
How much does the visa cost?
- Skilled Nominated Visa 190 Australia costs AUD $4,045 for the main applicant, and there will be an additional charge if you include your partner and/or dependent children.
- If your family members who have turned 18 at the time of application and who are assessed as not having functional English, you might have to pay the second instalment which is AUD $4,885.
- The cost is as per October 2020 and will increase every July each year.
Where can I apply for the visa 190 Australia?
- You can apply for this visa while you are onshore or offshore.
- For onshore applications, you must be on a substantive or relevant bridging visa when you apply.
How long is the processing time for this 190 visa?
- This 190 visa generally takes from 6 to 9 months to be processed, assuming that you meet all the requirements and provide all additional requests in time.
How long can I stay using 190 visa?
- Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) is a permanent visa, which allows you and your family to stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa expires five years after the Department grants it, and you may renew the visa before it expires.

Skilled Nominated Visa Best Practices

Check your eligibility and visa requirements

Understanding the process to apply for a Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) is necessary.

The first step is by checking your chosen occupation, points you earn and other requirements set for this 190 visa.

Submit an Expression of Interest

Once you are eligible to apply for an Australian working visa and receive a positive skills assessment outcome, thereon, You are required to submit an Expression Of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect.

Positive skills assessment is mandatory for this visa, and each occupation may have different assessing authorities.

Waiting for the invitation

After you submit the EOI, you will need to wait until you are invited by the state or territory government. Each year the Department issues a different number of invitations.

It is based on the number of applications they receive and process. During this time, your EOI is valid for 2 years.

You can access your EOI and update any information at any time, such as if you have gained a new work experience, a higher qualification, improved your English language ability or your family make up has changed.

If you receive an invitation to lodge a visa application, it will be too late to update your EOI.

Gather all the required documents

If you are qualified, meet the requirements, and score the highest among all migrants in the same subclass, the Department will invite you to apply for the visa. This time, you have to gather documents to apply for the visa.