What's the difference between subclass 190 and subclass 491?

Both require state or territory nomination, but subclass 190 is a permanent visa from grant, usable anywhere in Australia after the residence obligation, while subclass 491 is a provisional (temporary) visa tied to regional Australia, which can later lead to a separate pathway to permanent residence (subclass 191) after three years. If a state offers you a choice, the main trade-off is permanence now (190) versus a longer but often lower-threshold regional pathway (491).

Do I need a job offer for the 190 visa?

No employer sponsorship is required for subclass 190 itself — it's a points-tested, state-nominated visa, not an employer-sponsored one. However, having skilled employment experience in your nominated occupation within the nominating state, or at least strong evidence you intend to live and work there, meaningfully strengthens most states' nomination assessments.

What happens if I don't stay in the nominating state for 2 years?

The nomination requires a commitment to live and work in the nominating state or territory for at least 2 years after visa grant. Breaching this isn't typically enforced through visa cancellation after grant, but states can factor compliance history into future nomination decisions, and some states follow up directly with nominees. Treat the commitment as genuine, not a formality.

Is this legal advice?

No. This is general preparation guidance based on publicly published Department of Home Affairs and state nomination criteria at the time of writing. Occupation lists, points thresholds, and state-specific rules change often — always confirm current criteria on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and your target state's official migration site before applying.

Australia Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa Guide (2026): Points, State Nomination & Costs

The subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is one of Australia’s main permanent pathways for points-tested skilled migrants — and it’s the one of the Points-tested family that grants permanent residence immediately, rather than asking you to serve time in a provisional visa first. The trade-off is that you need a state or territory to actively nominate you, and each one runs its own occupation list and criteria on top of the federal rules.

The baseline federal requirements

To be eligible for subclass 190 at the Commonwealth level, you generally need to:

Be under 45 years old at the time of invitation
Have your nominated occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list (MLTSSL, generally)
Hold a positive skills assessment in that occupation from the relevant assessing authority — see our Australia skills assessment guide for how that process works
Meet at least Competent English (broadly, IELTS 6.0 in each band, or an equivalent test/exemption)
Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and score at least 65 points on the points test before the 5-point state nomination bonus is added
Receive and accept a state or territory nomination, then an invitation to apply

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and SkillSelect — Expression of Interest.

How state nomination actually works

Unlike the employer-sponsored 482 Skills in Demand visa, subclass 190 doesn’t need a job offer — it needs a state government to nominate you. Each jurisdiction maintains its own occupation list, invitation rounds, and extra eligibility criteria layered on top of the federal minimums, and these change throughout the year as states manage their allocation:

New South Wales typically requires applicants to already be living in NSW for a minimum period, or working in their nominated occupation within the state, alongside the standard age, skills-assessment, and English requirements.
Victoria generally expects applicants to be currently living in Victoria with current skilled employment in their nominated occupation, disclosed as part of the application.
Queensland commonly asks for a period of full-time skilled employment in the nominated occupation within the state before nominating.

Because these criteria shift and vary by occupation and round, treat any specific number you read (including in this guide) as a starting point — confirm the live criteria on your target state’s official migration portal (e.g. Live in Melbourne, Study NSW, Business and Industry Portal QLD) before relying on it.

The 2-year residence commitment

Accepting a state nomination comes with a genuine commitment to live and work in that state or territory for at least 2 years after your visa is granted. After that period, you’re free to move anywhere in Australia as a permanent resident. This is the central trade-off against the uncapped (but employer-dependent) 482 visa or the federal subclass 189 (no state link, higher points bar in practice given competition for invitations).

Points test basics

On top of the 65-point minimum, points accrue from age (peaking in the 25–32 bracket), English proficiency (0 points for Competent, 10 for Proficient, 20 for Superior English), skilled employment experience (in Australia and/or overseas), educational qualifications, and partner skills, with the state nomination itself adding 5 points. A higher total doesn’t guarantee nomination — states assess against their own criteria independently of your raw EOI score, though a stronger score still helps your federal invitation prospects generally.

190 vs 491 vs 482 at a glance

190: points-tested, state-nominated, permanent from grant, 2-year state residence commitment, no employer needed.
491: points-tested, state/regional-nominated, provisional, tied to designated regional areas, pathway to subclass 191 after 3 years — see our 491 visa guide.
482 (Skills in Demand): employer-sponsored, temporary, no points test, but requires a sponsoring employer and (for some nationalities and occupations) a skills assessment — see our 482 guide.

Next steps

If you’re weighing 190 against 491 or 482, start by confirming your occupation sits on the relevant list and that you can realistically clear the skills assessment — that single step disqualifies more applicants than the points test does. Our skills assessment guide walks through assessing-body selection and timelines for the major occupation groups.

VisaMet’s AI assistant is built to help you track multi-stage, multi-body processes like this one — EOI, nomination, invitation, visa application — in one place. Join the waitlist to get early access.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190); Department of Home Affairs — SkillSelect Expression of Interest; Department of Home Affairs — Points test for skilled visas.