State Nomination allocations for the skilled nominated (Permanent) subclass 190 and skilled Work regional (provisional) Subclass 491 visa categories.

Two main categories under the Skilled migration program include:

• Skilled – Nominated (Permanent) subclass 190) – 10,300 places allocated for 2023/2024 year
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) – 6,400 places allocated for 2023/2024 year

These visas are both assessed under a point tested system where the minimum required pass mark is currently set at 65. To undertake a points test assessment applicants will need to be:

• Under 45 years old
• Hold a skills assessment
• Undertake an English test unless exempt
• Additional points can be allocated under various other actors

Skilled – Nominated (Permanent) subclass 190)

With this visa, you can:

• Enrol in medicare
• work and study in the State that nominated you for at least 2 years
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• if eligible, become and Australian Citizen

You must have been nominated for this visa by an Australian state or territory government agency.

The process involves submitting a completed expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. State and Territory government agencies can see your completed EOI and may invite you to apply for nomination. If you are successful in your application to the State or Territory Government in being nominated for the visa, you can then apply for a Subclass 190 Permanent Residence visa to the Department of Home Affairs.

All State and Territory government agencies have their own criteria for deciding who they will nominate. Please see the links below.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)

With this visa, you can:

• stay in Australia for 5 years
• live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid
• apply for permanent residence after 3 years from the time your visa is granted

You must be either nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency or indicate that you will be sponsored by an eligible relative.

The process involves submitting a completed expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. State and Territory government agencies can see your completed EOI and may invite you to apply for nomination. If you are successful in your application to the State or Territory Government in being nominated for the visa, or if you indicate in your EOI that you will be sponsored by an eligible relative, you can then apply to the Department of Home Affairs for the temporary Subclass 491 visa.

Understanding Nomination Allocations

Nomination allocations are essentially quotas assigned to each State and Territory, dictating the number of new primary applicants they can nominate within a given program year. It’s important to note that these allocations solely pertain to the two aforementioned visa categories.

2023–24 state and territory nomination allocations
State	Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa	Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa	Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)*
ACT	600	600	0
NSW	2,650	1,500	0
NT	250	400	0
QLD	900	650	0
SA	1,100	1,200	0
TAS	600	600	0
VIC	2,700	600	0
WA	1,500	850	0
Total	10,300	6,400	1900
No allocations to the States and Territories have been made for the BIIP at this time, only the total allocations for the BIIP’s planning level for the 2023–24 period is known currently.

Please note that you can find further information on this matter through the official sources provided by each respective state.

ACT – Migration

NSW – Visas and Immigration

VIC – Live in Melbourne

QLD – Business & Skilled Migration Queensland

NT – Migrate

WA – Business Migration Western Australia (BIIP) or Skilled Migration Western Australia (190 and 491 visas)

SA – Move to South Australia

TAS – Migration Tasmania

The rules for State and Territory nomination change throughout the year and the timing of each step of the application process must be precise in order to secure the invitation to apply for nomination or the visa. Immicon is here to assist you in assessing your eligibility for these visa application pathways and guiding you through the complexities of the process.