Update - Victoria’s Skilled Visa Nomination Program 2025-26 now open
Victoria has officially announced the reopening of its Skilled Visa Nomination Program for 2025-26 on 2 October 2025, inviting eligible candidates to now submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) to be considered for Victorian nomination under the Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) visa.
While Victoria has not yet received its full allocation of places for the 2025-26 program, this is expected to be confirmed by the Department of Home Affairs in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Victoria has received a small interim allocations of 200 places for the Subclass 190 visa and 180 places for the Subclass 491 visa, so we anticipate that a small number of invitations may soon be forthcoming in the new few weeks.
I already submitted a Registration of Interest (ROI) in the 2024-25 program, do I need to submit a new ROI?
The Victorian Government has confirmed that active ROIs will remain valid for consideration under the 2025-26, and that a new ROI is only required if the information provided in your ROI has changed.
What is the difference between the Subclass 190 visa and Subclass 491 visa?
The Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa is a permanent residency visa that allows you to live and work in Australia as a permanent resident.
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) visa is a 5-year visa requiring you to live/work in a designated regional part of Australia, with a direct pathway to permanent residency. Subclass 491 visa holders can generally apply for a Permanent Residence (Subclass 191) visa after at least 3 years of living and working in a designated regional area, amongst other requirements.
How many points do I need for a Victorian nomination?
You will need at least 65 points to be considered for Victorian nomination. This includes the 5 additional points for Subclass 190 visa nomination and 15 additional points for Subclass 491 visa nomination.
Nonetheless, while having at least 65 points allows you to submit a ROI to be considered for Subclass 190 visa nomination or Subclass 491 visa nomination, this does not guarantee that you will be nominated by the Victorian Government.
The Victorian Government has otherwise previously emphasised that it does not prioritise candidates with the highest points, and instead ranks candidates through the following ROI ranking factors:
age;
English language level;
years of experience in your nominated occupation;
education level;
occupation skill level;
partner’s skill (if applicable); and
salary – onshore candidates only.
Am I eligible to submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) for Victorian nomination in 2025-26?
The Victorian Government is still accepting ROIs from candidates in all occupations available for the Subclass 190 visa and Subclass 491 visa programs, subject to certain eligibility criteria, e.g. that for onshore candidates, only persons who are living and working in a designated regional area in Victoria can register their interest for Subclass 491 visa nomination.
Interested candidates may review the Victorian Government’s eligibility criteria on its website.
Need help with working out your immigration options in Australia?
Our immigration lawyers at Inclusive Migration have extensive experience in advising prospective migrants to Australia about their employer-sponsored, skilled migration and family migration options in Australia.
Should you wish to discuss your eligibility for a Skilled Visa in Australia, please do not hesitate to email info@inclusivemigration.com.au, submit an enquiry using the contact form on our website or send us a message on WhatsApp.
