Update: Victoria’s Skilled Visa Nomination Program closes for 2024-25
Victoria’s 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program closes to new Registrations of Interest (ROI) at 4:00pm today, Tuesday 29 April 2025.
By way of background, in addition to an Expression of Interest (EOI) lodged through Skillselect, the Victorian State Government requires candidates to lodge a ROI through its Live in Melbourne portal, providing information about their EOI and current employment.
Once the program is closed to new ROIs, the Victorian State Government will continue to assess and invite selected ROIs to apply for Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa and Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa nomination until all places are filled.
As of 28 February 2025, the Victorian State Government had nominated 2,740 persons (out of 3,000 allocated places) for the Subclass 190 visa, and 1,535 persons (out of 2,000 allocated places) for the Subclass 491 visa.
Once the Australian Federal Government has determined the allocation of places to Victoria for the 2025-26 financial year, the the Victorian State Government is likely to reopen its State Nominated Skilled Visa Program, possibly with new requirements and nomination processes.
2024-25 Trends
Victoria’s 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program appears to have prioritised candidates working in healthcare, social work, education (including Early Childhood) and construction sectors, with a focus on candidates in a younger age bracket, candidates who have Superior English, candidate who are already working in their nominated occupation, as well as candidates who have a skilled partner.
When inviting ROIs, the Victorian Government has considered the following 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.
We have indeed seen candidates in “non-priority” occupations be invited to apply for Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa nomination where they rank favourably according to Victoria’s ranking factors, including where they have Superior English, have years of work experience in their nominated occupation and are onshore & earning a high salary.
This suggests that applicant who are working in sectors other than healthcare, social services, education, construction, etc. still stand a chance to be nominated by the Victorian State Government for Subclass 190 visa or Subclass 491 visa nomination.
2025-26 Predictions
We anticipate that Victoria’s 2025-26 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program may continue to prioritise the following sectors:
Health
Social services
Education (including early childhood)
Construction
New energy
Digital economy – for the 491 visa
Advanced manufacturing – for the 491 visa
Hospitality and tourism – for the 491 visa
Candidates will likely have to submit a new ROI for the 2025-26 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program to be considered for nomination, even if they had previously submitted a ROI for the 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program.
As always, Victoria’s 2025-26 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program is likely to remain extremely competitive. Persons who are interested in obtaining Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa nomination from the Victorian Government are encouraged to begin preparing for this, e.g. by boosting their English language test scores and accruing work experience in their nominated occupation, amongst other steps.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about Victoria’s Skilled Visa Nomination Program
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 do I know if my occupation is available for the Subclass 190 visa or Subclass 491 visa?
You can check if your occupation is available for the Subclass 190 visa or Subclass 491 visa on the Department of Home Affairs’ website or by reviewing the relevant legislative instrument which specifies the occupations for these visa subclasses.
The next step would then be to check if your occupation is available for nomination by a particular state or territory government, as each state or territory government may have its own occupation list and requirements, which may vary from year to year. For instance, in 2024-25, the Victorian State Government accepted Registrations of Interest (ROI) from candidates in all nominated occupations which are available for the Subclass 190 visa and Subclass 491 visa, whereas the New South Wales Government has its own NSW Skills List which outlines specific occupations eligible for NSW nomination.
How many points do I need for a Victorian nomination?
You will need at least 65 points to be eligible 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 State Government.
The Victorian State Government has otherwise emphasised in its 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program that it does not prioritise candidates with the highest points, and instead ranks candidates through the following 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.
Do I need a job offer to apply?
In the 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program, it was not necessary to have a job offer in Victoria to submit a ROI for consideration, but working in a job in Victoria that is closely related to your nominated occupation (especially in a priority sector) and having more work experience in your nominated occupation improves your chances of being nominated by the Victorian State Government.
Can I apply if I’m offshore?
Yes, in the 2024-25 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program, the Victorian State Government accepted ROIs from offshore candidates.
In particular, the Victorian State Government prioritised Subclass 491 applicants living overseas in the following sectors:
Health
Social services
Education (including Early Childhood)
What if my occupation isn’t on Victoria’s list of occupations in the 2025-26 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program when it opens?
The Victorian State Government has accepted ROIs from candidates in all occupations available for the Subclass 190 visa and Subclass 491 visa in recent years. Nonetheless, if it does prescribe a specific list of occupations for its 2025-26 State Nominated Skilled Visa Program, candidates whose occupations are excluded from Victorian nomination may explore other state or territory governmens’ nomination programs.
Candidates whose occupations are excluded from Victorian nomination may also look into their eligibility for employer-sponsored visas, such as the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, Skilled Employer Sponsored (Subclass 494) visa or the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa.
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.
