Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent visa for points tested skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory government agency. NSW Treasury nominates eligible highly skilled workers to drive economic growth in NSW.

To effectively manage the ongoing high demand for NSW nomination, and to ensure that NSW nominees are aligned to the skills needs of the state's economy, NSW uses a selection-based invitation process.

Candidates cannot directly apply for NSW nomination and should consider being invited to apply for NSW nomination as a limited possibility.

Candidates are encouraged to actively consider all migration pathways and visa options.

Eligibility

You must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements to be eligible for NSW nomination. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee you will be invited by NSW to apply for nomination.

Age

You must be aged under 45 when we invite you to apply for nomination, and when we nominate you to apply for the 190 visa.

Points claim

When you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect you will be given a points score based on the claims you have made. If you do not obtain a score of at least 65 points, you are not eligible to be invited to apply for NSW nomination.

You must provide evidence supporting your points claims if you are invited to apply for NSW nomination.

To see how points are awarded, please refer to the points calculator.

English language

At the time of invitation, you must have an English score of at least competent English.

If you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand, you are not required to complete an English language test.

Occupation

You must hold a valid skills assessment in an occupation that exactly matches the occupation entered in your SkillSelect expression of interest.

Your commitment to NSW

You must commit to living and working in NSW for at least the first two years of your subclass 190 visa.

Invitation Rounds

You must be invited to apply for NSW nomination. Candidates cannot directly apply.

Invitation rounds ongoing throughout the Australian financial year. There are no set dates, and we are unable to answer enquiries regarding this.

During an invitation round, EOIs in are ranked within an ANZSCO code in order of:

1. Point score
2. English proficiency
3. Years of skilled work experience in your nominated occupation

The highest ranking EOIs up to the number of places available for a given occupation are generally issued an invitation to apply. When an EOI was submitted, or amended, does not affect its ranking.

Because of the fluid nature of the NSW SkillSelect candidate pool, we cannot predict what claims will be sufficient to be invited by NSW in an invitation round.

We will not prioritise candidates on the basis of visas expiring, losing points or eligibility, or living and working in NSW.

Key steps for NSW nomination

Check

Check your occupation is on the NSW 190 Skilled Occupation List and that you meet all eligibility requirements.

Submit an Expression of Interest

Submit an EOI in SkillSelect, selecting either ‘NSW’ or ‘Any’ as your desired state.

You do not need to contact the NSW Government after you have submitted your EOI.

Please be aware that most candidates will not be invited to apply for NSW nomination as the number of candidates far exceeds the places available.

How we select candidates

NSW uses a ranking-based invitation process. Candidates cannot directly apply for NSW nomination.

During an invitaiton round, EOIs in are ranked within an ANZSCO code in order of:

1. Point score
2. English proficency
3. Years of skilled work experience in your nominated occupation

The highest ranking EOIs up to the number of places available for a given occupation are generally issued an invitation to apply. When an EOI was submitted, or amended, does not affect its ranking.

NSW does not issue invitations on the basis of visas expiring, losing points or eligibility, or living and working in NSW.

If you receive an invitation

Only the candidates who are invited to apply will receive correspondence from NSW.

Invitations are sent from notifications@digitalservices.dpie.nsw.gov.au. Candidates are responsible for ensuring they are able to receive their invitation email.

Gather your documents

Gather your documents as evidence to support the points claims in your EOI.

Apply

Apply for NSW nomination by accessing the invitation link emailed to you within 14 days. Your invitation to apply for nomination will be issued by NSW to the email address you provided in your EOI.

The status of your EOI

Due to the large number of candidates in the selection pool, and the limited number of places available to the NSW Government, the selection process is extremely competitive. The vast majority of candidates will not be invited to apply for NSW 190 nomination.

We cannot forecast the likelihood of candidates being invited to apply for NSW nomination. All valid EOIs in SkillSelect will be considered during NSW invitation rounds.

The NSW Government cannot preference or fast track candidates outside of normal policy and procedures due to the competitive nature of the program.

Alternative migration options

NSW nomination for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)  is just one of a number of visa options for prospective skilled migrants. There is a range of visas offered by the Department of Home Affairs, including both temporary and permanent employer nominated visas.

You may also wish to seek advice from a registered migration agent. A list of registered migration agents is available on the Migration Agents Registration Authority website.