Permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government
The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is permanent residence for skilled workers who get nominated by an Australian state or territory government.
It's a points-tested skilled migration pathway with a twist: you need a state or territory to back you.
State nomination adds 5 points to your score and gives you access to occupation lists broader than the 189.
The trade-off is the commitment. You're expected to live and work in the nominating state, and each state runs its own selection process with its own criteria, occupation lists, and expected commitment period.
Once granted, the 190 lets you live, work, and study anywhere in Australia permanently. You get a 5-year travel facility and a direct path to Australian citizenship.
There's no legal visa condition forcing you to stay in the nominating state. But breaking the commitment you made during nomination can have consequences. More on that below.
These are the published requirements for the 190. Check each one applies to your situation.
Search any forum and you'll find the same heated argument: is the 190 actually a regional visa, or just permanent residency with a strong suggestion?
The legal answer is clear. The 190 visa itself has no condition tying you to the state that nominated you. You can move to any state the day after grant and not breach a visa condition.
The catch sits on the nomination side. When you applied for state nomination, you signed a commitment to live and work in that state for a period set by the nominating state. Each state defines its own expected commitment in its nomination criteria.
If you move shortly after grant, the state can report you to IMMI. And providing false or misleading information on your nomination application can lead to visa cancellation.
The 'moral obligation' is real, even if it isn't in your visa conditions.
Most coverage of the 190 talks about points scores and IMMI invitations. The harder step for many applicants is getting the state to pick them in the first place.
Each state runs its own selection program, with its own occupation list, minimum points, commitment requirements, and quota.
The differences are real. New South Wales might want your occupation while South Australia does not. Victoria may require you to already be living there. Tasmania might prioritise applicants who studied locally.
These state programs also open and close throughout the year, sometimes without warning.
Spending months tuning your IMMI points while ignoring state-specific criteria is how people get stuck.
State nomination is not a one-and-done event. The state can withdraw your nomination after you've lodged the 190 application if your circumstances change.
If they do, IMMI considers your application invalid. You lose the application fee, and you have to start over.
Withdrawals typically happen when applicants relocate before the visa is granted, change occupations, or are found to have provided inaccurate information to the state.
Treat nomination as a relationship to maintain, not a stamp you collected.
The 5-point boost is one of the strongest selling points of the 190 over the 189.
People sometimes assume those points sit on their general SkillSelect score. They don't.
The 5 points only apply when you're being considered for a 190 with state nomination. If you submit an EOI for the 189 with the same profile, those 5 points disappear.
This is why 190 invitation thresholds are typically lower than 189 thresholds. The bonus points and the broader occupation lists both stack in your favour.
When an NZ citizen on a 190 visa arrives at the Australian border, immigration officers may default to granting a Special Category visa (subclass 444). The 444 is the standard NZ citizen entry document.
If a subclass 444 is granted at the border, it ceases the 190. A ceased 190 affects your eligibility for Australian citizenship.
The standard advice from migration agents is to make your status explicit at the border. Tell the immigration officer that you hold a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), and explicitly note that you do not want a subclass 444 visa. Carry your visa grant letter as backup.
