State-nominated skilled visas by state — nomination body, DAMA and points compared
Each state and territory runs its own nomination program for skilled visa subclasses 190 and 491 against its own occupation list. Sortable comparison of the nomination body, designated area migration agreements (DAMA), minimum points position, sponsorship streams and processing time across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT.
State and territory governments each receive an annual allocation of skilled-migration nomination places from the Commonwealth and run their own programs against their own occupation lists. The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent residence pathway tied to a single sponsoring state; the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a five-year provisional visa that converts to permanent residency after at least three years of work in a designated regional area. Subclass 494 employer-sponsored regional visas also depend on state nomination in some cases.
For the 2025-26 program year, NSW received 3,600 places, Victoria 3,400, Queensland 2,600, Western Australia 5,000 (3,000 + 2,000), South Australia 2,250, Tasmania an unconfirmed allocation, the ACT 1,600 and the Northern Territory 1,650. Most jurisdictions exhausted their allocations well before the financial year ended — Victoria, NSW, NT, ACT and Tasmania all closed Registrations of Interest during the year.
Several states also negotiate Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) with the Commonwealth — concessional regional employer-sponsored agreements with reduced English and salary thresholds. The 13 active DAMAs cover regional NSW (Orana), all of NT, Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, regional SA, the Goldfields and east Kimberley in WA, far north Qld, the Great South Coast in Vic, and several other regional areas.
For the full plain-English explainer, see our companion guide: State-nominated skilled visas by state 2026.
Comparison matrix
Click any column header to sort.
Nomination body | Investment NSW (skilled.migration@treasury.nsw.gov.au) NSW Govt | Live in Melbourne / Skilled Victoria (Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions) Live in Melbourne | Migration Queensland (Trade and Investment Queensland) Migration Qld | Migration WA (Department of Training and Workforce Development) Migration WA | Migration SA (Department for Industry, Innovation and Science) Migration SA | Migration Tasmania (Department of State Growth) Migration Tas | ACT Skilled Migration (Canberra Matrix portal) ACT Migration | Migration NT / Northern Territory Government (Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations) Migrate NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-26 nomination allocation (190 + 491) Skilled Nominated + Skilled Work Regional places allocated by Home Affairs for the financial year. | 3,600 (2,100 × 190 + 1,500 × 491) NSW Govt | 3,400 (2,700 × 190 + 700 × 491) Live in Melbourne | 2,600 (1,850 × 190 + 750 × 491) Migration Qld | 5,000 (3,000 × 190 + 2,000 × 491) Migration WA | 2,250 (1,350 × 190 + 900 × 491) Migration SA | Allocation confirmed; total not published — closes 3 June 2026 Migration Tas | 1,600 (800 × 190 + 800 × 491) ACT Migration | 1,650 (combined) Migrate NT |
Active DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) Concessional regional employer-sponsored agreement in force as at June 2026. | Orana DAMA (Dubbo and surrounds) RDA Orana | Great South Coast DAMA (Warrnambool) GSC DAMA | Far North Qld DAMA (Cairns and surrounds) Cairns Chamber | Goldfields DAMA (ends 30 Jun 2026) + WA DAMA from 1 Jul 2026; East Kimberley DAMA; South West DAMA Migration WA | South Australia Regional DAMA + Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement DAMA Migration SA | — Migration Tas | — ACT Migration | Northern Territory DAMA (whole jurisdiction) DTBAR NT |
Subclass 491 — federal minimum points Federal floor is 65 points (incl. 15 from state nomination). Competitive cut-offs are far higher. | 65 (cut-offs 65-115 by occupation) NSW Govt | 65 (competitive ~85) Live in Melbourne | 65 (competitive 70+) Migration Qld | 65 (competitive 65-90) Migration WA | 65 (competitive 70+) Migration SA | 65 — Gold/Green/Orange priority pass model Migration Tas | 65 — Canberra Matrix minimum ~95 (491) / 105 (190) Canberra Matrix | 65 — additional commitment-to-NT criteria Migrate NT |
Employer sponsorship streams (494 / DAMA) | Subclass 494 via Orana DAMA; Investment NSW does not run a state employer-sponsorship program RDA Orana | Subclass 494 via Great South Coast DAMA (Warrnambool) GSC DAMA | Subclass 494 via Far North Qld DAMA + state-sponsored 491 for onshore workers Migration Qld | Subclass 494 via WA / Goldfields / East Kimberley / South West DAMAs Migration WA | Subclass 494 via SA Regional DAMA + Adelaide City DAMA Migration SA | Tasmanian Skilled Employment (TSE) pathway for 190 + 491 (onshore graduates / workers) Migration Tas | Canberra Matrix awards extra points for ACT employment, but no separate ACT 494 employer scheme ACT Migration | Subclass 494 via NT DAMA (whole jurisdiction) DTBAR NT |
Critical / priority occupation list Whether a state maintains a priority/critical skills list with extra weighting. | Yes — NSW Skills Lists for 190 and 491 (ANZSCO unit group; ~150 occupations) NSW Govt | Yes — Victorian Skilled Occupation List (target sectors approach) Live in Melbourne | Yes — Qld Skilled Occupation List (QSOL) 2025-26 Migration Qld | Yes — Western Australia Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) Sch 1 + Sch 2 (~600 occupations) Migration WA | Yes — SA Skilled Occupation List (onshore 464; offshore 427) Migration SA | All Home Affairs SOL occupations eligible via at least one Tas pathway Migration Tas | Yes — ACT Critical Skills List (~105 ANZSCO unit groups, updated Oct 2025) ACT Migration | NT Migration Occupation List (priority occupations published annually) Migrate NT |
Processing time estimate (nomination) State nomination processing only — Home Affairs visa grant adds a separate timeline. | ~3 months after invitation NSW Govt | ~4 months after ROI selection Live in Melbourne | ~3-4 months after EOI selection Migration Qld | ~3 months after invitation Migration WA | ~6-8 weeks after EOI selection Migration SA | ~6-12 weeks after invitation (Gold pass priority) Migration Tas | ~6-12 weeks after Matrix invitation ACT Migration | ~8-12 weeks after invitation Migrate NT |
State nomination fee (190 or 491) State-level fee only — additional Home Affairs Visa Application Charge (~AUD 4,910) applies on top. | $330 (per primary applicant) NSW Govt | No state nomination fee Live in Melbourne | $400 ROI fee + $400 nomination fee Migration Qld | $200 (per primary applicant) Migration WA | No state nomination fee Migration SA | No state nomination fee Migration Tas | $300 (per primary applicant) ACT Migration | No state nomination fee Migrate NT |
Every cell links to the cited source. Rules Mate links and summarises — it does not reproduce statutory text. Confirm with the cited regulator before relying on any cell.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between subclass 190, 491 and 494?
Subclass 190 is a permanent residence visa nominated by a state — you can live and work anywhere in the nominating state. Subclass 491 is a five-year provisional visa nominated by a state or sponsored by an eligible family member, requiring residence and work in a designated regional area for at least three years before you can apply for permanent residence (subclass 191). Subclass 494 is an employer-sponsored regional provisional visa nominated by an Australian employer in a regional area, with a similar three-year route to permanent residence.
Is Hobart classed as regional for the subclass 491?
Yes. Tasmania is the only Australian jurisdiction where the entire state — including Hobart's CBD — is classed as a designated regional area for migration purposes. That means subclass 491 nomination is available even for Hobart-based applicants, with the full 15 nomination bonus points and access to the post-three-year permanent residence pathway via subclass 191. Perth (WA), Adelaide (SA), Canberra (ACT) and Darwin (NT) are also designated regional for these visa subclasses.
How is a DAMA different from a normal employer-sponsored visa?
A Designated Area Migration Agreement is a five-year labour agreement negotiated between the Commonwealth and a regional Designated Area Representative (typically a regional development authority, council or chamber of commerce). It allows local employers to sponsor workers in a wider list of occupations and at lower English-language and salary thresholds than the standard subclass 482, 186 or 494 streams. There are currently 13 DAMAs across Australia, including Orana (NSW), Great South Coast (Vic), Far North Qld, WA / Goldfields / East Kimberley / South West (WA), SA Regional + Adelaide City (SA) and NT (whole jurisdiction).
Can I switch states mid-process?
Switching nominating states is technically possible but practically difficult. State nominations are tied to a specific state and territory, and most states require a written commitment to live and work there for a minimum period (typically 2-3 years for 190, the full provisional period for 491). If you move soon after grant, the originating state may decline future nominations for your family. If your circumstances change before lodgement, you can withdraw your EOI and submit a fresh ROI to a different state — but the new state's processing queue starts from scratch.
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