Skilled Migration toVictoria
Victoria's state-nominated skilled visa program covers the Subclass 190 and Subclass 491. This guide covers eligibility, invitation rounds, ROI requirements, and the current program status.​
âš Program Update - October 2026
Victoria has published the Victorian Points Test, which it uses to rank all ROIs for the subclass 190 and 491 for the upcoming invitation round for 2026-27 year program.
The exact date has not been announced. State programs generally open once the Australian Government confirms each state’s nomination allocation, and the timing of the next Subclass 189 invitation round is one factor in how the states and Home Affairs finalise places for the year. Based on this, we expect Victoria’s program may open within the next few weeks. We will update this page as soon as it opens.
LAST UPDATED 14 OCTOBER 2026
PROGRAM YEAR 2026 -27
SUBCLASS 190, 491 - NOT YET OPEN
NEW ROIs OPENING SOON
TOTAL PLACES 2025-26
3,400
Federal allocation to
Victoria
SUBCLASS 190 PLACES
2,700
Permanent residence pathway
SUBCLASS 491 PLACES
700
Regional provisional pathway
STATE COMPARISON
1st
Joint highest
allocation
Key Updates for Victoria 2026-27 Year Program
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Ranking method: The VPT ranks every ROI for the subclass 190 and 491 from highest to lowest score.
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Seven factors: Age, English, years of experience in the nominated occupation, education, occupation skill level, partner’s skills and annual earnings from skilled employment in Victoria.
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No fixed pass mark: Invitations go to the highest VPT totals in each round, so your chances depend on how you compare with other applicants.
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Two invitation routes: Most competitive (highest VPT across all eligible occupations) and priority industry (highest VPT within each priority industry).
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Who it favours: Younger, highly qualified applicants with higher English levels.
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Age: 300 points for ages 20 to 29, falling steadily to 16 points at 44.
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English: Competent 0, Proficient 100, Superior 200.
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Earnings: From 8 points at $80,000 up to 150 points at $170,000 and over (Victorian skilled employment only).
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Partner points: 50 points, but only if the partner’s occupation is a current priority industry occupation.
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Separate from SkillSelect: You still need at least 65 points on the federal test to be eligible, and an invitation or nomination is not guaranteed.
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No priority for personal circumstances: Victoria cannot prioritise on age, visa expiry or expiring documents.
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2026-27 priority industries: Healthcare, Social assistance, Education (teachers, early childhood) and Construction (professionals, trades). Early childhood teachers need at least 1 year of relevant experience and Proficient or Superior English to be prioritised.
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New ROI required: ROIs from previous program years will not carry over. To be considered for 2026-27, you must lodge a new ROI through the Live in Melbourne portal when the program opens.
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Fees introduced: Victoria will charge AUD $60 to submit an ROI and AUD $180 for a nomination application if you are invited, both excluding GST. These steps were free in previous years.
Victorian Point Test (VPT)
New ROIs Ranking and Selecting Process
The Victorian Points Test (VPT) is the scoring system Victoria uses to rank every Registration of Interest (ROI) for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). Seven factors are scored: age, English language, experience in the nominated occupation, education level, occupation skill level, partner’s skill and annual earnings from skilled employment in Victoria. The maximum total is 950 points, and ROIs are ranked from highest to lowest.
1
Applies to All ROIs
Both onshore and offshore applicants are ranked on the VPT. Only the earnings factor depends on working in Victoria, so applicants outside Victoria score 0 for earnings and can reach a maximum of 800 points.
2
Separate From SkillSelect Points
The 65-point SkillSelect minimum is still required for visa eligibility. The VPT is used only to rank ROIs for Victorian nomination. Your VPT total is calculated from your SkillSelect Expression of Interest and your Victorian ROI.
3
No Fixed Pass Mark
Unlike SkillSelect, the VPT has no pass mark. Invitations go to the highest totals in each invitation round, so results depend on the pool at the time. Victoria does not give individual ranking advice and does not prioritise invitations for personal circumstances such as age or visa expiry.
4
Two Ways to Be Invited
Every ROI is considered in the Most Competitive pool, ranked against all eligible occupations. If your nominated occupation is on the 2026-27 priority list (see Priority Industry Sectors section below), your ROI is also ranked within that priority industry.
The highest VPT totals in each pool are invited, so one ROI can be considered in both. For Early Childhood, ROIs with at least 1 year of relevant experience and Proficient or Superior English are prioritised. Partner points also require the partner’s occupation to be a current priority industry occupation.
★ IMPORTANT NOTE
As at 14 October 2026, the 2026-27 program has not yet opened for ROIs. Eligibility criteria and details will be published when it opens, and the scoring tables may change.
Victorian Points Test Calculator
Select the situation in each category. The total updates automatically using the official VPT scoring tables for the 2026-27 program. Each factor adds to the VPT total, which can reach 950. Age and English language carry the most weight, so those two categories move a ranking further than any other.
Choose your Victorian Skilled Visa
Both visas sit inside the federal points-tested framework. Victoria controls nomination - the Department of Home Affairs controls the visa. You must satisfy both sets of criteria.
SUBCLASS 190
Skilled Nominated Visa
Permanent Residence from day one
Live and work anywhere in Victoria including Melbourne as a permanent resident from day one. Victorian nomination adds 5 bonus points to your SkillSelect score. With 2,700 places, Victoria holds the largest Subclass 190 allocation of any Australian state in 2025-26.
ASSESSING EXISTING ROI
SUBCLASS 491
Skilled Work Regional Visa
Provisional 5 years
Live, work and study in designated regional Victoria for up to 5 years. After 3 years meeting income and residency requirements, apply for the Subclass 191 permanent visa. Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and Pakenham all qualify as regional. Includes a dedicated Victorian Graduates stream.
ASSESSING EXISTING ROI
Victoria Subclass 190
Nomination Requirements
The following are Victoria's specific nomination requirements. They are in addition to the Department of Home Affairs' standard Subclass 190 visa criteria. Meeting the federal criteria alone is not enough - you must satisfy both.
1
Living in Victoria (if you are onshore)
If you are currently in Australia, you must be residing in Victoria. Victoria does not select ROIs from applicants living in any other Australian state or territory.
2
Offshore Applicants
If you are living overseas, you are eligible to apply for Subclass 190 nomination from Victoria. You must demonstrate a genuine commitment to living and working in Victoria once the visa is granted. You are not required to be working or to claim annual earnings in your ROI.
3
Competent English: Test must have 12 weeks validity remaining
Your English language test result must be valid with at least 12 weeks remaining at the time you submit your nomination application (not your ROI). Plan your test timing around this - an expiring test at the point of application is a common and avoidable cause of refusal.
4
Employer must be physically located in Victoria to claim earnings
If you are working and wish to claim annual earnings in your ROI, your employer must have a genuine physical presence in Victoria. A business using a virtual office or proxy address is explicitly not considered as physically located in Victoria and earnings from such employment cannot be claimed.
💰 Earning Claims - What You Can and Cannot Include
If claiming annual earnings in your ROI, include: base salary only (before tax, excluding super). Do not include:
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Superannuation contributions
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Overtime or penalty rates (weekend/public holiday loadings)
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Performance bonuses or commissions
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Salary-sacrificed items (novated leases, meal/entertainment arrangements)
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Income from a virtual office employer
Overestimating earnings is a direct path to refusal and refusal triggers a 6-month ban on reapplying.
Victoria Subclass 190
Nomination Requirements
The following are Victoria's specific nomination requirements. They are in addition to the Department of Home Affairs' standard Subclass 190 visa criteria. Meeting the federal criteria alone is not enough - you must satisfy both.
1
Living in Victoria (if you are onshore)
If you are currently in Australia, you must be residing in Victoria. Victoria does not select ROIs from applicants living in any other Australian state or territory.
2
Offshore Applicants
If you are living overseas, you are eligible to apply for Subclass 190 nomination from Victoria. You must demonstrate a genuine commitment to living and working in Victoria once the visa is granted. You are not required to be working or to claim annual earnings in your ROI.
3
Competent English: Test must have 12 weeks validity remaining
Your English language test result must be valid with at least 12 weeks remaining at the time you submit your nomination application (not your ROI). Plan your test timing around this - an expiring test at the point of application is a common and avoidable cause of refusal.
4
Employer must be physically located in Victoria to claim earnings
If you are working and wish to claim annual earnings in your ROI, your employer must have a genuine physical presence in Victoria. A business using a virtual office or proxy address is explicitly not considered as physically located in Victoria and earnings from such employment cannot be claimed.
💰 Earning Claims - What You Can and Cannot Include
If claiming annual earnings in your ROI, include: base salary only (before tax, excluding super). Do not include:
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Superannuation contributions
-
Overtime or penalty rates (weekend/public holiday loadings)
-
Performance bonuses or commissions
-
Salary-sacrificed items (novated leases, meal/entertainment arrangements)
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Income from a virtual office employer
Overestimating earnings is a direct path to refusal and refusal triggers a 6-month ban on reapplying.
Skilled Work Regional Visa: Victoria Subclass 491
★ Victorian Graduates Have a Dedicated 491 Stream
If you graduated from a Victorian institution, you do not compete in the general 491 pool. Victoria reserves nomination places specifically for Victorian graduates - see the full Graduates section below
What is subclass 491?
The 491 follows the same general framework as the 190 but with stricter location requirements and a lower points threshold for invitation. It also carries the Victorian Graduates stream ; a distinct advantage for international students who studied in Victoria.
Victoria Subclass 491
Nomination Requirements
The 491 follows the same general framework as the 190 but with stricter location requirements and a lower points threshold for invitation. It also carries the Victorian Graduates stream - a distinct advantage for international students who studied in Victoria.
1
Living in Regional Victoria (if you are onshore)
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If you are currently in Australia, you must be residing in designated regional Victoria not metropolitan Melbourne. Unlike the 190 (which accepts metro Victoria), the 491 requires regional residence at the time of your ROI. Some outer Melbourne areas qualify as regional.
★ What counts as Regional
Regional Victoria includes all of the state outside metropolitan Melbourne, plus designated outer areas. The following are confirmed regional for migration purposes:Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, and Pakenham
2
Onshore: Employer must be in regional Victoria to claim earnings
If you are onshore in regional Victoria and wish to claim earnings in your ROI, you must be working in skilled employment for an employer physically located in regional Victoria. A virtual or proxy office does not qualify. If you cannot claim earnings, you are still eligible to apply - you simply cannot use earnings as a selection factor.
3
Victorian Graduates: Your Own 491 Stream
Victoria is one of the few states that reserves nomination places specifically for graduates of Victorian educational institutions. If you studied in Victoria, you are not competing against the general applicant pool for the 491 - you have your own stream.
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Most 491 applicants compete in a single general pool ranked by points, earnings and occupation. Victorian graduates compete separately - in a stream with reserved places set aside by Victoria specifically for people who studied here. No work experience. No employer sponsor. No minimum hours. Just your qualification, your skills assessment, and your commitment to regional Victoria.
OPTION 1
Subclass 190: Permanent
Open to all eligible Victorian graduates in the general 190 pool. Live and work anywhere in Victoria permanently from day one. Requires a strong points score - competition is from the full applicant base.
GENERAL POOL
OPTION 2
Subclass 491: General
Standard 491 pathway for graduates competing in the general regional pool. Live and work in regional Victoria for 5 years with a PR pathway via Subclass 191.
GENERAL POOL
GRADUATE STREAM
OPTION 3: EXCLUSIVE
Subclass 491: Victorian Graduates
Reserved places exclusively for international graduates of Victorian institutions currently living in Victoria. Separate and smaller applicant pool. The most accessible 491 pathway for recent Victorian graduates.
RESERVED PLACES
Priority Industry Sectors
Frequently Asked Question
STAY AHEAD OF THE 2026-27 OPENING
Victoria's program moves fast once it reopens. Be first to know when the next intake launches.
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