The Subclass 190 visa (Skilled Nominated visa) is a skilled migration visa that provides holders with permanent residency (PR) and a wide range of attractive social benefits. Because of these benefits, competition for the Subclass 190 visa is extremely intense and is not for those who are unprepared. So, how can you optimise your application and move closer to securing this highly sought-after pathway to permanent residency? Let Skill Direct take you through the details in the article below.
1. The Competition for the Australian Subclass 190 Visa Is Intense and Not for Everyone
When researching the Australian Subclass 190 visa, most applicants are attracted by its significant social benefits but often overlook the fact that securing an invitation from a state or territory is a genuinely competitive process.
High competition and limited quotas
The first and most important factor determining your chances is the nomination allocation. Each financial year, the Australian Department of Home Affairs allocates a certain number of nomination places to each state and territory. This number is not fixed and changes based on economic needs and actual labour market conditions in each jurisdiction.
Recent statistics clearly demonstrate this tightening trend. While the Government allocated a total of 16,500 places to the Subclass 190 visa in the 2024–25 financial year, just one year later, this figure was reduced to 12,850 places.
The loss of nearly 4,000 places has created increasingly intense competition among applicants. The number of EOIs being submitted continues to rise while the pathway to permanent residency becomes noticeably narrower, pushing competition to record levels.
The trap of assuming that high points guarantee success
When pursuing Australian permanent residency, many people mistakenly believe that reaching the minimum threshold of 65 points 65 points means they have already secured a strong chance of applying for the Subclass 190. However, the reality is far more competitive, requiring applicants to work towards higher scores to gain an advantage over other candidates. Yet this race for points can lead to another common misconception: believing that the higher your points, the more certain you are to secure a Subclass 190 visa.
Having 95 or 100 points can certainly make your profile stand out among other applicants, but it does not guarantee that you will receive an Invitation. You need to understand that points are only a necessary condition; the decisive factor lies in the actual needs of each state or territory. Each jurisdiction has its own priority occupation list based on its specific labour shortages.
Therefore, while a high points score is an advantage, you should not allow it to create a false sense of security. In addition to focusing on increasing your points, you should develop a clear strategy that closely aligns with the actual workforce needs of the region where you intend to settle.
2. Key Factors for Receiving State or Territory Nomination
To receive Nomination from an Australian state or territory, your application must satisfy complex requirements from the Department of Home Affairs. Below are three core factors within those requirements.
2.1 Your Occupation Must Align With Each State’s Priority List (Occupation List)
The Australian Subclass 190 visa requires the applicant’s occupation to be included on the nomination list of the state or territory from which they intend to seek nomination. However, these lists frequently change, with occupations potentially being added or removed without prior notice.
Recently, Northern Territory (NT) and South Australia are notable examples where a number of occupations have been removed from their nomination lists, particularly across Finance, Human Resources, Marketing and ICT, including:
- 222113 Insurance Broker
- 222199 Financial Brokers nec
- 222311 Financial Investment Adviser
- 223111 Human Resource Adviser
- 223112 Recruitment Consultant
- 223113 Workplace Relations Adviser
- 223211 ICT Trainer
- 224111 Actuary
- 224112 Mathematician
- 225213 ICT Sales Representative
These changes demonstrate that choosing an occupation when preparing a Subclass 190 visa application requires strategic consideration. The decision should not be based solely on your field of study or current work experience, but must also align with the actual workforce needs of each state or territory at a particular point in time. Selecting an unsuitable occupation or failing to closely monitor changes to occupation lists may cause you to lose the opportunity for nomination, even if you meet all other visa requirements.
2.2 Commitment to Living and Working in the Nominating State
The Australian Subclass 190 visa can be viewed as a reciprocal arrangement: the state provides you with a pathway to permanent residency (PR), while in return, it expects you to live, work and contribute to the local economy and community.
For this reason, Subclass 190 visa holders are generally expected to commit to living and working in the nominating state or territory for a minimum of two years from the date the visa is granted. This is not merely a formality, but a key factor in helping states and territories ensure that nominated skilled workers address their actual workforce shortages.
Failure to honour this residence commitment may affect your migration record in the future if you intend to apply for Australian citizenship. Therefore, before choosing to pursue a Subclass 190 visa, you need to carefully assess your ability to establish yourself in the nominating state over the longer term, including employment opportunities, living environment and career direction.
3. Skill Direct’s In-Depth Consultation Process
At Skill Direct, we understand that every client has a unique story and faces different challenges with their application. Therefore, instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach, Skill Direct’s professionals focus on understanding each client’s specific circumstances, conducting an in-depth assessment of every issue and identifying the most suitable pathway for you.
Consultation and Application Process
Skill Direct has established a structured three-step process to ensure personalisation and absolute accuracy at every stage:
- Guidance and one-on-one briefing: A Skill Direct consultant will provide you with a document checklist personalised specifically for your circumstances. At the same time, we provide direct consultation to explain in detail how each document should be prepared in accordance with Department of Home Affairs requirements.
- Preparing the legal application: Our application processing team will review and prepare the EOI, ROI and Visa Application, as well as directly guide you through important supporting documents and Submission Lettersuch as a Submission Letter, financial explanations or employment history explanations, depending on the complexity of each case. This ensures that once you receive an invitation, you will be fully prepared for the next stage.
- Payment and application lodgement: After conducting a final review and assisting the client in completing the Visa Application Charge, Skill Direct will officially lodge the application through the Department of Home Affairs’ ImmiAccount system. Skill Direct will continue to support you and proactively provide updates until an official outcome is received from the Department.
4. Success Story at Skill Direct
Every Australian Subclass 190 visa granted is not simply the result of an application process; it is also a source of immense happiness and pride for the Skill Direct team to have supported our clients in achieving their dream of permanent residency.
Recently, Skill Direct was delighted to receive wonderful news from Ms T, who officially became an Australian Permanent Resident (PR) through the skilled Subclass 190 visa pathway.
In the highly competitive environment surrounding the Australian Subclass 190 visa, the occupation of Architectural Draftsperson (312111) requires extremely careful preparation. Despite having a score of 75 points (70+5), a solid but not exceptionally high score, Ms L successfully achieved her goal thanks to an appropriate strategy and a carefully optimised application.
Her impressive journey:
- Occupation: Architectural Draftsperson – Onshore WA
- 27/03/2025: Officially submitted EOI (5 points).
- 08/05/2025: Received an invitation to apply for WA state nomination in less than two months.
- 23/05/2025: WA approved the nomination only 10 days after the application was lodged.
- 12/06/2025: Subclass 190 visa application lodged with the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
- 28/07/2026: VISA GRANTED! Ms L officially became an Australian Permanent Resident.
Ms L’s journey is clear evidence of Skill Direct’s ongoing commitment to every client we support.
At Skill Direct, we believe that every application is a unique journey that requires careful assessment, a personalised pathway and close support at every stage.
If you are pursuing your dream of settling permanently in Australia and need a transparent, knowledgeable and dedicated partner, Skill Direct is always ready to support you on your journey towards Australian PR.
