Subclass 190 · NSW

New South Wales nomination for the subclass 190 visa

Permanent residence with New South Wales Government nomination. Invitation only: NSW selects from SkillSelect Expressions of Interest, with no publicly announced round dates.

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The New South Wales Government nominates skilled migrants for the Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa under the General Skilled Migration program. The program is administered by Investment NSW. There is no direct application: NSW invites selected Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from SkillSelect. Home Affairs recorded 11 NSW 190 nominations between 1 July and 31 August 2026, and had not published the 2026-27 state allocations as at 15 October 2026.

State nomination is one stage of a two-stage process. New South Wales assesses applicants against its published criteria; the Department of Home Affairs then assesses the federal visa application following nomination. The strategic question is whether your EOI ranks highly enough within its ANZSCO unit group to receive an invitation, in a program NSW describes as exceptionally competitive.

NSW 190 eligibility

Federal eligibility

You must meet the federal 190 criteria: under 45 when invited, a suitable skills assessment obtained in the 3 years before invitation, at least Competent English at invitation, at least 65 points on the points test (including the five points for state nomination), and health and character requirements.

Nominated occupation

You need a valid skills assessment for an occupation that is eligible for the 190 on the Home Affairs list and within an ANZSCO unit group on the NSW Skills List. NSW has updated the list for the 190; not every occupation within a listed unit group is eligible.

Residency

Onshore applicants must work in NSW in the nominated occupation for at least 20 hours a week, or have lived in NSW continuously for at least six months. Offshore applicants must have lived outside Australia continuously for at least six months.

Ranking

NSW invites the highest-ranking EOIs within each ANZSCO unit group, ranked by age, English language proficiency, education, points score and total years of skilled work experience. The EOI submission date does not affect the chance of an invitation, and invitations are at NSW's discretion.

How New South Wales selection works

NSW's 190 selection process operates through Investment NSW and is documented at nsw.gov.au/visas-and-migration. Invitation rounds happen throughout the financial year, with no predetermined or publicly announced dates. An invited applicant has 14 days to apply for nomination, with documents supporting every claim in the EOI; NSW typically assesses applications within six weeks. A NSW nomination generates a federal invitation and a 60-day window in which to lodge the complete visa application.

NSW may refuse nomination where an application does not meet the published criteria, is not in the state's interests, or its allocation is fully committed. Confirm the current settings before lodging an EOI.

Speak with an immigration lawyer about your NSW 190 application

We assess your profile against the NSW Skills List and ranking factors, identify the strongest claim available to you, and prepare both the NSW nomination application and the federal application to a litigation-ready standard.

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If your application is refused

Refusal at the New South Wales state nomination stage is a state administrative decision. Internal review or reconsideration may be available depending on the NSW program's guidelines. State nomination decisions are not directly reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Refusal of the federal visa following nomination triggers merits review rights to the ART within statutory time limits, and judicial review to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on grounds of jurisdictional error. Time limits are strict.

New South Wales 190 nomination activity

Checked on 22-10-2026 against Home Affairs SkillSelect and the New South Wales nomination page.

Subclass 190 nominations recorded in SkillSelect, 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026: 11
Latest round published by New South Wales: No round figures to report from the New South Wales page. Its own updates are linked below.

NSW Government, Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) Rounds in every state and territory

Common questions

How does the NSW 190 nomination process work?

NSW nomination for the 190 is by invitation only; there is no direct application. Applicants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, and NSW invites the highest-ranking EOIs within each ANZSCO unit group at its discretion. An invited applicant has 14 days to apply for nomination, and that window is not extended. If NSW nominates, the Department of Home Affairs issues an invitation through SkillSelect, and the applicant then has 60 days to lodge the visa application.

When are the NSW 190 invitation rounds?

NSW states that invitation rounds happen throughout the financial year, with no predetermined or publicly announced dates. Home Affairs recorded 11 NSW 190 nominations between 1 July and 31 August 2026, and had not published the 2026-27 state allocations as at 15 October 2026. NSW describes nomination as exceptionally competitive.

Which occupation list applies?

The occupation must be eligible for the 190 on the Home Affairs list and fall within an ANZSCO unit group on the NSW Skills List, with a valid skills assessment. NSW has updated the NSW Skills List for the 190. The list is set at unit group level, and not every occupation within a group is eligible.

How are EOIs ranked?

NSW ranks EOIs within each ANZSCO unit group by age, English language proficiency, education, points score and total years of skilled work experience. The date an EOI was submitted does not affect the chance of an invitation.

What residency or commitment is required?

What if my NSW 190 nomination is refused?

State nomination decisions are administrative decisions of the New South Wales Government. Internal review may be available depending on the NSW program's published guidelines. State nomination decisions are not directly reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal in the way federal visa decisions are. If federal visa refusal occurs at the post-nomination stage, ART merits review and Federal Circuit and Family Court judicial review are available within strict statutory time limits.

Information current as at 15 October 2026. New South Wales program settings, occupation lists, and allocations are revised through the program year. Confirm current settings at nsw.gov.au/visas-and-migration before lodging an EOI.