Victoria’s 2026–27 permanent skilled visa nomination program is open

Today Victoria has opened its Skilled Visa Nomination Program for the 2026–27 program year, introducing changes to application fees, candidate selection and the points-based ranking system.

The Federal Government granted the State of Victoria 900 places for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) which is a less than a third of the numbers granted in the previous year.

The quota for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is yet to be finalised and the program criteria published.

The updated program places greater emphasis on a candidate’s overall competitiveness, including age, English proficiency, earnings, qualifications and skilled work experience. With no fixed invitation pass mark, applicants will need to understand how their profile compares with others in the selection pool, as candidates are ranked against others in the selection pool, with invitations issued through regular invitation rounds to the highest ranking applicants.

New Fees for Registrations of Interest and Nomination Applications

Introduction of a fee-for-service model for both Registrations of Interest (ROIs) and nomination applications:

• Registration of Interest (ROI): $60 excluding GST, or $66 including GST for applicants in Australia.

• Nomination application: $180 excluding GST, or $198 including GST.

Victoria specific points test

Victoria has introduced a distinct Victorian Points Test to rank candidates for nomination. This is separate from the Australian Government’s SkillSelect points test used for skilled visa eligibility by the Department of Home Affairs. Taken together, the criteria mean that an applicant’s competitiveness depends on more than meeting the minimum requirements for a skilled visa. Each factor contributes to the Victorian Points Test.

ROIs submitted through the Live in Melbourne portal are automatically scored using information drawn from the applicant’s Victorian ROI and SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) in the following way:

Age — up to 300 points

Age is a significant factor in the ranking process, with younger applicants receiving higher scores. Applicants aged 20–29 receive the maximum 300 points, while the score decreases with age. For example, an applicant aged 35 receives 210 points, while an applicant aged 44 receives 16 points.

English language proficiency — up to 200 points

English proficiency can substantially influence an applicant’s ranking:

• Competent English: 0 points

• Proficient English: 100 points

• Superior English: 200 points

Applicants should ensure that their English language results meet the relevant requirements for validity.

Annual earnings — up to 150 points

Annual earnings from eligible skilled employment in Victoria are also considered. The score increases with earnings, ranging from 8 points at $80,000 to a maximum of 150 points for earnings of $170,000 or more.

Only onshore applicants working in Victoria can claim annual earnings points and ensure that the information provided in their ROI can be supported by appropriate evidence of a minimum of four weeks employment in Victoria at the time of lodgement of their nomination application with the State.

Education — up to 100 points

Educational qualifications contribute to the overall score, with higher qualifications attracting more points:

• Other qualifications: 25 points

• Bachelor’s degree or honours degree: 50 points

• Master’s degree: 75 points

• Doctoral degree (PhD): 100 points

Applicants should ensure that their qualifications are accurately declared and meet the applicable assessment criteria as per the Australian Qualification Framework.

Skilled work experience — up to 100 points

Relevant work experience is another factor in the ranking process. The score increases with the number of years of experience, combining both onshore and offshore relevant work experience together, reaching 100 points for more than eight years.

The relevance and eligibility of the claimed experience should be carefully checked before an ROI is submitted.

Partner skills — up to 50 points

Applicants may receive additional points for partner skills where the relevant criteria are met. These include the partner being included in the SkillSelect EOI, receiving 10 points under the SkillSelect points test, and holding an occupation within a Victorian priority industry. Applicants who are single, or whose partners do not satisfy the applicable criteria, receive no points under this factor.

Occupation skill level — up to 50 points

The skill level associated with an applicant’s occupation also affects their ranking. Skill level 1 occupations attract 50 points, while skill level 2 and skill level 3 occupations attract no points under this factor.

All relevant claims made against the points test in the submitted ROI must be established with applicable evidence upon invitation and lodgement. The nomination will be refused and 6 months ban from further application to the State of Victoria will be applied if the submitted nomination lacks the necessary evidence to substantiate the points claim made in the ROI.

How Victoria selects applicants

Under the updated program, candidates may be selected through two principal ranking pathways:

• Most competitive across all eligible occupations

ROIs compete against those submitted by other eligible applicants across occupations, with invitations based on relative competitiveness.

• Most competitive within a Victorian priority industry

Applicants working in occupations associated with Victorian priority industries may be ranked against other candidates within the relevant industry.

These pathways allow Victoria to consider both overall candidate strength and the state’s workforce priorities.

The subclass 190 and subclass 491 pathways are assessed, ranked and invited separately. Applicants must select one or the other, but cannot be considered at the same time for both. An applicant’s prospects may therefore differ depending on the visa pathway and the competitiveness of the relevant selection pool.

We can anticipate that the State of Victoria will follow the same invitation patteern with monthly invitation rounds between November and April followed by individual invitations in the final two months should they have spots available, due to invited applicants not submitting their nominations or their nomination applications being declined.

If you are considering applying for Victorian skilled visa nomination in 2026–27, Assent Migration Lawyers can help you understand the updated requirements and assess your options.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash