Frequently asked questions (FAQs) - skilled visa nominations

Each year, the Australian Government provides states and territories with a quota of nomination places for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). These quotas are published on the Department of Home Affairs State and territory nomination allocation page.  

The quotas, also referred to as ‘nomination allocations’, are the number of new primary applicants each state or territory can nominate in a financial year.

The Australian Government determines the quotas provided to states and territories.

Yes. You may be eligible to submit an ROI for Queensland nomination if you meet the requirements for your chosen pathway, including having have a valid skills assessment.  

If you are applying under the Queensland graduate pathway, you must have completed a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD from a Queensland university after 1 July 2022 at the time you submit your ROI, as well as meet all other pathway requirement

No. Your skilled occupation must be on the Queensland Skilled Occupation List (QSOL) to apply for Queensland Nomination. 

We are unable to consider ROIs and EOIs submitted for occupations that are not on the QSOL.

It depends on your chosen pathway. Some pathways allow gaps in employment, while others require a continuous period of work experience. You need to meet the work experience requirements for your chosen pathway when you submit your ROI.

Yes. If you have the right to work in Australia, you may be eligible for Queensland nomination. You will need to make sure you meet all the requirements of your chosen nomination pathway.

Yes. You can work from home if your employer has a physical presence in Queensland.  
Working remotely for an interstate or offshore employer does not meet the requirements of the Queensland program. 

If you are applying for subclass 491, your employer must state in your Statement of Service that your work address is in a designated regional area.

Migration Queensland considers a closely related occupation to be one that falls within the same ANZSCO Minor Group (3-digit code) as your nominated occupation.  

For example, the following occupations are considered closely related by Migration Queensland because they all belong to the same ANZSCO Minor Group 233. 

Engineering Professionals: 

• 233111 Chemical Engineer 

• 233211 Civil Engineer 

• 233311 Electrical Engineer 

• 233411 Electronics Engineer 

• 233512 Mechanical Engineer 

• 233612 Petroleum Engineer 

• 233913 Biomedical Engineer 

However, to be eligible, your nominated occupation must be on the relevant Queensland Skilled Occupation List. 

Please note that the Department of Home Affairs may apply a different definition of a closely related occupation. Under Department of Home Affairs requirements, a closely related occupation needs to be: 

• in the same ANZSCO Unit Group (4-digit code); or 

• consistent with a career advancement pathway; or 

• recognised by an assessing authority that it is closely related to your nominated occupation, as part of your skills assessment. 

As a result, an occupation that is considered closely related by Migration Queensland may not be considered closely related by the Department of Home Affairs. If relevant, we will let you know.

Brisbane-based companies do not generally meet the subclass 491 nomination requirements of working in a regional area. However, your employer can confirm in your Statement of Service that your role is located in a designated regional area and requires you to be physically present in that area to perform your work. You must also meet all other pathway requirements, including living in an eligible regional area, when submitting your nomination. 

Regional Queensland is defined according to the Department of Home Affairs' list of designated regional area postcodes.

You must live and work in a designated regional area to be eligible for Queensland nomination for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Eligible regional postcodes are listed below:  
 
4019–4022, 4025, 4037, 4074, 4076–4078, 4124–4125, 4133, 4183–4184, 4207–4275, 4280–4287, 4300–4301, 4303–4498, 4500–4512, 4514–4519, 4521, 4550–4575, 4580–4895.

Note: 491 visa holders, and their dependants, must live, work and study in an eligible postcode for at least 3 years to qualify for permanent residency.

No. There are no priority fields of study for the Queensland university graduates pathway. To be eligible for this pathway, you need to have completed a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree or PhD at a Queensland university, or other Higher Education Institute in Queensland, and graduated after 1 July 2022.

No. Under this pathway, Queensland work experience gained in any of the following may be used to meet Queensland's work experience requirement: 

• in your nominated skilled occupation 

• in a closely related occupation 

• in any Skill Level 1 occupation, which generally requires a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification  

Queensland's work experience requirements are separate from the Department of Home Affairs points test. While any Skill Level 1 occupation may be used to meet Queensland's work experience requirement under this pathway, you can only claim points in your SkillSelect EOI for employment that is related or closely related to your nominated skilled occupation.

No. Your Queensland qualification does not need to be related to your nominated skilled occupation.

Yes. You may create and submit multiple EOIs in SkillSelect. However, when you submit your Registration of Interest (ROI) for Queensland nomination, only one EOI can be selected for consideration. As only your most recently submitted ROI will be active, if you have more than one EOI, you should select the EOI that is most relevant to your current circumstances. You can also select multiple visa subclasses in your EOI and indicate interest in other states and territories in addition to Queensland.

No. You are no longer required to select only Queensland as your State of Interest in your EOI. You may select “any” or multiple States and Territories of Interest, provided Queensland is included if you wish to be considered for Queensland nomination.

Yes. Please make sure your EOI is up to date to reflect your current circumstances. This may include changes to your employment, residential address, English language test results, or other relevant details.  

If you have already been invited to apply for Queensland nomination, please contact your Case Officer first to let them know what changes you wish to make to your EOI.

No. You can use your existing EOI. Please make sure all details in your EOI are correct and current.  However, you will need to submit a new ROI once the program opens. 

We will not consider EOIs that have fewer than 15 days before expiring. If your EOI is expiring, please submit a new EOI and a new ROI.

No. The date you submitted, or most recently updated your EOI does not impact your selection for Queensland nomination.

Yes. If your EOI remains active in SkillSelect, it will be considered for Queensland nomination regardless of when it was submitted. However, to be considered for an invitation this program year, you must submit a new ROI through the Migration Queensland website.  

Please ensure the details in your EOI are accurate and up to date, and that your EOI is not due to expire within 15 days. If your EOI is due to expire within 15 days, you must submit a new EOI and a new ROI.

Your EOI should list the country where you currently reside as your Usual Country of Residence. If you currently reside in Australia, you should list Australia as your Usual Country of Residence, as well as your state of residence and residential postcode. 

If you currently reside outside Australia, you should list the country where you currently live as your Usual Country of Residence. 

Please note that applicants residing in Australia but outside Queensland are not eligible to apply under Queensland's onshore or offshore nomination pathways.

Yes. A copy of your ROI can only be saved from the confirmation screen displayed immediately after you submit your ROI. To save a copy, click the three dots in the top-right corner of the confirmation screen and select your preferred option. Migration Queensland cannot provide copies of submitted ROIs.

No. You can only select one visa subclass in your ROI, and you can only have one valid ROI at a time. Once submitted, an ROI cannot be updated. If your circumstances change or you need to amend information, you must submit a new ROI. If you submit multiple ROIs, only your most recent ROI will be considered.

No. You can only have one valid ROI at any point in time. 

If your circumstances change after submitting an ROI, you must submit a new ROI with your updated information. 

If you submit a new ROI, any previously submitted ROI will no longer be considered, and only your most recent ROI will be considered. 

You need to ensure all information provided in your ROI is accurate. Providing false or misleading information, including deliberately entering incorrect passport details, altering the order or spelling of your name, or using other inaccurate personal information to create or maintain more than one ROI, may result in your ROI or application being refused.

No. Once submitted, an ROI cannot be updated. If your circumstances change after submitting an ROI, you need to submit a new ROI with your updated information. 

If you submit a new ROI, any previously submitted ROI will no longer be considered, and only your most recent ROI will be considered.

No. You will need to complete and submit a new ROI form on the Migration Queensland website to be considered for invitation during the current program year.

Migration Queensland does not primarily select candidates based on the Department of Home Affairs points test score claimed in their EOI.  

Migration Queensland applies its own selection criteria when assessing and inviting candidates for Queensland nomination.  

Invitations are issued to applicants who are assessed as being the most competitive at the time of selection and whose profile best aligns with Queensland's economic and workforce priorities.

Migration Queensland cannot provide information on the likelihood of receiving an invitation. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee an invitation, as nomination places are limited and the program is highly competitive. Invitations are issued to candidates who best meet Queensland's current workforce needs and nomination priorities.

No. Migration Queensland cannot provide priority invitations because your visa, English test, skills assessment or other documents are due to expire. 

Applicants are responsible for ensuring their visa and supporting documents remain valid. Migration Queensland cannot guarantee an invitation before a visa or supporting document expires. 

If your visa is about to expire, you should consider seeking the services of a migration professional.  You can find a list of registered migration agents at mara.gov.au or migration lawyers at youandthelaw.com.au/directory.

You have 14 days from the date of your invitation to submit your application and pay the application fee. If payment is not received within 14 days, your application will be closed, and you will not be considered again within the program year. 
 
If an error occurs when making a payment, click the 'Back' button at the bottom of the screen and try entering your details again. If you continue to experience payment issues, contact us. 

Most payment issues are caused by:  

• insufficient funds on your card, or  

• your bank blocking the transaction as a suspicious payment. In this case, you will need to contact your bank.

No. The application fee is non-refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful or you withdraw your application.

Our processing times vary. Application assessments often take 2 to 4 weeks from receipt of a completed application and payment of the application processing fee.

No. You do not need to provide certified copies of your documents as evidence.  

However, for any documents that are not originally written in English, a certified English translation is required. English translations completed by the applicant are not accepted.

If you have already been invited to apply for Queensland nomination and have submitted a complete nomination application, you may email your Case Officer with details of your circumstances. While we cannot guarantee priority processing, requests may be considered where appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

No. We do not re-nominate applicants in the same program year. This includes situations where points were claimed incorrectly in an Expression of Interest (EOI), so please ensure your points are accurate before submitting.