Frequently asked questions

State nomination allows the states and territories of Australia to sponsor skilled migration applicants under a broad range of industries, to meet their skilled shortages. The state nominating body specifies which business and skilled visas that state or territory nominates applicants under, and it specifies the number of visas that will be granted as part of this program.

Migration Queensland’s processing time is currently around four weeks from receipt of a completed application and processing fee. It may take longer in peak processing season, depending on the number of applications in the queue. We are unable to answer any enquiries regarding an applicants’ place in the queue as it takes resources away from the processing of applications.

In these circumstances, lodge the Skills Assessment that best reflects the work experience in the job that you hold. 

In this scenario, please close (withdraw) your old EOI and lodge a new one. Please do not notify us, as we will be made aware through SkillSelect. Note that lodging a new EOI will not impact the time it take for MQ to consider your EOI. 

No, virtual offices are not accepted for Queensland's state nominated migration program. Businesses must have an office in Queensland.

You are not required to use the services of a migration agent, but doing so may make your application process easier.

You can find further information about registered migration agents on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) or Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) websites.

You can find further information about solicitors on the Queensland Law Society website.

No. This also includes PhD and Doctorate graduates. You must have finished 100% of your studies prior to lodging an EOI.

When assessing periods of employment for the purpose of assessing post-qualification work experience, MQ will refer to the view taken by the relevant skills assessing authority when determining an applicant’s eligibility for points. For example, if an applicant is required to demonstrate five years of work experience, and the assessing authority has only recognised four years, Migration Queensland will also consider this to be four years of experience and the applicant would not meet the requirements. 

Work experience accrued after a skills assessment
Any work experience accrued after the date of an applicant’s skills assessment will count towards their overall work experience. For example, if an applicant had a positive skills assessment on 1 January 2022, any experience from 2 January 2022 would be considered additional to the work experience recognised as part of their skills assessment. This applies to both onshore and offshore applicants. 
 

In most cases, documents do not need to be certified for Migration Queensland. Sometimes, case officers will request documents to be translated and certified. Case officers may also request further information and documents to evidence claims made in an EOI. 

You must make payment when you submit your documents to have your application processed. If you do not make the payment at this time, then your file will not be processed until Migration Queensland receives payment. If your file then closes because a significant period of time elapses, you would then need to lodge a new Expression of Interest (EOI) and resubmit the required documents.

If there is an error when you attempt to make a payment, click the Back button at the bottom of your screen and try again to enter your details. If you are still experiencing difficulties with your payment, contact us through the Contact Us form on our website. 

Most payment issues are due to:

• insufficient funds on your card, or
• your bank stopping payment because it is flagged as a suspicious withdrawal. In this case, you will need to contact your bank.

No. The application fee is not refundable.

No. However, if you have a completion letter from your institute stating you have finished your course, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis, providing you meet all other requirements for the pathway you are applying under.

If you are still studying, you cannot apply for a 491 or 190 whilst on a student visa. If you have full-time work rights, for example you are a dependant of a Masters or PhD student you will be able to apply. 

Migration Queensland will not accept a second Expression of Interest (EOI) from the same applicant for renomination within six months of the first nomination being issued. This also extends to errors with points - make sure that you thoroughly check your EOI to ensure your points are correct before submitting it.

After a six month period from the first nomination, you can submit a new Expression of Interest (EOI), if you continue to meet Queensland State Nomination criteria and the program is open.