190 Skilled Nominated Visa

The 190 visa lets you work and live in Australia as a permanent resident if your occupation is on the skills list and you are nominated. Costs begin at $4,045 and you can also sponsor your partner or relative for permanent residence. If your visa is accepted, you can apply for your citizenship. As part of the visa criteria, you'll need to meet certain requirements, including a health examination.

Is my job on the list?

You can find out whether your occupation is on the current skills list for the 190 skilled nominated visa on the Department of Home Affairs website.

The list is reviewed regularly and changes depending on which occupations are needed in Australia, so check the current list before you apply.

Finder survey: How many claims have people in different states made on their Overseas Visitor Health Cover?

190 visa application process

The application process for the 190 visa can be broken down into these steps:

• Check your job is on the skills list for the 190 visa. You will need to make sure you have at least 65 points to be eligible for the visa. Points criteria take into account factors such as your age, experience and English language skills.
• Submit an expression of interest (EOI). You will need to create a SkillSelect account, log in and submit your EOI online. Applicants will need to provide evidence of their employment, the number of hours worked each week and what duties they performed. This is usually backed up with payslips, contracts and bank statements.
• Receive an invitation and apply. Waiting times for an invitation can vary from 1 to 12 months. If you are invited to apply, you will have 60 days from the invitation date to submit your application. It's usually best to use a lawyer when you do this to make sure everything you need is properly submitted.

190 visa eligibility

In order to successfully apply for this visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be invited to apply or nominated. Once you submit an EOI, the relevant state must nominate you for the visa, inviting you to apply.
• Complete a skills assessment. This is so that you meet the standards set by the government to work in the relevant occupation.
• Meet health requirements. This includes any family you intend to bring with you and could also include family members not accompanying you to Australia.
• Meet English language requirements. Native English speakers still have to sit an English language test.
• Be under the age of 45. You must be aged under 45 when you are invited to apply for the visa.
• Score 65 points or more. The 190 visa is a points-tested visa which means you won't be invited to apply if you don't score 65 points or more.

Restrictions to keep in mind

If you are married or in a de facto relationship, you need to let the Department of Home Affairs know. Add any family member or partner you plan to live with in Australia to your application as your visa might be cancelled if you don't tell them.

How to meet the health requirements

Because the 190 visa gives you permanent residency, you will likely have to undergo a medical examination. You might be asked to do further tests if you have a pre-existing health condition or something comes up in your initial test. Generally, no diseases or health conditions automatically result in a failure to meet the health requirement, though it might be rejected if the specific community services for that condition are in short supply.

The 190 visa does not require you to hold private health insurance or overseas visitors health cover. Because it gives you permanent residency, you are entitled to receive Medicare benefits once the visa is granted, and you are eligible for resident private health insurance.

Healthcare for permanent residents

If your visa is accepted, your permanent residency will give you access to more healthcare entitlements, including Medicare and private health insurance. Private health insurance can work out cheaper than the overseas visitors health cover (OVHC) you may have previously held, because the government rebate and the age-based discount apply to resident cover but not to OVHC. It is still worth comparing both.

Permanent residents are generally eligible for benefits under the public healthcare system including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare. Keep in mind though that Medicare doesn't cover everything and you may need more comprehensive protection to meet your needs.

Alongside the rebate and the age-based discount, private health insurance comes with a range of perks and benefits you wouldn't have had access to before your permanent residency. Some of the benefits include:

• Youth discount. If you're aged between 18 and 29, you might be eligible for a discount of up to 10% on your hospital cover.
• Waiting periods. You usually won't have to wait anywhere near as long for treatment with private health insurance compared to the public health care system.
• Private health insurance rebate. An income-tested discount on your premiums. From 1 July 2026, singles earning $105,000 or less (families $210,000 or less) get the full rebate of 24.118% if they are under 65, and the rebate tapers to nil once income passes $164,000 for singles or $328,000 for families. Family thresholds rise by $1,500 for each child after the first. You can take it as a lower premium or as a refundable tax offset.
• Extras cover. You'll be able to access out of hospital services that Medicare doesn't cover, including dental, optical and physiotherapy.

If you want to access these benefits, make sure to compare health providers to find the best deal.

Frequently asked questions

• How long does it take to process a 190 visa application?

  Processing times for the 190 visa vary significantly. After submitting your Expression of Interest (EOI) an invitation to apply can take anywhere from 1 to 12 months. Once invited and you submit your full application, the Department of Home Affairs processes times can differ based on factors such as the completeness of your application, the current caseload and your country of origin. It's a good idea to check the Department of Home Affairs website for the most current processing time estimates.

• What is the difference between the 190 visa and the 189 visa?

  Both the 190 Skilled Nominated Visa and the 189 Skilled Independent Visa are permanent residency visas for skilled workers in Australia. The key difference is that the 190 visa requires nomination by an Australian state or territory government. This means you must commit to living in that specific state or territory for a period of time (usually two years). In contrast the 189 visa does not require state or territory nomination allowing you to live and work anywhere in Australia after it is granted. Both visas are points-tested.

• Do I need health insurance while waiting for my 190 visa to be granted?

  Yes, if you're already in Australia on a temporary visa while your 190 visa application is being processed you generally need to maintain adequate health cover. This typically involves holding an Overseas Visitors Health Cover OVHC policy until your 190 visa is granted and you become eligible for Medicare. The Department of Home Affairs mandates that you maintain appropriate health insurance to meet your visa conditions and avoid potential visa cancellation.

• What are the main costs involved in applying for a 190 visa?

  The primary visa application charge for the main applicant starts from $4,900 with additional fees for including family members in your application. Beyond this you will incur costs for a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, English language tests, health exams and police checks for all applicants over 16 years of age. Some states or territories may also charge a nomination application fee. If you choose to use a migration agent their professional fees will be an additional expense.

• Can I travel overseas after my 190 visa is granted?

  Yes, as a permanent resident of Australia with a 190 visa you are generally free to travel in and out of the country. Your permanent visa usually includes a travel facility that allows you to leave and re-enter Australia for five years from the date of visa grant. If you wish to travel overseas and return to Australia as a permanent resident after this five year period you will need to apply for a Resident Return Visa RRV.

• What is state nomination and how does it work for the 190 visa?

  State nomination is a crucial component of the 190 visa process. It means an Australian state or territory government has invited you to apply for their skilled migration program because your occupation and skills are in demand in their region. To apply for state nomination you must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect indicating your interest in being nominated by a specific state or territory. Each state and territory maintains its own specific occupation lists and eligibility criteria which you must meet in addition to the Department of Home Affairs requirements. If successfully nominated you will then receive an invitation to apply for the 190 visa.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

Add to Preferred Sources

Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 554 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living