Skilled visas

Queensland is looking for skilled migrants to fill a range of critical skill shortages

With year-round beautiful weather and great career opportunities, Queensland is a popular choice for skilled migrants. It is an ideal place to work and live, offering a high standard of living and good working conditions, including:

equal opportunity in the workplace,
safe working conditions,
the world’s highest minimum wage (OECD 2019), and
a range of entitlements – including public holidays and paid leave.

State-nominated skilled visa options

If you want to migrate to Queensland on a skilled visa, you must first obtain a nomination from the state. State migration is managed by the Queensland Government, through Migration Queensland, which is a business unit of Trade and Investment Queensland. State-nominated visas allow you to live and work permanently in Queensland.

The following visa types are available:

Permanent residency, which allows migrants to live and work in Queensland permanently – see the Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190).
Provisional visa, which is a pathway to permanent residency – see the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190)

This is a points-tested visa for skilled workers who want to live and work in Queensland permanently.

Learn more about the criteria for this visa:

Applicable regions

All of Queensland.

Note: If you are a current holder of a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) or have applied for a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), you will not be eligible for nomination for the Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190). This restriction also applies to the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489).

To find other visa options that suit your circumstances, use the Department of Home Affairs Visa Finder.

Eligible occupations

To apply for a skilled visa, you must have an occupation on Home Affairs’ relevant list of eligible skilled occupations (LIN 19/051).

If you are applying as a skilled worker living offshore, you must have an eligible occupation on the offshore QSOL.

Migration Queensland regularly reviews and updates their lists to reflect current labour market conditions.

Certain occupations have:

licensing requirements to work in Queensland
limited places. When those places are filled, Migration Queensland will not accept further applications for state nomination.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)

This is a 5-year, points-tested visa that leads to permanent residency and requires nominated skilled workers to live and be employed in regional Queensland. Subclass 491 visa holders are eligible for Medicare.

Learn more about the criteria for this visa:

Applicable regions

You must live and work within one of the following post codes to be eligible for this visa:

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: The above postcodes are applicable to those who have been nominated and applied for their 491 visa from 5 March 2022. Further details can be found in LIN 22/022.

If you were nominated or applied for the 491 visa prior to 5 March 2022, the applicable Queensland postcodes can be found in LIN 20/292.

If you were granted a 491 visa prior to 19 November 2019, the Gold Coast is not an eligible region.

To find other visa options that suit your circumstances, use the Department of Home Affairs Visa Finder.