Skilled workers in Queensland
Program update
Migration Queensland closed the State Nominated Migration Program for FY24-25, however Migration Queensland will continue to assess the applications currently under assessment until all nominations are completed. .
Who is this pathway for?
This pathway is for skilled workers currently employed in Queensland, helping to fill priority skills gaps.
Note: International graduates not eligible under the Queensland Graduates pathway should apply under this pathway, if eligible.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for a Queensland nomination, you must meet both the Australian Department of Home Affairs requirements and Migration Queensland requirements for your chosen visa category.
Minimum Department of Home Affairs requirements for State Nominated visas are available on the following web pages:
To meet minimum Migration Queensland requirements, you must:
Requirement | Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190) | Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) |
|---|---|---|
Points | Have a points test result of 65 or higher | Have a points test result of 65 or higher |
Occupation | Have an occupation on Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations LIN 19/051, with a focus on helping address verified shortages in Queensland’s growing industries. | Have an occupation on Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations LIN 19/051, with a focus on helping address verified shortages in Queensland’s growing industries. |
English | Have Competent English or higher | Have Competent English or higher |
Work experience* |
|
|
Evidence of ongoing employment | Have evidence that your employment is ongoing for a further 12 months. This is counted from when you submit your EOI. | Have evidence that your employment is ongoing for a further 6 months. This is counted from when you submit your EOI. |
Commitment to living in Queensland | Must commit to living and working in Queensland for 2 years from date your visa is granted. | Must commit to living and working in regional Queensland for 3 years from date your visa is granted. |
Note: Casual employment is not accepted for meeting the Queensland work experience requirement. Casual employment should not be considered when calculating hours worked or annual salary.
Caveats for selected occupations
*To work in some occupations in Queensland you must be registered or licensed by a state government body. Cooks and Chefs cannot qualify by working in takeaway or fast-food businesses.
Selection and invitation for Queensland nomination
Being selected and invited to apply for Queensland nomination is a competitive process due to strong demand from potential candidates.
Migration Queensland periodically selects and invites candidates to apply for Queensland nomination throughout the financial year.
Migration Queensland considers a range of factors to select and invite candidates to apply for nomination. These include information entered in your Expression of Interest (SkillSelect) and Registration of Interest (Migration Queensland) such as: salary, total skilled employment experience, English language ability and partner skills.
Before you apply for Queensland nomination
EOIs must meet all Queensland requirements at the time they are submitted. Migration Queensland will not nominate any EOIs that meet requirements after being submitted.
Before submitting an Expression of Interest in the Australian Government’s SkillSelect database, or Registration of Interest for Queensland nomination, you must read our Frequently Asked Questions, calculating annual salary and Documentation Checklist.
Here you will find important information that you need to be aware of to ensure that your application is valid and will be considered.
How to apply for Queensland nomination
You can review the application process and find the link to submit a Registration of Interest on our Registering your interest in Queensland nomination page.