NSW state nomination 2026–27: the 190 and 491
Settledin Team6 min readNSW state nomination covers the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491). NSW says you cannot apply directly for the 190: you must be invited after lodging an expression of interest. For the 491, NSW says applications are closed for the current program year. It has no 2026–27 notice.
Checked against NSW Government and Home Affairs pages on 7 November 2026.
What is NSW state nomination?
It is NSW's decision to support a skilled applicant for a state-nominated visa. Home Affairs grants the visa. Home Affairs says it will only invite someone to apply for the 190 if a state or territory has nominated them, and that each state agency has its own criteria for deciding who it nominates (page updated 2 November 2026).
NSW describes its approach as "a selection-based invitation process". Investment NSW runs it. NSW's 190 page says nomination is at the sole discretion of the NSW Government, and that Investment NSW may refuse an application if its allocation is fully committed.
Which visas does NSW nominate for?
| Visa | What NSW says | Status on NSW's page |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Nominated (190) | A points-tested permanent visa. Invitation only. | No closure notice, no 2026–27 notice |
| Skilled Work Regional (491) | A points-tested provisional visa for regional NSW, for a period of 5 years. Three pathways. | Closed for the current program year |
As published by NSW, checked 7 November 2026.
NSW's skilled visas overview also lists the Skilled Independent visa (189), the Employer Nomination Scheme (186) and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (494) as other pathways to NSW. Those do not need NSW nomination. Settledin's points test guide covers how points work across the 189, 190 and 491.
Is NSW nomination open for 2026–27?
NSW has not said. Here is what its pages show on 7 November 2026:
- 190: the page has no closure notice and no 2026–27 notice. It says "NSW holds invitation rounds throughout the financial year", with "no predetermined or publicly announced dates".
- 491: a notice says: "applications are now closed for the current program year, as all available nomination places have been fully allocated." NSW adds that it is "reviewing the program settings and eligibility criteria for the next program year" and will publish updated information "in due course". The page was last updated 4 September 2026.
- Skills lists: NSW's Skills Lists page says the list was updated for the 190 only, and that a further update on the Regional Skills List for the 491 will follow. Settledin's NSW Skills List post shows the 78 unit groups.
- Common questions: NSW's common questions page still refers to "the 2025-26 program year" in its section on skills lists.
Home Affairs' allocations page (updated 21 September 2026) still shows the 2025–26 allocations. This post does not quote allocation numbers.
NSW's page for the 190 also says it "strongly encourages" people to consider other migration pathways and not wait for an invitation, because demand for NSW nomination is exceptionally high.
Which occupations does NSW list and where do I check?
NSW sets its lists at ANZSCO unit group level. It uses two:
- The NSW Skills List for the 190.
- The NSW Regional Skills List for the 491.
NSW says it "will not invite EOIs in occupations outside of the NSW Skills Lists". It also says that not every occupation inside a unit group is eligible for the visa, so the occupation must be on the Home Affairs list for that visa as well. The 190 list has 78 unit groups and was updated on NSW's page on 15 October 2026. Settledin's occupation pages show the Home Affairs lists, and the skills assessment guide explains the assessment each occupation needs.
For the 190, NSW says you need a valid skills assessment in an occupation that is on the Home Affairs list for the visa and inside a unit group on the NSW Skills List.
How do I register interest and what happens next?
NSW has no separate application for the 190. The steps on its page:
| Step | What NSW says |
|---|---|
| 1. EOI | Submit an expression of interest in SkillSelect. Support every claim with valid documents if invited. |
| 2. Invitation | NSW invites the highest ranking EOIs within an ANZSCO unit group. It considers factors including age, English language, education, points score and years of skilled work experience. |
| 3. Apply | The invitation is valid for 14 days only. NSW says the window will not be extended. |
| 4. Assessment | NSW assesses the application against its nomination criteria. |
| 5. Visa invitation | If NSW nominates, Home Affairs invites you to apply for the visa. |
As published by NSW and Home Affairs, checked 7 November 2026.
NSW also says:
- The date you submit or amend your EOI does not affect whether you are invited.
- You cannot request an invitation.
- NSW invites each EOI number once. If an invitation is missed, a new EOI is needed.
- Onshore or offshore status comes from the usual country of residence in your EOI. NSW says to keep it accurate.
For what happens around an invitation on the Home Affairs side, see what happens after a SkillSelect invitation.
What do residency rules say, and what about onshore and offshore?
NSW sets different residency tests by location, as recorded in the EOI.
| 190 | 491 (invited pathway) | |
|---|---|---|
| Onshore | Working in NSW in the nominated occupation for at least 20 hours a week, or continuously resided in NSW for at least 6 months | Working in NSW in the nominated occupation, or continuously resided in NSW for at least 3 months |
| Offshore | Continuously resided offshore for at least 6 months | Continuously resided offshore for at least 3 months |
As published by NSW, checked 7 November 2026.
NSW says moving between NSW and offshore resets the period. It also says time in NSW on a tourist visa does not count.
What counts as regional NSW for the 491?
Home Affairs, not NSW, defines it. Its designated regional area postcodes page (updated 7 October 2026) splits NSW into two categories:
| Category | NSW postcodes |
|---|---|
| Cities and major regional centres (category 2) | 2259, 2264 to 2308, 2500 to 2526, 2528 to 2535 and 2574 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas (category 3) | 2250 to 2258, 2260 to 2263, 2311 to 2490, 2527, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2739, 2753 to 2754, 2756 to 2758 and 2773 to 2898 |
Postcodes as published by Home Affairs, checked 7 November 2026.
Home Affairs says its regional incentives apply to category 2 and category 3. NSW's own 491 page refers to "designated regional areas of NSW". NSW's three 491 pathways are an employed-in-regional-NSW pathway, an invitation by Investment NSW, and a pathway for recent graduates of a regional NSW institution. NSW's page shows pathways 1 and 3 as closed to new applications.
Settledin's NSW state page collects the NSW pages in one place.
How does NSW compare with the other states?
Each state sets its own rules and publishes its own notices, so the pages differ. In Settledin's state series:
- Tasmania, in the Tasmania state nomination post.
- Victoria, in the Victoria 190 nomination post.
- Western Australia, in the WA state nomination post.
- South Australia, in the SA state nomination post.
- Queensland, in the Queensland state nomination post.
- The ACT, in the ACT state nomination post.
- The Northern Territory, in the NT state nomination post.
The state nomination tracker puts each state's current position side by side.
FAQ
Do I need to live in NSW?
NSW sets residency tests for the 190: working in NSW in the nominated occupation for at least 20 hours a week, or continuously residing in NSW for at least 6 months (onshore), or continuously residing offshore for at least 6 months (offshore). The 491 test is 3 months.
Is a skills assessment required first?
NSW says you need a valid skills assessment for the 190, in an occupation on the Home Affairs list for the visa and inside a unit group on the NSW Skills List. Home Affairs says the assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of invitation.
Does NSW nomination add points?
Home Affairs says the points test gives additional points to skilled migrants nominated to live and work in regional Australia, on its regional migration page. This post does not give the number of points, because the Home Affairs points table did not show the nomination rows when checked.
Where do I check the latest NSW news?
NSW's skilled visas page has a newsletter sign-up for NSW Business and Skilled Migration updates. The 190 and 491 pages carry the current notices.
What does NSW say about onshore versus offshore?
NSW uses the usual country of residence recorded in your EOI to decide whether an EOI is onshore or offshore, and the residency evidence must match.
Settledin adds up an indicative points total from the official Home Affairs points table, and shows each category for the 189, 190 and 491.
Work out your indicative points
This article describes published NSW Government and Department of Home Affairs information, checked on 7 November 2026. It is general information, not migration advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. Check the register.
Source: NSW Government, Skilled visas, and Department of Home Affairs, Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), checked 7 November 2026.