190 Skilled Nominated Visa Checklist 2026
The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa is a state and territory government-sponsored permanent residence visa under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. It functions like the 189 Skilled Independent but with an additional 5 points for being nominated by a state or territory — and a binding obligation to live and work in the nominating state for at least 2 years after grant.
The nomination process is separate from the visa application: first you are invited to apply for a state nomination, then (if nominated) you receive an invitation to lodge the 190 visa application. Each state has its own occupation list, requirements, and closing dates — occupations and nomination conditions change frequently, sometimes multiple times per year, so checking directly with your target state's migration program is essential before lodging an EOI.
Because the 190 comes with a 2-year commitment obligation to the nominating state, ensure you genuinely intend to settle in that jurisdiction. Migration officers can and do contact 190 holders who appear to have moved interstate shortly after grant.
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Common 190 document mistakes to avoid
- State nomination conditions varying — each state sets its own subclass requirements, points thresholds, and occupation lists; these change frequently and an EOI submitted one month may not be competitive the next.
- Same skills assessment and English test validity issues as 189 — both must remain valid through to the grant date.
- The 2-year residence commitment to the nominating state is genuine — breach can affect future migration applications, including citizenship.
- Nomination letters have short validity — you typically must lodge the visa application within 60 days of receiving the state nomination invitation.
Identity documents
3 itemsClear colour scan of your current valid passport photo page.
Official birth certificate showing your full name and date of birth.
Marriage certificate, deed poll or other official proof if your name has changed.
State/territory nomination
3 itemsOfficial nomination approval letter from the state or territory government confirming you have been nominated for the Subclass 190 visa.
Employment offer, qualifications from a state institution, or prior residence in the nominating state/territory (if applicable).
If your nomination stream requires prior or current residence: tenancy agreement, council rates notice, utility bills (electricity, gas or water) or bank statements confirming your address in the nominating state or territory. Requirements vary — check your nominating state or territory's document checklist.
SkillSelect & invitation
2 itemsScreenshot or confirmation of your submitted EOI including your EOI ID and points score.
Official invitation to apply for the 190 visa issued by the Department of Home Affairs via SkillSelect.
Skills assessment
5 itemsPositive outcome letter from the assessing authority for your nominated ANZSCO occupation.
Certified copies of your degree, diploma or trade qualification(s) relevant to your nominated occupation.
Official transcripts for each qualification submitted with your skills assessment.
Reference letters from each employer, on company letterhead, stating your job title, duties, dates and hours per week.
Evidence of salary payments during claimed work experience periods.
Points evidence
6 itemsIELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET or Cambridge CAE results at the level claimed in your EOI.
Payslips, TFN declarations, super statements or ATO income summaries for Australian work claimed in points test.
Transcripts and completion letter if claiming Australian Study Requirement points.
Certificate of completion from an approved Professional Year program (IT, accounting or engineering) if claiming those points.
Spouse or de facto partner's skills assessment, English test results or Australian citizenship/PR evidence if claiming partner points.
NAATI Credentialled Community Language (CCL) test result letter if claiming 5 community language points. Must show passing scores in both the dialogue and monologue components.
Health & character
4 itemsNational police certificates from each country you have lived in for 12 or more months since age 16.
Completed Form 80 for Character Assessment. Fill for free →
Medical examination completed through an approved Panel Physician or by booking a Health Assessment Portal (HAP) appointment. Results are sent directly to the Department of Home Affairs. Book early — appointments can take several weeks.
Completed Form 1221, required for character assessment. Covers travel history, past visa refusals and personal background details.
Ready to lodge your Skilled Nominated?
Answer a few quick questions to get a checklist tailored to your exact situation — only the documents that apply to you. Upload each file, then export a clean ZIP ready to attach.
Build my personalised checklist →Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need for a Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) application?
The Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) typically requires 23 documents across 6 categories: Identity documents, State/territory nomination, SkillSelect & invitation, Skills assessment, Points evidence, Health & character. Use the personalised builder above to filter this list to your exact circumstances — it removes items that don't apply based on your profile.
How do I prepare my documents for the Skilled Nominated?
Work through each category in the checklist. Scan or photograph every document as a clear colour PDF at 150–200 DPI. The Department of Home Affairs (ImmiAccount) has a 5 MB per-file limit — compress any oversized file using VisaPacks' built-in tool. Combine multi-page documents (e.g. bank statements, payslips) into a single PDF using Merge. VisaPacks automatically renames your files on export, ready to attach to your ImmiAccount lodgement.
Can I prepare my Skilled Nominated documents myself without a migration agent?
Yes. Many applicants successfully self-prepare their documents using publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance. VisaPacks provides a free personalised document checklist and upload tool to help you organise everything correctly. For complex cases — such as those involving previous refusals, health waivers, character issues, or difficult relationship circumstances — consulting a registered migration agent (MARA) may be worthwhile.
What file format should Skilled Nominated documents be in?
The Department of Home Affairs accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG files up to 5 MB each. Most documents should be submitted as PDF. Passport photos can be JPG. If a scan exceeds 5 MB, use VisaPacks' built-in PDF compressor to reduce file size while maintaining legibility — it uses three quality levels (screen, standard, or high) so you can choose the right trade-off.
Is this checklist official Department of Home Affairs guidance?
No. This checklist is based on publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance but is maintained by VisaPacks as a convenience tool only — it is not legal advice and does not replace the assessment of a registered migration agent. Always verify current requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website.
What are the most common mistakes when preparing Skilled Nominated documents?
The most common errors are: exceeding the 5 MB per-file ImmiAccount limit without compressing first; omitting certified NAATI translations for non-English documents; submitting uncertified copies when originals or certified copies are required; including documents expiring within 6 months (particularly passports); and forgetting documents for a spouse or dependent children on the same application. VisaPacks addresses all of these — it includes a built-in PDF compressor, auto-naming to a consistent convention, and per-applicant sections for family members included in the application.
How does VisaPacks compare to the Department of Home Affairs checklist tool?
The Department of Home Affairs website shows a static document list for each visa type. VisaPacks goes further: it personalises the list to your circumstances (employment type, relationship status, whether children are included), lets you upload documents against each item, includes built-in PDF compression and merging to meet the 5 MB limit, auto-renames files to a consistent naming convention, and exports a complete ready-to-lodge ZIP. VisaPacks is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Home Affairs.