Note: this visa commenced on 16 November 2019 and replaced the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
This is a 5-year points-tested visa which leads to permanent residency and requires nominated skilled workers to be employed and live in regional Queensland.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for Queensland nomination, you must meet both the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) criteria and Business and Skilled Migration Queensland (BSMQ) criteria for your chosen visa category.
The DHA criteria requires you to:
- have a points test result of 65 or higher, inclusive of state nomination points
- have a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation
- be under 45 years of age
- meet the minimum English language requirement of COMPETENT, unless a higher level is required by your assessing authority
- submit additional documents if invited to lodge an application for a subclass 190 or subclass 491 visa.
BSMQ criteria requires you to:
- have an occupation on the QSOL ‘Working in Queensland’ list
- provide evidence of full-time post-qualification employment (minimum of 35 hours per week) in your nominated occupation for the past 6 months in Queensland (190 visa) IMMEDIATELY prior to EOI submission. If you are lodging an EOI for a 491 visa you must be LIVING and WORKING (full-time post qualification, minimum 35 hours per week) in REGIONAL Queensland in your nominated occupation for the past 3 months IMMEDIATELY prior to EOI submission.
- provide evidence of ongoing employment with a Queensland employer registered in Australia for a further 12 months (minimum of 35 hours per week). For the 491 it must be a ongoing employment in a REGIONAL area for a further 12 months (minimum 35 hours per week).
- commit to living and working in Queensland for 2 years for the 190 visa and 3 years for the 491 from visa grant.
If you are a postgraduate student from Queensland then BSMQ criteria requires you to meet the following criteria:
| Graduates of a Queensland Masters degree | Graduates of a Queensland PhD | |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Occupation List | Have an occupation on the QSOL Masters Graduate List | Have an occupation on the DHA relevant list of eligible skilled occupations. |
| Work/study experience, specialisations and registrations | Have completed 100% of your Masters degree at a Queensland-based institution and graduated in the last two years. This qualification must be related to your nominated occupation. Provide evidence of current full-time employment (minimum of 35 hours per week) with a Queensland employer registered in Australia in your nominated occupation (or a closely related occupation). | Have completed 100% of your PhD at a Queensland-based institution and graduated in the last two years. This qualification must be related to your nominated occupation. |
| Job offer | Provide evidence of ongoing employment from a Queensland employer registered in Australia in your skilled occupation (or a closely related occupation). This job offer must be for a minimum of 12 months (minimum of 35 hours per week). | A job offer is not required unless otherwise stated.The occupation of University Lecturer ANZSCO 2421111 must meet the ‘Working in Queensland’ requirements. |
All applicants agree to commit to living and working in Queensland for two years from visa grant.
Application process
Step 1: Review your eligibility criteria, visa conditions and document checklist (see below) and on the DHA website. Ensure you meet both the DHA criteria and BSMQ criteria, and have all your documentation prepared before you apply.
Step 2: For Queensland State nomination, submit an EOI with SkillSelect. Please ensure all information, such as work experience, is included in your EOI. Preference will be given to applicants who select “Queensland” as their nominating state of choice.
Step 3: BSMQ assesses all EOIs that meet the HA and BSMQ criteria. If you are successful, will receive an email invitation to lodge an application and be requested to provide the BSMQ required documents. Documents are to be uploaded electronically, through the Document Portal link provided in your invitation email. We no longer accept attachments sent to us by email.You can only upload one document per file. If you have multiple documents, please merge and save as one file.
Step 4: When you have uploaded your documents, you will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee to BSMQ, in order to finalise your application. BSMQ will review your application and may request further documentation.
Please note: you will be given two weeks to finalise your application from the date of invitation. Applications not finalised within this time frame will be closed and applicants will need to submit a new EOI if they wish to re-seek Queensland nomination. Applicants must wait for a further 6 months before being eligible for a new nomination.
Step 5: Once your completed BSMQ application is received and approved, you will receive an invitation from HA to lodge your visa application. You will be given 60 days to lodge your application with the DHA.
State nomination application fees:
BSMQ will only begin assessment of your application for Queensland state nomination after you have completed the below steps:
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) or registration
- Await invitation from BSMQ to apply for state nomination
- Upload documents
- Make payment.
| Visa type | Application fee (if paid from overseas) | + 10% GST** (if paid from within Australia) |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Nomination (Permanent) visa (Subclass 190) | A$200 | A$20 |
| Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) | A$200 | A$20 |
| Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) – Small Business Owners Pathway | N/A | A$440 (total cost as only available onshore) |
| Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa – Business Innovation stream (Subclass 188) | A$500 | A$50 |
Please note:
* Fees will not be refunded under any circumstance. This includes changes to your personal circumstances or if you change your mind and do not apply for an Australian visa or if your application for a visa is not approved by the Australian Government.
** GST is an additional charge added to applications lodged in Australia only.