Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa and Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa
Minimum requirements
To migrate to Australia under a skilled visa, you and your dependant family members on the application must satisfy the Department of Home Affairs requirements.
A summary of key minimum requirements are:
- Age
You must be under aged 45 years at the time of nomination.
- Skills assessments
You will need a full skills assessment from a relevant Australian skills assessment and assessing authority, for the skilled occupation that you have nominated.
A skills assessment is an independent assessment of whether you have the skills and / or experience to undertake an occupation in Australia. For information about which skills assessment body provides an assessment for your occupation, go to the Department of Home Affairs website.
- English
The minimum English language requirement is an outcome of competent unless otherwise specified by assessing / licensing or registration body or on the Northern Territory (NT) Migration Occupation List. Competent means the equivalent of at least IELTS 6.0 in each band level.
NT Government accepts all English tests approved by Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
For a list of language tests accepted and the comparison of test scores go to the Department of Home Affairs website.
- Points test
Meet the skilled migration points test of 65 or higher.
In addition to the above, you must also meet the Northern Territory (NT) Government requirements.
These requirements can be changed at any time by the NT Government. NT nominations are issued at the discretion of the NT Government, and meeting these requirements does not guarantee a nomination.
- If you already live in Australia
For specific guidelines on eligibility read additional requirements for onshore applicants.
Please note the following general information:
- if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
- if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and have not completed studies in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
- if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination.
- If you apply from outside Australia
Offshore applicants will generally only be nominated for a subclass 491 visa.
Offshore applicants must meet the minimum requirements above and meet the following NT nomination criteria:
- have post-qualification work experience of at least 2 years in your nominated occupation in the last 5 years (note: additional work experience may be required for some occupations under the priority occupations stream)
- demonstrate a genuine commitment to live and work in the NT on a long-term basis
- declare that they have the financial capacity to settle in the NT
- meet criteria against one of the 3 streams below.
Please note: those applying under the NT Family stream or the NT Job Offer stream can nominate any occupation on the national eligibility list
Priority occupation stream
Offshore applicants under this stream must:
- have a full migration skills assessment in an occupation listed on the Northern Territory Offshore Migration Occupations List (NTOMOL)
- meet any additional work experience required for the occupation as specified on the NTOMOL.
NT Family Stream
Offshore applicants under this stream must:
have a family member in the NT who:
- is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen (see definition on Home Affairs website) or hold one of the following visas:
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 491
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 494
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 489
- a bridging visa granted in association with an application for a Skilled Regional Visa subclass 887 or Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) subclass 191 visa
- is usually resident in the Northern Territory, and has been living in the NT for at least 12 months
- is the applicant’s eligible relative* or their partner’s eligible relative if their partner is also intending to apply for the same visa (see below for definition of eligible relative)
- has confirmed in a statutory declaration that they are willing and able to provide settlement support to the applicant and migrating dependants including assistance with finding accommodation and employment in the NT
- is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen (see definition on Home Affairs website) or hold one of the following visas:
- have evidence of sustained efforts to seek employment in the NT, including evidence of research in to the NT job market, and sustained records of applying for jobs in the NT or making contact with NT employers
*an eligible relative must be the applicant’s or their spouse/partner’s:
- parent
- child or step-child
- brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
- aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
- nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
- first cousin, or
- grandparent
NT Job Offer Stream
Offshore applicants under this stream must have a verifiable job offer in their nominated occupation for a job that is based in the NT with an NT business / organisation that has been actively operating in the NT for at least 12 months
- Commitment to the NT
Accepting a nomination from Australia's NT Government means that you are agreeing to the following conditions:
- live and work in the NT in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation for at least three years from visa grant
- let the NT Government know the status of your visa application - you need to do this when your visa is granted and when you arrive
- regularly provide your current contact details to the NT Government
- participate in surveys conducted by the NT Government.
If you are offered an NT Government nomination, a declaration form will be issued which will outline these obligations and you will be required to acknowledge, sign and return.
MigrationNT considers a number of factors in assessing commitment to the NT, including:
- length of residency in the NT
- previous travel to the NT
- connections to the NT (for example, close family members being long-term residents of the NT).
- Occupation
All applicants must have a skilled occupation that is on the Australian Government's current list of eligible skilled occupations.
Offshore applicants applying under the Priority Occupation Stream must have an occupation on the NTOMOL.
- Financial capacity to settle in the NT
Moving to a new place can be expensive. Skilled migrants to the NT are responsible for supporting themselves when they arrive in the NT, and the NT Government does not provide financial assistance.
It is important that you undertake research into the cost of living in the NT, and ensure that you have the financial capacity to successfully settle. The table below provides guidance on the level of financial resources that you may need depending on your family composition:
Family composition Minimum value of net assets Individual applicant AU$35 000 Applicant and spouse AU$50 000 Applicant and spouse plus one child AU$60 000 Applicant and spouse plus two children AU$65 000