13/10/2026
🚨Changes to Victoria State Nomination Program
👉Victoria introduces a points test for skilled visa nominations
👉Victoria now ranks every Registration of Interest (ROI) for state nomination using a new Victorian Points Test (VPT). This applies to the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). The page was published on 9 October 2026.
👉How it works
👉Every ROI gets a VPT total, and ROIs are ranked from highest to lowest. There’s no fixed pass mark. In each invitation round, the highest-scoring ROIs at that time are invited. Your chances depend on how you compare with others in the pool and how many places are left. The VPT sits alongside the federal SkillSelect points test (minimum 65 points), so applicants still need to meet both Australian and Victorian requirements.
👉You can be invited in one of two ways:
✅Most competitive: the top scorers across all eligible occupations.
✅Priority industry: the top scorers within each priority industry for 2026–27.
What earns points
👉The test favours younger, highly qualified applicants with strong English. The main factors are:
✅Age: up to 300 points for ages 20–29, falling steeply after 30 to just 16 points at age 44.
✅English: Competent 0, Proficient 100, Superior 200.
✅Experience in your nominated occupation: up to 100 points for more than 8 years.
✅Education: from 25 points up to 100 for a PhD.
✅Occupation skill level: 50 points for skill level 1 occupations.
✅Partner skills: 50 points if your partner is included on the application, you’ve claimed partner points in SkillSelect and your partner’s occupation is on the priority list.
✅Victorian earnings: from 8 points at $80,000 up to 150 points at $170,000 or more, from current skilled work in Victoria.
👉2026–27 priority industries
✅Healthcare: nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, medical specialists and surgeons.
✅Social assistance: psychologists, social workers and welfare workers.
✅Education: secondary, middle school and special needs teachers, plus early childhood teachers. Early childhood teachers with at least a year’s experience and Proficient or Superior English are prioritised.
✅Construction: professionals such as construction project managers, surveyors and geotechnical engineers, and trades including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tilers, bricklayers and motor mechanics.
The 2026–27 program will open soon for Registrations of Interest (ROIs). Eligibility criteria and further details will be published when the program opens.
