NSW 190 Nomination Opens for 2026–27: Is Your Occupation on the List?

Key dates eligibility and the full occupation list

New South Wales has opened its 2026–27 Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) nomination program. The state has also published an updated NSW Skills List, while all NSW nomination pathways for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) remain closed to new applicants.

For skilled workers in Australia and overseas, the update is a reason to check occupation eligibility and review the information in SkillSelect. For employers, it may be relevant to skilled employees considering permanent residence and longer-term workforce planning.

First invitation round expected from 19 October

In its latest program update, Investment NSW says it expects to conduct the first subclass 190 invitation round in the week commencing 19 October 2026. This is an expected timeframe; it does not confirm that a round has already occurred or that any particular applicant will be invited.

Who can be considered for subclass 190 nomination

The subclass 190 is a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by an Australian state or territory. Nomination is the state’s support for a visa application. The Department of Home Affairs makes the visa decision.

You must meet both the visa requirements and NSW’s nomination requirements. Key visa requirements include:

• Being under 45 when invited to apply for the visa.
• Having an eligible occupation and a suitable, valid skills assessment. This is an assessment by the relevant authority of your skills for that occupation.
• Meeting Home Affairs’ English language requirements, including at least Competent English at the time of invitation.
• Having at least 65 points, including the five points available through state nomination. Points are awarded for factors such as age, English, qualifications and skilled work experience.
• Meeting health, character and other applicable visa requirements.

For NSW nomination, your assessed occupation must also fall within a group on the updated NSW Skills List. You must meet one of these work or residence criteria:

• Work in NSW in your nominated occupation for pay for at least 20 hours a week; or
• Live in NSW and have lived there continuously for at least six months; or
• Live overseas and have lived overseas continuously for at least six months.

Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation, nomination or visa grant.

Prepare your EOI and understand the invitation process

An Expression of Interest, or EOI, is the online profile you submit through SkillSelect to register your interest in a skilled visa. It records your occupation, qualifications, English results, work experience and other information used to calculate an indicative points score.

Keep your EOI up to date before the expected round and make sure every claim can be supported with valid documents. Check your skills assessment, English evidence and points claims carefully. An EOI is not a visa application and does not give you a visa or permission to remain in Australia.

NSW uses a competitive invitation process. You cannot apply directly for subclass 190 nomination. NSW considers factors including points, age, English, education and skilled experience; changing the date of an EOI does not improve its ranking.

If NSW invites you, you have 14 days to apply for nomination with evidence supporting your EOI claims. NSW says this period will not be extended and nomination applications are typically assessed within six weeks. This is separate from the later Home Affairs visa invitation, which generally gives 60 days to lodge a visa application.

Subclass 491 pathways remain closed

All NSW nomination pathways for the subclass 491 visa remain closed to new applicants. No reopening date is included in the latest update. NSW is reviewing the program settings and will publish further information when available.

The newly updated skills list applies to subclass 190 only. It should not be treated as a reopened or updated subclass 491 program. Applicants with an existing NSW 491 nomination application should follow NSW’s published instructions for those applications.

What the update means for employers

NSW employers may wish to discuss the update with skilled employees exploring permanent residence. The occupation list can help identify whether an employee’s occupation may be considered, but selection remains competitive. Workforce plans should allow for the employee’s current visa conditions and other suitable migration options, rather than assuming an invitation will arrive.

NSW Health deployment opportunities

The NSW Health Deployment Program offers nurses, midwives and allied health professionals opportunities to work across regional, rural and remote NSW. Placements of two to 13 weeks are available, with travel, accommodation and other benefits. Additional financial support can depend on the placement and applicable conditions.

The Central Resource Unit stream is open to internal and external applicants. The separate Deployment EOI stream is for existing NSW Health staff responding to urgent workforce needs and requires manager approval. These employment opportunities have their own eligibility and work rights requirements; participation does not itself provide NSW visa nomination.

How the updated NSW occupation list works

The 2026–27 NSW Skills List reflects critical skills priorities in the NSW State Migration Plan 2024–28. It identifies occupations by ANZSCO unit group. ANZSCO is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations; a unit group is a four-digit category containing related individual occupations.

All individual occupations within a listed group can be considered only if they are also eligible for the subclass 190 visa. Occupations outside the listed groups will not be considered for NSW nomination. Check your exact occupation code, rather than relying on a job title alone.

Full NSW occupation list for subclass 190

The table contains all 78 occupation groups on the updated list. These are group codes, not individual six-digit occupation codes.

Source: NSW Government, NSW skills lists. Information current at 16 October 2026.

How can we help

SCA Connect can review your occupation, skills assessment, EOI and supporting documents, assess NSW nomination eligibility and explain other migration pathways that may suit your circumstances. We can also help employers understand migration options for their skilled workforce.

Information current at 16 October 2026. Program settings and eligibility requirements may change. This article provides general information; advice should take account of your individual circumstances.