Queensland Skilled Nomination 2026-27: 190 and 491 Pathways, Requirements and How to Register

Queensland's State Nominated Migration Program for 2026-27 opened for Registrations of Interest (ROIs) on 6 November 2026. Migration Queensland nominates for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas through five pathways. Four are for people already living in Queensland, and one is for skilled workers overseas.

One condition applies to onshore applicants before they start. You must have lodged your 2025-26 tax return and received your ATO Notice of Assessment before you submit an ROI, because the ROI asks for the taxable income it shows. Everyone needs a new ROI for 2026-27, including people who lodged one in an earlier year and weren't nominated.

Meeting the criteria doesn't mean you'll be invited. The state calls the program highly competitive, and it selects on its own factors rather than mainly on your SkillSelect points.

The five Queensland pathways for 2026-27

For the onshore pathways, the work requirement isn't a one-off test. You must still meet it when you submit the ROI, when you're invited and when you're nominated.

Worked example: an onshore applicant who has lived and worked in Queensland for 7 of the last 12 months can't submit a 190 ROI under the skilled workers pathway, which needs 9 of the last 12. If the occupation is in the building and construction pathway, 3 continuous months is enough for either visa.

What every skilled pathway requires

Except for the small business owners pathway, all four skilled pathways share a core set of requirements:

• Skills assessment: a valid skills assessment for an occupation on Queensland's onshore list, or its offshore list for overseas applicants. Chefs and cooks working in takeaway or fast-food businesses aren't eligible on the onshore and graduate pathways.
• Points: 65 or more on the Department's points test.
• English: at least competent English.

Each pathway's work experience has to meet these rules:

• gained after you completed your qualification
• at least 20 hours a week (paid hours, for the onshore pathways)
• in your nominated occupation, or a closely related one with the same first three ANZSCO digits

Casual work counts, and several eligible jobs can be added together.

The graduates pathway is the exception on occupation. Your degree must be a bachelor's, master's or PhD from a Queensland university or tertiary institution, completed entirely in Queensland, meeting the Australian study requirement, with graduation after 1 July 2022. It doesn't have to match your nominated occupation, and the work can be in any Skill Level 1 job. But points in your EOI can still be claimed only for work in your nominated or a closely related occupation.

Some occupations on the Queensland lists are open for the 491 only. And Queensland won't nominate you for the 190 if you've been nominated for, applied for or hold a 491 or 489.

Small business owners: a closing window

This pathway is for the 491 only, and it's narrowing. The business purchase option has closed. For a start-up, the business must have been started between 1 June 2024 and 19 September 2025, and your ROI must be in before 30 April 2027.

You need to show:

• a profitable business you started and have run continuously for at least 2 years
• turnover of at least $200,000 in the 12 months before the ROI
• 100% ownership, or joint ownership only with your spouse or de facto partner
• that you live and run the business in an eligible regional Queensland postcode

There's an exemption from the two-year rule for businesses started between 1 May 2025 and 19 September 2025 that can't reach two years by 30 April 2027. The profit and turnover requirements still apply. Your occupation must be on the Department's skilled occupation lists, but it doesn't have to be on Queensland's onshore list. Home-based businesses, passive investments, daigou businesses and several other types aren't accepted.

How Queensland chooses who to invite

Migration Queensland says it doesn't mainly select on the points in your Expression of Interest (EOI). It uses your EOI and ROI to find the candidates best placed to meet Queensland's economic and workforce needs. Its selection factors include:

• your skills, qualifications and work experience
• your salary and your ability to secure and keep a job
• where in Queensland you work
• your age and English
• your partner's skills and English

For onshore candidates it also weighs current workforce demand, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas. Graduates of a Queensland institution may be prioritised for invitation.

ROI rules are strict. Your SkillSelect EOI has to be no more than 715 days old, and one due to expire within 14 days won't be considered. If you live in Queensland, your EOI must list Australia as your usual country of residence. You choose one visa subclass per ROI. You can have one valid ROI at a time, it can't be updated once submitted, and if you submit more than one, only the latest counts. If you're invited, you have 14 calendar days to lodge your evidence.

Fees and the commitment you make

No refund is given under any circumstances, including if the visa is later refused. GST is charged on any payment made within Australia, whether you pay or your agent does.

Nomination comes with a commitment. For a 190, you commit to living and working in Queensland for at least 2 years after the visa is granted, or after you arrive if you're overseas. For a 491, it's at least 3 years in regional Queensland. A 491 small business owner must also keep running the business for at least 3 years after grant, and can't sell or relocate it without Migration Queensland's approval.

Before you submit, lodge your 2025-26 tax return and wait for the Notice of Assessment if you're onshore, and make sure your SkillSelect EOI matches what you can prove. An ROI can't be corrected after you submit it, only replaced.

FAQ

Is Queensland open for 491 visa nomination?

Yes. Queensland's 2026-27 program opened for Registrations of Interest on 6 November 2026, for both the 190 and the 491. The 491 has four pathways: onshore skilled workers, building and construction workers, Queensland graduates, and regional small business owners. Overseas skilled workers can also be nominated for the 491.

What are the criteria for nomination to Queensland?

For the skilled pathways, you need a valid skills assessment for an occupation on Queensland's onshore or offshore list, at least 65 points, at least competent English and work experience that meets your pathway's rules. Onshore applicants must also have lodged their 2025-26 tax return and received the ATO Notice of Assessment before submitting an ROI.

Is 75 points enough for a 190 visa in Queensland?

Points alone don't decide it. Queensland needs at least 65 points, but Migration Queensland says it doesn't mainly select on the points in your EOI. It weighs skills, work experience, salary, job location, age, English and your partner's skills, and invites the most competitive applicants at the time.

Who is eligible for a 491 visa in Queensland?

Skilled workers on one of Queensland's occupation lists who meet a pathway's work experience rules. Onshore skilled workers need at least 6 of the last 9 months living and working in regional Queensland. Construction workers need 3 continuous months in Queensland. Regional small business owners need a qualifying start-up with $200,000 turnover.

What is the latest update on Queensland's migration program?

On 30 October 2026, Migration Queensland published its 2026-27 State Nominated Migration Program with updated requirements. Registrations of Interest opened on 6 November 2026. Onshore applicants must have lodged their 2025-26 tax return and received an ATO Notice of Assessment before submitting an ROI.

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Not sure which Queensland pathway fits, or whether your work history meets the months test? Book a consultation and we'll check your EOI and evidence before you submit an ROI you can't edit. Our permanent residency planning service compares Queensland with Victoria and the ACT.