Moving to Australia?
Victoria Announces Skilled Visa Nomination Updates

-

If Australia is on your relocation shortlist, a new update from the state of Victoria deserves attention.

On October 13, Victoria published information about fees and selection procedures for its 2026–27 skilled visa nomination program. These affect applicants pursuing Victorian nomination for the Skilled Nominated visa, subclass 190, or the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, subclass 491.

The program has not yet opened for Registrations of Interest. An opening date remains unannounced.

For U.S. professionals considering Melbourne or regional Victoria, the update highlights an important distinction: meeting a visa’s eligibility requirements and being selected for state nomination are separate steps.

Eligibility is only part of the process

Australia’s federal points test helps determine eligibility for these skilled visas. Victoria uses its own Victorian Points Test to rank people seeking state nomination.

Victoria’s test has no fixed pass mark. Instead, applicants compete against others in the pool, with invitations depending on their relative ranking and the availability of nomination places.

That means a person can meet the federal requirements and still receive no invitation from Victoria.

What Victoria considers

The Victorian Points Test ranks Registrations of Interest using seven weighted factors:

  • Age

  • English proficiency

  • Experience in the nominated occupation

  • Educational qualifications

  • Occupation skill level

  • Qualifying partner skills, where applicable

  • Earnings from skilled employment in Victoria, where applicable

Applicants can be considered through the general competitive selection process and through selections focused on designated priority industries.

Being in a priority occupation does not guarantee an invitation. Applicants still need to meet the relevant requirements and compete within the selection process.

New fees to include in your budget

Victoria has announced the following service fees for the 2026–27 program. All amounts are in Australian dollars.

StageOutside Australia
In Australia, including GST
Registration of InterestAUD 60AUD 66
Nomination application, if invitedAUD 180AUD 198

The nomination application fee becomes payable only if you are invited and submit that application. These are Victorian nomination fees, so they should not be treated as the total cost of obtaining an Australian visa.

The Registration of Interest fee is charged once per program year. Withdrawing and submitting a new registration during that same year does not trigger another registration fee.

Previous registrations will need attention

If you submitted a Registration of Interest in an earlier program year, you will need to submit a new one when the 2026–27 program opens.

Do not assume an earlier registration will automatically keep you in consideration.

What this means for your relocation plans

If you are exploring skilled migration to Victoria, your preparation should account for both federal visa eligibility and the state’s nomination requirements.

Start by reviewing the official selection criteria, checking how your occupation is classified, and identifying the supporting documents you will need. Include nomination fees in your budget, alongside the other costs associated with your application.

Most importantly, keep the timing realistic. Published program details do not mean registrations are already open, and meeting minimum requirements does not establish how soon you might receive an invitation.

This update concerns skilled migration applicants. It does not announce a general relocation pathway for retirees or remote workers.

Official sources

Information checked October 13, 2026. Program dates and requirements may change. Confirm the current details with the relevant authorities before applying. 

Ready to compare destinations for yourself? Try Leapward™ at https://leapward.report

Questions or experiences to share? Leave a comment below. Comments are public, so please keep personal details out.

Take the leap. Land well.

General information only, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Rules vary by country and change often, so confirm details with official government sources or a qualified professional before you act.

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated before they appear. Please keep it respectful and don’t share personal details such as passport or account numbers.

Popular Posts

Tourist Stay or Long-Term Visa? How to Choose Before You Move Abroad

-
Image
  Most people planning a move abroad start the same way: book a trip, see how it feels, and figure out the paperwork later. That works for a while. Then the questions start. How long can you actually stay? Can you open a bank account? Can you work? What happens when the clock runs out? The answer usually comes down to one choice: a tourist stay or a long-term visa. Here’s how they differ and how to decide which one fits your plans. WHAT A TOURIST STAY IS A tourist stay is permission to visit for a short, fixed period. Many countries let Americans enter without applying for a visa in advance. That’s often called visa-free or visa-exempt entry. It doesn’t mean you can stay as long as you like. Officers still grant permission at the border, and the limit can range from a few weeks to several months depending on the country. What a tourist stay usually gives you: A set number of days, with a firm end date Little or no paperwork before you go Flexibility to test a destination be...
Read more

Welcome to The Leapward™ Journal

-
Moving abroad is one of the biggest decisions a person can make, and most of the information out there is scattered, outdated, or written for someone else’s situation. The Leapward™ Journal is our attempt to fix part of that. Here we publish practical guides for U.S. citizens thinking about a move abroad, covering the questions people tend to run into long before they pack a single box: Visas and residency: what a tourist stay allows, what a long-term visa requires, and where the two differ Healthcare: what U.S. coverage does and does not follow you overseas Taxes and banking: what changes, and what still applies to you wherever you live Everyday life: phone service, driving, family, and the costs that surprise people Rules change, so we point to official sources where we can and flag anything worth double-checking. The Journal is a companion to Leapward™, our relocation comparison tool. It lets you compare destinations side by side based on your own priorities. Try it at ...
Read more

Can You Stack Tourist Stays Into a Long-Term Stay?

-
 You find a place you like, settle into a routine, and start wondering: could you stay longer by extending your visit? Or leave for a few days, come back, and start again? Sometimes there is a lawful way to spend more time there. But the answer depends on the destination, the permission you entered under, and your previous stays. An extension, a new admission, and permission to live in a country are different things. Before building your plans around repeated tourist stays, it helps to understand how those differences affect you. Extensions and re-entry work differently An extension gives you permission to remain beyond your current departure deadline, subject to the destination’s requirements and approval. Re-entry means leaving and asking to enter again. A “border run” usually describes a brief trip outside the country made in hopes of receiving another visitor admission. Neither approach follows one worldwide rule. Colombia counts tourist days across a calendar year. Costa Ri...
Read more