Northern Territory 190 visa requirements

Residence

If you already live in Australia

Eligible NT Graduates:

International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you have met the following criteria before applying for nomination:

• successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
• lived in the NT for a period of at least six continuous months immediately after the date of completion* of your last qualification, while holding a visa that has no work limitations (graduates will be required to apply for a subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa to enable this); the time spent on a bridging visa associated with a subclass 485 visa application can be counted in the six month period, and
• demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

International student graduates who are unable to live in the NT for six months after completing two years of study in the NT will only be considered for a subclass 491 nomination. You must provide evidence of making genuine efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

You will be expected to demonstrate genuine efforts and progress towards being employed in the NT in your nominated occupation both during and after your studies. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

* Date of completion is the date on which you were notified that you have met all academic course requirements. This is the date when the final exam results or notice of course completion were available or published.

** Genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment can be demonstrated through evidence of a number of applications made over a period of time for jobs in relevant occupations in the NT, and other supporting evidence such as membership in relevant professional associations, or positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT.

Other NT residents:

An NT resident applicant includes those on temporary visas with work rights, currently residing in the NT.

NT resident applicants will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you:

• demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least two consecutive years immediately prior to application
• demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
• demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation continuously for at least two years immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.

NT resident applicants will be considered for a subclass 491 nomination if you meet the following requirements:

• applicants who started living in the NT prior to 1 July 2020, must:
  • demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to application
  • demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
  • demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.
• applicants who start living in the NT on or after 1 July 2020, must:
  • demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
  • demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
  • demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.

An eligible occupation for this purpose is:

• the occupation identified in the skills assessment (nominated occupation), or
• an occupation that is related to the nominated occupation. In order to be related to the nominated occupation, the majority of time in the position must be spent on tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required to undertake the nominated occupation.

The employment must also meet the following additional requirements:

• the position must be based in the NT, and the employer must have a record of trading in the NT for at least 12 months
• positions that are based at serviced office spaces or involve hot-desking arrangements will generally not be considered favourably
• you must be paid at market salary.

Applicants who have not been employed in an eligible occupation will generally not qualify for NT nomination.

Applicants who have been employed on a full-time basis for at least six consecutive months in an occupation that is not an eligible occupation may qualify for a subclass 491 nomination on an exceptional and case by case basis if you are able to demonstrate the following:

• the employer has made genuine efforts to recruit locally and the position cannot be filled by an Australian citizen or permanent resident – at a minimum, evidence should include copies of advertisements placed, and a statement from the employer detailing the number of applicants and reasons as to why no Australian citizens or permanent residents have not been recruited
• there is a genuine need for the position in the business – at a minimum, evidence should include a detailed statement from the employer explaining the need for the position and how the vacancy arose
• you have made genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment in your nominated occupation or a related occupation in the NT – at a minimum, evidence must include copies / screenshots of applications made for relevant jobs and any feedback received.

Applicants who are on a Temporary Work (Skilled)(subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) must provide a letter of support from your current subclass 457 or subclass 482 sponsoring business stating that they:

• support your visa application
• understand that you will not be tied to their business once the subclass 491 / subclass 190 visa is granted.

The NT Government may contact your employer. There may be circumstances where the need for support from your current employer can be waived.

If you are offshore

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 one year in your nominated occupation in the last 10 years (note: additional work experience 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
• have evidence of 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

1. 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.
2. 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 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
   • 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
3. 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

Employability

You must provide strong evidence of good employment prospects in the NT either in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

You can show you have good employment prospects by providing:

• an offer of employment letter from an NT employer
• a statement describing how your skills and experience meet NT employer needs
• evidence that your occupation has been advertised in the NT multiple times and detailed explanations of how your qualifications and experience match the job vacancies
• evidence of positive feedback from potential NT employers.

Related:

• State requirements for 190 visa
• State requirements for 491 visa