Information current as at October 2026. Western Australia has not published separate 2026-27 criteria; the requirements on this page are WA’s current published settings (labelled 2025-26), which WA is using for its 2026-27 invitations.
Western Australia English requirements (all streams)
You must meet the English language requirements shown below in all four components in a single Department of Home Affairs approved English test.
If you have a passport from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or Ireland, you don’t need to sit an English test to be eligible for Western Australian State nomination.
Under WA’s current State Nominated Migration Program settings (labelled 2025-26 and used for 2026-27 invitations), all streams require at least competent English. The earlier rule that managers and professionals (ANZSCO Major Groups 1 and 2) had to show proficient English no longer applies. British National (Overseas) passports are not accepted as evidence of competent English.
The minimum scores depend on when you sat the test, because Home Affairs changed its score tables on 7 August 2025. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 can be used until 6 August 2028.
Table 1 – Competent English: tests taken on or before 6 August 2025
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| IELTS | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | B | B | B | B |
| TOEFL iBT | 12 | 13 | 21 | 21 |
| PTE Academic | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 169 | 169 | 169 | 169 |
Table 2 – Competent English: tests taken on or after 7 August 2025
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| IELTS Academic or General Training | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| TOEFL iBT | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 163 | 163 | 170 | 179 |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 57 | 60 | 64 | 70 |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | 56 | 55 | 57 | 48 |
Higher English scores can still help you, because they earn extra points in the skilled migration points test (10 points for Proficient, 20 points for Superior). See our guide to the English test changes from 7 August 2025.
Western Australia State Nominated Migration Program streams
Western Australia (WA) nominates skilled migrants for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) through its State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP), run by WA Migration Services. WA issued its first 2026-27 invitations in September 2026 and another round on 14 October 2026. It has not published separate 2026-27 criteria, so the stream criteria below are WA’s current published settings (labelled 2025-26 on the WA website), which it is using for 2026-27 invitations.
You must be skilled in an occupation in one of these streams:
- General stream, WASMOL Schedule 1: occupations on Schedule 1 of the WA Skilled Migration Occupation List. Needs at least one year of work experience and, for the 190, a WA employment contract.
- General stream, WASMOL Schedule 2: occupations on Schedule 2. No work experience requirement, but a WA employment contract is needed for the 190.
- Graduate stream: international students who studied in WA for at least two years and completed a WA qualification at Certificate III level or above. Occupations must be on the Graduate occupation list (GOL).
- Defence industry stream: occupations on WASMOL Schedule 3.
Occupations on the WASMOL and GOL do not mean there is a job vacancy, and the lists can be updated at any time. See our Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) page.
Requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Schedule 1 (190) | Schedule 1 (491) | Schedule 2 (190) | Schedule 2 (491) | Graduate (190 and 491) |
| Occupation on the relevant WA list | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (GOL) |
| Home Affairs requirements (under 45, 65 points, skills assessment) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Competent English in all four components | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| At least 1 year of Australian or overseas work experience | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Full-time WA employment contract with 6 months remaining | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| WA qualification (Certificate III or higher) and two years of WA study | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Applicants invited through a WA building and construction industry occupation do not need an employment contract.
Occupation and skills assessment: your skills assessment occupation must be on WASMOL Schedule 1, available for your visa, and match the occupation in your EOI and nomination application. A provisional skills assessment issued for a 485 visa is not accepted.
Work experience: when you are invited you must have at least one year of Australian work experience, or at least one year of overseas work experience, in your nominated or a closely related occupation within the last 10 years. You cannot add Australian and overseas experience together.
Employment contract (190 only): a full-time WA contract in your nominated or a closely related occupation with at least six months remaining. Medical practitioners can use a Contracted Medical Practitioner Agreement, a private practice partnership agreement, a locum tenens agreement or a similar contract.
Meet Department of Home Affairs requirements
You must meet Home Affairs’ requirements for your intended visa, the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) or the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). Your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect must:
- show that you are seeking nomination from Western Australia;
- show that you are younger than 45;
- claim at least 65 points on the Home Affairs points test;
- include a current and valid migration skills assessment for your nominated occupation;
- nominate an occupation available for your visa on WASMOL Schedule 1 or 2 (General stream) or the GOL (Graduate stream);
- for the Graduate stream, include the address and postcode of the WA campus where you studied; and
- show that you meet the English requirement.
WA checks the information in your EOI. If your points score drops during the process, you must provide evidence for the points you claimed, and WA can withdraw or refuse the application.
Where you live: WA residents are ranked first
WA no longer limits nomination to people living in Australia. Applicants living offshore or in another state can be invited, but they are ranked after applicants living in WA. If you receive a priority invitation because you live in WA, you must prove that you have lived in WA continuously for at least three months before the invitation, and that you still live there when you apply.
- Primary evidence (at least one): a signed WA residential lease in your name with proof of rent and bond lodgement, bank statements showing day-to-day spending in WA, WA mortgage statements, Australian Taxation Office correspondence showing your WA address, or a police check showing your WA address.
- Secondary evidence (at least two): employment records from a WA employer, insurance documents, a letter from a licensed real estate agent, driver’s licence or vehicle registration notices, club or association memberships, medical appointment records, school or childcare enrolments for your children, or WA study records.
Utility bills, phone bills, mail redirection notices and statutory declarations on their own are generally not enough.
A Western Australian qualification and two years of study (Graduate stream)
You must have completed at least one of these qualifications at an accredited WA educational institution:
- a university or higher education qualification: PhD, master’s degree, bachelor honours degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma or bachelor degree; and/or
- a vocational education and training (VET) qualification at Certificate III level or above.
You must also have studied in WA full time, face to face (on campus) for at least two academic years. WA defines this as at least 87 weeks of full-time study, measured from the start and end dates on your completion letters. You can combine study from more than one WA qualification, completed units of a partly completed course, and English language programs (if you also hold an eligible qualification). It does not need to be one continuous period.
- Credits, advanced standing or recognition of prior learning for study outside WA cannot be counted.
- More than 25% online study is not accepted, unless you had to study online because of COVID-19 between 1 February 2020 and 25 November 2023 and you can show you were enrolled as an onshore WA student.
- If part of your course was completed at a reduced study load, you need evidence that your provider approved it.
- Your highest WA qualification decides whether you are ranked in the higher education or the VET group.
Accredited Western Australian institutions
- Universities and higher education providers: registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), with a WA campus offering full-time, on-campus study. Current approved universities with a WA campus include Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, Southern Cross University, the University of Notre Dame Australia and the University of Western Australia (Central Queensland University’s Perth campus closed on 8 December 2023).
- VET providers: registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) or the WA Training Accreditation Council, and on CRICOS, with a WA campus offering full-time, face-to-face study.
- English language program providers: on CRICOS, with a WA campus offering full-time, face-to-face study.
The institution must have met these requirements at the time you studied. WA Migration Services publishes a list of accredited WA institutions.
Evidence required
- award certificates;
- transcripts or statements of attainment showing two years of full-time study in WA; and
- a letter from each education provider confirming the delivery method, start and completion dates and study load.
If you studied on a student visa, also provide your confirmations of enrolment (CoEs) for the two years and evidence of any approved reduced study load.
Meet the work experience requirement (WASMOL Schedule 1)
At the time you are invited, you must have at least one year of Australian work experience or at least one year of overseas work experience in your nominated or a closely related occupation within the last 10 years. This replaces the earlier rule of six months of Australian work experience in the last five years.
- Work experience must be gained after you qualified, in paid employment, for at least 20 hours a week.
- Closely related means the occupation shares the first four digits of your nominated occupation’s ANZSCO code.
- Australian and overseas experience cannot be combined to reach one year.
- A professional year or work placement only counts if it meets all of these rules.
Evidence: payslips (entered in WA’s payslip template) showing the employer name and ABN or overseas equivalent, pay periods, gross and net pay and tax withheld, and employer letters showing your job title, location, duties, dates and salary, with the employer’s business details and contact person.
Meet the employment contract requirement (General stream, 190 only)
For the 190 visa through WASMOL Schedule 1 or 2 you need a contract of employment in WA. A contract is not required for the 491, for the Graduate stream, or for building and construction occupations.
- full time, meaning an average of at least 35 hours a week (two part-time contracts can be combined); casual contracts are not accepted;
- at least six months remaining from the date you apply for nomination (for example, if you apply on 1 January 2027 the contract must not end before 1 July 2027);
- if you have not started, a start date within three months of your application, unless you live offshore;
- in your nominated or a closely related occupation.
The contract must include: the full names of the employer and employee; whether it is permanent full time or fixed term full time; the start date (and end date for fixed-term contracts); the job title, ANZSCO code and job description; terms and conditions no less favourable than for an Australian doing the same work (salary, hours, leave and superannuation, or the relevant award or enterprise agreement); the work location; a statement that the work must be performed by the employee and not contracted out; and dated signatures of both parties. It must be drafted by the employer and provided as one document.
WA also assesses whether the salary meets market rates, whether the business is genuine and operating at the stated location, and whether you bear no financial risk and are given the tools and equipment you need. Contracts for independent contractors or self-employment are not accepted. Contracts from a sole trader are only considered if the sole trader is not the applicant and the contract meets every requirement.
Regional Western Australia only occupations
Earlier WA occupation lists marked some occupations as “regional Western Australia only”. WA’s current lists instead show whether each occupation is available for the 190 and the 491. For the 491 visa, all of WA, including Perth, is a designated regional area.
Settlement funds
Earlier WA program years asked applicants living outside WA to show settlement funds (for example $20,000 for a single person). WA’s current published criteria for the General and Graduate streams do not include a settlement funds requirement. You should still plan for the cost of moving and living in WA, because you agree to live and work in WA for at least two years after your visa is granted.
How WA chooses who to invite
WA expects to issue invitations each month. EOIs are ranked in this order:
- applicants living in WA: building and construction trades first, then other priority sectors (building and construction non-trades, healthcare and social assistance, hospitality and tourism, education and training), then all other sectors;
- applicants living outside WA (interstate and overseas), ranked by the same sector order;
- highest EOI points score;
- earliest EOI submission date.
In the Graduate stream, higher qualifications rank first within each group (PhD or master’s, then honours or other higher degrees, then bachelor degrees; for VET, Advanced Diploma down to Certificate III). If you select both visas, you will generally be invited for the 491 first. WA issues one invitation per EOI and nominates each person only once per program year.
2026-27 invitations to date
| Stream | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 |
| General stream, WASMOL Schedule 1 | 236 | 47 |
| General stream, WASMOL Schedule 2 | 1,135 | 583 |
| Graduate stream, higher education | 187 | 49 |
| Graduate stream, VET | 62 | 28 |
| Total (September and October 2026) | 1,620 | 707 |
Source: WA Migration Services invitation round data (rounds of September and 14 October 2026). Information current as at October 2026.
How to apply for WA state nomination
- Lodge an EOI in SkillSelect that meets the requirements above.
- Prepare your documents: skills assessment, English results, work evidence, WA contract (if needed), WA study evidence (Graduate stream) and WA residence evidence (if you live in WA).
- If invited, apply through the Migration WA Portal within 28 calendar days and pay the non-refundable $200 application fee.
- WA currently quotes 28 working days to assess a decision ready application, and may contact your employers and institutions.
- If approved, WA nominates you in SkillSelect (subject to available places) and you have 60 days to lodge your visa application.
- After the grant, move to WA within three months if you live elsewhere, register your arrival, live and work in WA for two years and complete WA surveys.
You can ask for a review of a WA decision within 14 calendar days. For help with your application, book a consultation with our team, or see our Western Australia 190 visa requirements page.
Frequently asked questions: WA state nomination
What English level does WA require?
At least competent English in all four components for every stream, for example IELTS 6 in each band, or PTE Academic 47, 48, 51 and 54 for tests taken from 7 August 2025. Passport holders from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, the USA and Ireland do not need a test.
Do I still need to live in Australia to apply?
No. Offshore and interstate applicants can be invited, but applicants who have lived in WA for at least three months are ranked first.
How much work experience does WA need?
For WASMOL Schedule 1, at least one year of Australian or one year of overseas experience in the last 10 years. Schedule 2 and the Graduate stream have no work experience requirement.
When do I need a WA employment contract?
Only for the 190 visa through the General stream (Schedule 1 or 2), unless your occupation is in building and construction. It must be full time with at least six months remaining.
Does WA still ask for settlement funds?
WA’s current published criteria do not include a settlement funds requirement. Earlier program years required funds such as $20,000 for a single person.
Can I count online study for the Graduate stream?
Only up to 25% of your study, unless you had to study online because of COVID-19 between 1 February 2020 and 25 November 2023 while enrolled as an onshore WA student.
Australian Migration News: October 2026 Update
Student visa changes from 2 October 2026
After Graduation in Australia: Key PR Pathways for International Students in 2026
What the New Migration Reforms Mean for You
Australia Stops New International Student Enrolments in Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)