• Northern Territory nomination requirements – 190 and 491 visa

Subclass 190 & 491 visa

Northern Territory – Government Nomination Requirements(2024-2025)


2024-25 State and territory nomination allocations – Northern Territory

The Australian Government has issued Northern Territory’s allocation for the state and territory  nominated visa categories for the 2024-25 program year. The allocations are:

  • Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 800 places (+550)
  • Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 800 places (+400)

MigrationNT is continuing to receive and assess onshore applications for nomination. Please note that offshore applications have been temporarily suspended. Existing offshore applications will continue to be assessed. We hope to be in a position to re-open with revised settings for offshore applications by 12 August 2024.

What is a Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa?

This is a permanent visa which lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.

You will need a nomination from an Australian state or territory government such as Australia’s NT Government.

If you are nominated for the subclass 190 by the NT Government, you will be expected to live and work in the Territory for at least three years from visa grant.

What is the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa?

This is a provisional five year visa that will allow you and your dependant family members to live, work and study in a regional area such as the NT.

You will need a nomination from an Australian state or territory government such as Australia’s NT Government or an eligible family member.

If you are nominated for the subclass 491 by the NT Government, you and your dependant family members will be expected to live, work and study in the NT for at least three years before qualifying for a permanent residency pathway.

You may be subject to reporting commitments by the Department of Home Affairs.


What is a Northern Territory Government nomination?

Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) Government can nominate you for a skilled visa(190 visa/491 visa) if you:

  • meet Australian Government’s standard requirements, and
  • meet NT Government’s nomination eligibility, and
  • commit to living and working in the Territory within your skilled occupation for at least three years upon the grant of your visa.

NT Nomination Application Steps

  1. Check Visa Eligibility: Assess your eligibility against the Department of Home Affairs requirements (age, English level, skills assessment, and migration points test).
  2. NT Nomination Eligibility: Ensure you meet the NT nomination criteria.
  3. Submit EOI: Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
  4. Apply for NT Nomination: Use the online application system to apply for NT Government nomination.
  5. Receive Invitation: If nominated, you’ll receive a SkillSelect invitation to apply for your visa.
  6. Apply for Visa: Submit your visa application through your Immi account.
  7. Visa Decision: The Department of Home Affairs will notify you of the decision on your visa application.
  8. Commit to NT: If your visa is granted, fulfill your long-term commitments to live and work in the NT.

Visa Eligibility

  • be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination.
  • have at least Competent English.
  • have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the skilled occupation list Skilled Occupation List.
  • have achieved at least 65 points on the Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

NT Nomination Eligibility

If you already live in Australia – NT graduates
Eligibility for a subclass 190 nomination

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 on a full-time basis in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years (4 semesters) 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 subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa or a bridging visa associated with a subclass 485 visa application (Note: this requirement does not apply for graduates who have completed all their Australian studies in the NT and are unable to qualify for a Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa only due to the age limit), and
  • demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. This can be met 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.

* 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.

Eligibility for a subclass 491 nomination

International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 491 nomination if you have met the following criteria before applying for nomination:

  • successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying on a full-time basis in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years (4 semesters) in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
  • demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts and progress towards obtaining employment from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. This can be met through evidence of a number of applications made over a period of time for jobs in relevant occupations in the NT, any relevant employment held and other supporting evidence such as membership in relevant professional associations, or positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT. 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.

Please note the following general information:

  • if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
  • if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and have not completed studies in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
  • if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination.
If you already live in Australia – Other NT residents

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

Eligibility for a subclass 190 nomination

NT resident applicants will be considered for a subclass 190 nomination if you meet the following requirements before applying for nomination:

  • demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 2 consecutive years immediately before applying for nomination
  • demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
  • demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in your nominated occupation or related occupation for at least 2 years immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months. 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 requirements specified below.
Eligibility for a subclass 491 nomination

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

  • 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 their nominated or related occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination in a position that is is available for at least a further 12 months. 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 requirements specified below.

Additional employment requirements for NT residents:

  • 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 notbe considered favourably
  • you must be paid at market salary.

Applicants who have not been employed in their nominated occupation or a related occupation will generally not qualify for NT nomination.

Applicants who meet all of the other requirements specified above but are employed outside of their nominated or related occupation may qualify for a subclass 491 nomination on an exceptional and case by case basis if they are employed in one of the following critical sectors: health, aged or disabled care, education (including childcare), hospitality, construction and the trades.

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. Applicants who are unable to provide a letter of support from their employer must provide a detailed statement explaining the reasons as to why they are unable to do so.

Please note the following general information:

  • if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
  • if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and have not completed studies in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
  • if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination.
If you apply from outside Australia

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 2 years in your nominated occupation in the last 5 years (note: additional work experience may be 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
  • declare that they have the 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

Commitment to the NT

Accepting a nomination from Australia’s NT Government means that you are agreeing to the following conditions:

  • live and work in the NT in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation for at least three years from visa grant
  • let the NT Government know the status of your visa application – you need to do this when your visa is granted and when you arrive
  • regularly provide your current contact details to the NT Government
  • participate in surveys conducted by the NT Government.

If you are offered an NT Government nomination, a declaration form will be issued which will outline these obligations and you will be required to acknowledge, sign and return.

MigrationNT considers a number of factors in assessing commitment to the NT, including:

  • length of residency in the NT
  • previous travel to the NT
  • connections to the NT (for example, close family members being long-term residents of the NT).
Occupation

All applicants must have a skilled occupation that is on the Australian Government’s current list of eligible skilled occupations.

Offshore applicants applying under the Priority Occupation Stream must have an occupation on the NTOMOL.

Financial capacity to settle in the NT

Moving to a new place can be expensive. Skilled migrants to the NT are responsible for supporting themselves when they arrive in the NT, and the NT Government does not provide financial assistance.

It is important that you undertake research into the cost of living in the NT, and ensure that you have the financial capacity to successfully settle. The table below provides guidance on the level of financial resources that you may need depending on your family composition:

Family composition Minimum value of net assets
Individual applicant AU$35 000
Applicant and spouse AU$50 000
Applicant and spouse plus one child AU$60 000
Applicant and spouse plus two children AU$65 000
Book a Consultation

Select a state below to see it’s 190 visa requirements:

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State and territory requirements

Each state and territory has its own list of occupations, requirements and processes you must follow.

More information about the requirements and processes on how Australian states or territories nominate applicants is available.

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