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Workforce Skills Pathways – alternative pathways to obtain 190 or 491 visa Victoria

Update (October 2026)

The Workforce Skills Pathways described below were part of Victoria’s 2021 to 2022 program and are no longer offered. For 2026 to 27, Victoria has 900 places for the subclass 190 visa, new Registrations of Interest opened on 26 October 2026 with monthly selection rounds planned from November 2026, and 491 settings are still to be confirmed. See our Victoria skilled nomination guide and the October 2026 migration news.

Skill gaps in Victoria are addressed through local training and recruitment. In certain instances, industries may require migration to quickly supplement the number of skilled professionals available. Therefore, the Victorian Government has introduced the Workforce Skills Pathways for those people working in certain occupations to apply for Victorian nomination.

You do not need to work in the target sector nor have STEMM skills to apply under the Workforce Skills Pathways.

Current Workforce Skills Pathways (WSP)

Hospitality

To assist industry address labour shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Victorian Government has established the Hospitality pathway for highly skilled cooks and chefs.

You must be eligible under either the subclass 190 or subclass 491 Victorian visa nomination criteria and be living and working in Victoria as a cook or chef.

Early Childhood Educators

The Victorian Government is investing almost $5 billion over the decade to deliver Three-Year-Old Kindergarten. This investment will create an additional 6,000 teaching jobs across Victoria.

You must be eligible under either the subclass 190 or subclass 491 Victorian visa nomination criteria, and be living and working in Victoria as an Early Childhood Educator.  You must also have a relevant skills assessment as an Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership

Victoria visa 190 nomination eligibility

To apply for 190 nomination under the Workforce Skills Pathway, you need to meet the requirement set out by the Victorian Government.

To be eligible to apply for Victorian Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa nomination, you must:

  • have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected
  • live and work in Victoria
  • be under 45 years of age
  • have at least Competent English
  • have a valid Skills Assessment
  • have achieved at least 65 points.

What this means in 2026

The Workforce Skills Pathways were a short term response to pandemic labour shortages. Today there is no separate pathway for cooks, chefs or early childhood educators. Instead, every Victorian applicant goes through one Registration of Interest (ROI) system, and Victoria ranks ROIs using the Victorian Points Test (VPT).

Victoria’s 2026 to 27 program at a glance

  • Subclass 190: 900 nomination places for 2026 to 27 (down from 2,700 in 2025 to 26). ROIs opened on 26 October 2026 and older ROIs have expired, so you must lodge a new one.
  • Subclass 491: place numbers and ROI settings had not been finalised as at late October 2026 (Victoria had 700 places in 2025 to 26).
  • Fees for service: Victoria now charges $60 (excluding GST) to lodge an ROI and $180 (excluding GST) for a nomination application if you are invited.
  • Ranking: the VPT weighs age, English, years of experience, education, occupation skill level, partner skills and earnings from skilled work in Victoria. There is no minimum salary to be eligible.
  • Priority industries: healthcare, social assistance and education occupations, among others, are prioritised, and Victoria may also invite the highest scoring ROIs across all eligible occupations.

The general federal requirements have not changed much since this article: you still need a suitable skills assessment, at least Competent English, to be under 45 when invited and at least 65 points in your SkillSelect Expression of Interest. Because places are much tighter in 2026 to 27, a higher English score, more skilled experience and Victorian work history can make a real difference to your VPT ranking.

Your next steps

  1. Check that your occupation is eligible and obtain a positive skills assessment.
  2. Lodge or update your SkillSelect Expression of Interest for the 190 visa (and the 491 visa if you live in regional Victoria).
  3. Submit a new Victorian ROI for 2026 to 27 and keep your details accurate, especially earnings.
  4. If you are not selected, consider other states or an employer sponsored option such as the Skills in Demand (482) visa.

Not sure where you stand? Book a consultation with a VisaEnvoy registered migration agent.

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