190 visa or the Skilled Nominated Visa is a pathway that is used to get Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia. This pathway requires a nomination from a specific state of Australia like New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC). If you are someone who is targeting the New South Sales 190 visa, then you are seeking to reside in the most vibrant and economic hub of Australia. In 2026, the NSW 190 visa is no longer using the traditional first-in first-out (FIFO) method but is now implemented with a Targeted Sector Invitation system.
With more than 13 years of experience in handling various applications in the field of visa services, BJay Education & Visa Services has meticulously drafted this guide to help you through the changes that have occurred in NSW 190 visa applications in the recent March update. This comprehensive guide has been drafted in order to help you navigate the changes that have incurred with the latest 2026 updates. This guide has backed up with the data from Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to assure that you are provided with the latest and correct information as of March 2026 that you need for your NSW subclass 190 visa application.
NSW 190 Visa
As discussed previously, the subclass 190 visa is a pathway that requires nomination from a state of Australia. NSW 190 visa basically means that it is a skilled nominated visa that is nominated by the state of New South Wales (NSW) for the occupations that are available on the NSW Skills Lists. The 190 visa allows you to stay in the turf of Australia indefinitely as a Permanent Resident of Australia. As this is a nominated visa subclass, it basically means that you have chosen by the state of NSW to fill the critical skill gap in the state using the 190 visa program.
Core Benefits of 190 visa in 2026:
Location Freedom
Even though the NSW 190 visa requires a nomination from a specific state of NSW, it usually provides you with more geographic flexibility than other visa programs like 491 regional visa programs. Unlike other regional visa programs that restrict you to stay in category 2 or 3 areas of Australia, the 190 visa provides you with the right to live and work in metropolitan hubs like Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane (depending on which state nominated you).
As a PR holder of Australia, you have the fundamental right to travel freely all over Australia, even if you have a moral obligation to stay in your nominating state for the first two years of 190 visa.
Unlimited Stay and Work Rights
As the subclass 190 visa is a PR visa program, it provides you with the right to stay and work freely in the turf of Australia. As compared to other visa programs, you are not tied to a single employer or specific sponsor and can work for any occupation, any employer, or even are eligible to start your new business.
Immediate PR
The main benefit of the 190 visa is that it is an immediate PR pathway. As compared to other provisional or temporary visa programs, this visa program doesn’t require you to transition after certain conditions that are to be applied. This visa program provides the benefit of family security where your dependents like partner and children are able to receive PR in Australia.
Pathway to Citizenship
The 190 visa is the most legal bridge that can help you becoming an eligible Australian citizenship holder. As a PR holder of Australia, your residency clock starts immediately and are eligible to apply for the citizenship of Australia after living for four years (with at least the last 12 months as a Permanent Resident).
Latest Updates for NSW 190 Visa (March 2026)
With the latest updates in the migration scenes of Australia in 2026, the NSW government has also implemented several hard rules and strategic shifts that affect your 2025-26 program year. With these changes in effect, it directly impacts on your eligibility and timing of your invitations.
Cut-off Rule
As of the updates in recent March 1, 2026, the most recent invitation rounds, the Investment NSW has now implemented a mandatory EOI Update deadline where all the candidates were required to have their SkillSelect profiles to be updated and completed accurately by COB Sunday, 1st March 2026.
With this change, the changes that were made after the specified date such as a new English Test Result or a document were not considered for the March 4 invitation rounds.
Updated Quota & Allocation Tracking
For the program year 2025-26, the state of NSW was allocated with a total allocation cap of 2,100 places for the specific subclass of 190 visa. As of late March 2026, 65-70% of the total allocation spaces are said to be fulfilled and utilized. With the allocation cap having high fulfillment, the remaining places for this subclass have been reduced to a few hundred for the upcoming April and May invitation rounds.
5-Day Validity
In order to improve integrity in the application process, the NSW has now strictly enforced that your Skills Assessment and English Language Test like IETLS, PTE, TOEFL are required to be valid for at least 5 days after you have successfully submitted your state nomination application. With this update, you need to make sure that your Skills Assessment and English Language Test Result have a proper validity. In case, your documents expire while NSW is processing your application, which is usually 2-6 weeks long, then your application for the state nomination will be refused without any refunds provided.
Mandatory Residency Requirements
The updates that have been implemented in 2026 guidelines have clarified the residency requirement rule that is basically used to prevent the pitfall of “state-hopping” in Australia. Hence, with the latest updates, the NSW 190 visa requires you have lived 6 months in the state of NSW continuously or must have lived offshore for 6 months. In a case scenario where if you are living in another state of Australia be it Victoria or Queensland then you are not an eligible candidate for the NSW 190 visa invitations.
NSW 190 visa Skills List 2026
The NSW skills list for the 190 visa is categorized by ANZSCO unit groups. This basically means that if your specific occupation digit code of 6 digits belongs to the eligible 4-digit group then you are eligible to lodge your EOI via SkillSelect for the NSW nomination. E.g. if your occupation is e.g., 261313 Software Engineer then it belongs to 2613 Software and Applications Programmers and makes you an eligible candidate.
The following table consists of the full list of occupations that are eligible for the NSW 190 visa program in 2026 with their priority, estimated points required and the assessing body of the specific occupation.
| ANZSCO Code | Unit Group Name | Priority | Est. Points | Assessing Body |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1325 | Research and Development Managers | Medium | 90+ | VETASSESS |
| 1331 | Construction Managers | High | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 1332 | Engineering Managers | High | 90+ | Engineers Australia/VETASSESS |
| 1334 | Manufacturers | Medium | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 1335 | Production Managers | Medium | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 1341 | Child Care Centre Managers | Critical | 80+ | TRA |
| 1342 | Health and Welfare Services Managers | Critical | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 1343 | School Principals | Critical | 80+ | AITSL |
| 1351 | ICT Managers | Competitive | 100+ | ACS |
| 2245 | Land Economists and Valuers | Medium | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 2321 | Architects and Landscape Architects | High | 90+ | AACA/VETASSESS |
| 2322 | Surveyors and Spatial Scientists | High | 85+ | SSSI |
| 2326 | Urban and Regional Planners | High | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 2331 | Chemical and Materials Engineers | High | 85+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2332 | Civil Engineering Professionals | High | 85+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2333 | Electrical Engineers | High | 90+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2334 | Electronics Engineers | High | 90+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2335 | Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers | High | 90+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2336 | Mining Engineers | Medium | 85+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2339 | Other Engineering Professionals | High | 90+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2341 | Agricultural and Forestry Scientists | Medium | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 2342 | Chemists, and Food and Wine Scientists | Medium | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 2343 | Environmental Scientists | High | 85+ | VETASSESS |
| 2344 | Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists | High | 85+ | Engineers Australia |
| 2347 | Veterinarians | Critical | 75+ | AVBC |
| 2411 | Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers | Critical | 75+ | AITSL |
| 2412 | Primary School Teachers | Critical | 80+ | AITSL |
| 2414 | Secondary School Teachers | Critical | 80+ | AITSL |
| 2421 | University Lecturers and Tutors | Medium | 90+ | VETASSESS |
| 2512 | Medical Imaging Professionals | Critical | 75+ | ASMIRT |
| 2513 | Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals | Critical | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 2515 | Pharmacists | Critical | 80+ | APharmC |
| 2521 | Chiropractors and Osteopaths | Critical | 75+ | CCEA/ANZOC |
| 2524 | Occupational Therapists | Critical | 75+ | OTC |
| 2525 | Physiotherapist | Critical | 75+ | APC |
| 2527 | Audiologist and Speech Pathologists/Therapist | Critical | 75+ | VETASSESS/SPA |
| 2531 | Generalist Medical Practitioners | Critical | 70+ | MBA |
| 2533 | Specialist Physicians | Critical | 70+ | MBA |
| 2534 | Psychiatrists | Critical | 75+ | MBA |
| 2535 | Surgeons | Critical | 75+ | MBA |
| 2539 | Other Medical Practitioners | Critical | 75+ | MBA |
| 2541 | Midwives | Critical | 70+ | ANMAC |
| 2543 | Nurse Managers | Critical | 80+ | ANMAC |
| 2544 | Registered Nurses | Critical | 75+ | ANMAC |
| 2611 | ICT Business and Systems Analysts | Competitive | 100+ | ACS |
| 2613 | Software and Applications Programmers | Competitive | 95+ | ACS |
| 2621 | Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists | Competitive | 100+ | ACS |
| 2631 | Computer Network Professionals | Competitive | 100+ | ACS |
| 2723 | Psychologists | Critical | 80+ | APS |
| 2725 | Social Workers | Critical | 80+ | AASW |
| 3112 | Medical Technicians | Critical | 75+ | VETASSESS |
| 3121 | Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians | High | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 3122 | Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | High | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 3123 | Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | High | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 3125 | Mechanical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | High | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 3129 | Other Building and Engineering Technicians | High | 80+ | VETASSESS |
| 3211 | Automotive Electricians | High | 65+ | TRA |
| 3212 | Motor Mechanics | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3222 | Sheetmetal Trades Workers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3223 | Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers | High | 65+ | TRA |
| 3231 | Aircraft Maintenance Engineers | High | 75+ | TRA |
| 3232 | Metal Fitters and Machinists | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3234 | Toolmakers and Engineering Patternmakers | High | 75+ | TRA |
| 3311 | Bricklayers and Stonemasons | High | 65+ | TRA |
| 3312 | Carpenters and Joiners | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3322 | Painting Trades Workers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3331 | Glaziers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3332 | Plasterers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3333 | Roof Tilers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3334 | Wall and Floor Tilers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3341 | Plumbers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3411 | Electricians | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3421 | Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics | High | 65+ | TRA |
| 3422 | Electrical Distribution Trades Workers | High | 70+ | TRA |
| 3423 | Electronics Trades Workers | High | 75+ | TRA |
| 3424 | Telecommunications Trades Workers | High | 75+ | TRA |
| 3613 | Veterinary Nurses | Critical | 75+ | AVBC |
| 3941 | Cabinetmakers | Medium | 75+ | TRA |
| 4117 | Welfare Support Workers | Critical | 80+ | ACWA |
FAQs
The Skilled Nominated Visa or the Subclass 190 visa is a PR visa program in Australia that is specifically designed to cater the highly skilled professionals that are nominated by a certain state according to the requirements of the state. This visa program under various visa programs provided by the Australian government is used to meet the local economic and skill shortages of the state. Specific states such as New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC) often go to states for the 190 visa.
In the recent update of March 2026, the Investment NSW has introduced a mandatory deadline that requires to comple and update all Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect Portal by COB Sunday, 1 March 2026. Only the EOI that had fulfilled this requirement have been considered for the invitation rounds that were held on March 4, 2026.
As there are numerous occupations on the NSW 190 visa occupation list, the invitation scores for each occupation varied from each other. While highly demanded occupations like Trade occupations (Carpentry, Welders) received invitation as low as 65-70 points, the highly competitive sectors like ICT roles reported to have invitation requirements of about 100 to 110 points.
No. After the latest changes in the NSW 190 visa in 2025-2026, you are not eligible to be nominated for the visa if you have not met the residency requirement of either residing/working in NSW for at least 6 months or residing offshore for 6 months. In case you are living in another state of Australia like Victoria or Queensland, then you are eligible to be nominated for the NSW 190 visa program.
After you have received an invitation from Investment NSW for the nomination process, you have 14 calendar days to lodge your nomination application with the state. in any case, you fail to submit the nomination within this time frame, it will result in invitation expiry, and you will need to wait for a future round for your nomination.
In the recent changes that occurred in March 2026 for the NSW 190 visa, there were some changes that transformed the nomination process for the visa program. The changes that took place are:
- NSW Investment required applicants to update and complete their EOI via SkillSelect within COB Sunday, 1 March 2026 for the invitation round for March 4.
- The March Round showed a wide invitation points gap between high demand trade occupations having scores as less as 65-70 points whereas ICT roles having high scores of 100-110 points.
- The State of NSW tightened the rules for Residency requiring applicants to be onshore in the state of NSW for 6 months or be offshore for 6 months. It strictly implied that you weren’t eligible to apply for the nomination if you were living in another state of Australia.
If you are someone who is applying for the nomination with the NSW 190 visa then you need to understand the skilled nominated visa subclass 190. As this visa program requires a blend of migration expertise, it requires a strategic partner to help you with your lodgment.
Why BJay?
Proven Expertise: With 13 years of experience in Visa services in Australia, we here at BJay Education & Visa Services have been providing tailored services to help you navigate through the complex migration scenes of Australia.
Expertise Team: Led by Mr. Jay Oli (MARN: 1570827), we have an exceptional team that is there to solve any queries and help you with your application. The team is well trained to provide the services that you may require assistance with.
Global Presence & Local Support: With offices present in multiple locations throughout Nepal (Putalisadak and Birtamode) and a head office in Sydney, BJay provides you with seamless support you may require whether you are in your home country or already in the turf of Australia.
End-to-End Career Support: We here at BJay provide you with the service that ranges from the starting of your career as a Chef in Australia to your final Permanent Residency (PR) Grant making sure no obstacles cause your application to be rejected.
Sector-Specific Precision: We here at BJay have a specialized team to help you with EOI and highlight your abilities that the NSW selection requires. Whether you are a software Engineer or a Tradesperson, we tailor your EOI specialized for you.
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