EMC Australia

EMC Australia / EOI & nomination

SkillSelect, state nomination, and whether an invitation is realistic

An EOI (expression of interest) is not a visa. It is how you wait for an invitation on a points-tested skilled visa. State nomination is a separate decision, with its own lists.

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Who this page is for

  • You have (or will have) a skills assessment and want to know if 189, 190 or 491 is worth an EOI
  • You need a state or territory nomination, or a registration of interest, before you can be invited
  • You already have an EOI and the points, occupation or invitation rounds have moved
  • A nomination was refused, or you were invited and are not sure whether to apply

How it works

What you do before anyone grants a visa

Occupation, a skills assessment, and an honest points claim come first. The subclass number is how the Department labels the visa.

  • 189

    Submitted online; visa later, in or from outside Australia

    SkillSelect EOI — Skilled Independent

    You claim points against an eligible occupation and wait for an invitation. No state and no employer.

    The EOI can sit for two years. Points, occupation limits and invitation rounds change while it sits. An inflated points claim is how people get invited and then refused.

    SkillSelect EOI — Skilled Independent

  • 190

    Each state has its own process

    State and territory nomination

    A state nominates you. That nomination is what lets a 190 invitation issue.

    Lists, occupations, and whether you must live in that state afterwards are state settings. Some states want a registration of interest before you can apply for nomination. The visa is still a Department decision after invitation.

    State and territory nomination

  • 491

    State, territory, or eligible family sponsor

    Regional nomination or family-sponsored 491

    A five-year regional skilled visa. Nomination by a state, or sponsorship by eligible family in a designated area.

    There is a path toward permanent 191 if you meet the later rules. “Regional” is defined in the law, not by how a town feels. Family-sponsored 491 is a different test from state nomination.

    Regional nomination or family-sponsored 491

  • State process

    Selected states and territories

    Registration of interest (ROI)

    States that do not take a nomination application until they invite you from a registration of interest.

    An ROI is not an EOI and not a visa. Using last year’s list, or missing a state’s form, is how people wait a year for nothing.

How EMC works

How we help

  1. 01

    Occupation and points, before the EOI

    If a skills assessment cannot support the points you want to claim, we stop there. We do that maths first.

  2. 02

    Which invitation path is open

    189 only, 190 in particular states, 491 regional, or none of them this year. We will say none.

  3. 03

    Then the visa, if you are invited

    Invitation is not a grant. The 189, 190 or 491 application is a separate step. That work sits on the work-visa page.

First conversation

What to bring

  • Skills assessment outcome (or the occupation you think you will use)
  • English test results, age, and a work history with dates
  • Any existing EOI number, points claimed, and invitation letters
  • Where you are willing to live, if a state nomination is part of the plan
  • Partner skills, Australian study, or a community language test, if you intend to claim them

Before you apply

Things that go wrong

  • An EOI is not permission to work and not a bridging visa.
  • State lists change. An occupation open in March can be closed in July.
  • Claiming partner points, Australian study or work you cannot prove is how invitations turn into refusals.
  • Use the current occupation list, not a screenshot from last year.
  • After you apply for the visa, 189, 190 and 491 are processed under Direction 122. That Direction does not change points or the state’s list — only the order the Department looks at applications.

Questions

People ask this first

  • Only if the occupation, assessment and points are honest, and an invitation in that stream is realistic. We will tell you if the better spend is English, a different occupation, or an employer-sponsored visa instead.

Start with your situation.

You do not need the visa number to start. Book a consultation, or send us a message.

MARN 1800335 · Level 14, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.

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Related topics

This page is general information, not advice about your circumstances. Australian migration law changes. You should consult a Registered Migration Agent before you apply. EMC Australia is OMARA-registered (MARN 1800335).