In short: A state occupation list tells you whether a state will consider your occupation, not whether it will nominate you. Read the subclass column, the availability flag and the extra criteria on each line, then check them against your own file. The visa charge is $6,140 for either the 190 or the 491.
The sentence that costs the most in a state nomination file is "my occupation is on the list". We hear it weekly. The person has found their title on a state's page and treated the search result as a decision. A state list is a table with columns, and each column is a test. This note explains how to read the columns, what the list does not tell you, and what to answer before you register.
The anatomy of a list entry
| Column | What it says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation and code | The title and the classification code the state accepts | That your skills assessment names the same code |
| Subclass | Whether the line is open for the 190, the 491 or both | That the visa you want is the one the state is nominating for this code |
| Availability | Open, limited or closed for the current program year | The date the state last updated the page |
| Additional criteria | Extra points, years of experience, a job offer or residence in the state | Which of those you meet today, not next year |
A line that reads open for the 491 and closed for the 190 is an answer, not an invitation to argue. A line that says onshore applicants only rules out an offshore registration however strong the points.
What the list does not say
Four things sit behind every list. The state's allocation for the year, which is finite and resets each July. The way the state ranks candidates inside an open occupation, which the page rarely shows. The state's current view of offshore applicants, which can differ from the published line. And the timing of changes, because a state can close an occupation mid-year once its allocation is committed. Nomination adds 5 points for the 190 and 15 for the 491. Those points only matter once the state has chosen you, and the list cannot tell you whether it will.
How to read your own line
Your position changes the reading
Where are you living now?
The founder reading the list
A founder reads a state list with a second document open: the plan for the company. A 190 nomination expects the holder to settle in the state, so the company's registered office, its lease and its first employee should sit there too. A 491 nomination confines the founder and the company to designated regional areas for five years. We have seen a founder register in one state and incorporate in another, then struggle to explain the mismatch. Our commercial practice settles the structure only after the migration team has fixed the state. Business structures for founder visa holders explains why that order matters.
What if my occupation is closed in every state this year?
Wait for July with the file ready, or look at the other doors. The 189 does not use state lists. A regional employer may sponsor under a 482 or, in a DAMA region, under concessions. Do not lodge a registration for a closed line hoping a state will make an exception, because it will not, and the effort is wasted.
Cost, and the commitment after it
The visa charge is $6,140 for the main applicant for either the 190 or the 491, with $3,070 for a partner and $1,535 for each child. Some states charge a nomination fee of their own, which we confirm at the time. After grant, a 190 holder is expected to live in the state, and a 491 holder must stay regional under a visa condition. The 491 holder can apply for the 191 at $630 after three years. Victoria's process has its own quirks, which we cover in Victoria's registration of interest. Our migration practice reads the lists for every open state before advising which to register with.
Frequently asked questions
What does closed beside my occupation mean?
The state has stopped taking or selecting registrations for that code in the current program year. It can reopen after July, or earlier if the allocation changes, so keep the file ready rather than the registration lodged.
Are the 190 and 491 columns on the same list?
Usually they sit on one table with a column for each subclass. An occupation can be open for one and closed for the other, and the additional criteria can differ between the two columns for the same code.
Can a state ask for more than the 65 points?
Yes. The 65 points are the Home Affairs pass mark. A state can set its own minimum for a code, rank on its own measures, or add criteria such as years of experience in the state.
Do I need to register with the state as well as SkillSelect?
In most states, yes. The SkillSelect expression of interest is the Commonwealth record, and the state's portal is where it selects. Where a state selects straight from SkillSelect, its eligibility page will say so.
If I am nominated for a 190, can my partner work in a different state?
The 190 carries no location condition on either of you. The nomination rests on a commitment to settle in the state, and a family split across two states makes that commitment hard to show if it is ever tested.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing as at 1 July 2026.
General information as at 2 September 2026. Not legal advice. Speak to us about your own circumstances before acting on it.