Queensland: 2023-24 Skilled Migration Program is open

The Queensland State Nomination skilled migration program is designed to fill critical skills shortages by providing skilled migrants with a pathway to live and work in Queensland, Australia. There are four skilled visa pathways available for:

• Skilled workers living in Queensland

• Skilled workers living offshore

• Graduates of a Queensland university

• Small business owners operating in regional Queensland

In order to be considered for a Queensland state nomination, you must satisfy the eligibility criteria for both:

• The Migration Queensland criteria for your chosen skilled visa pathway

• The Department of Home Affairs criteria for your chosen visa

For a full list of Queensland state nomination and visa eligibility criteria, please refer to the Migration Queensland and Department of Home Affairs websites. 

Book IELTS for migration

The Department of Home Affairs has granted Queensland 1,550 positions in the national skilled nomination program. Queensland will invite a limited number of applicants to apply for the program each month until the end of the 2023-24 financial year.

Pathways to Permanent Residency: Temporary Skilled Sponsored (TSS) visa updates

There are two visa subclasses available under Queensland's skilled migration program:

Subclass 190 - Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa

This visa allows  you to live and work in Australia permanently

Basic visa eligibility requirements

• You must be under 45 years of age at the time of application

• You must achieve a points test result of 75 or higher to be eligible for a Queensland state nomination

• You must commit to living and working in Queensland for two years from the date your visa is granted

• You must have an eligible occupation listed on the relevant skills list

• You must have a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation

• If you are a Queensland graduate, you must complete your studies 100% in Queensland.

• If you apply for the nomination in Australia, you may require some Queensland work experience in your nominated occupation 

Subclass 491- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

This visa allows you to live and work in regional Australia for up to five years. Visa holders may be eligible to apply for permanent residency three years after their visa is granted.

Basic visa eligibility requirements

• You must be under 45 years of age at the time of application

• You must achieve a points test result of 65 or higher

• You must commit to living and working in Regional Queensland for three years from the date your visa is granted

• You must have an eligible occupation listed on the relevant skills list

• You must have a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation

• If you are a Queensland graduate, you must complete your studies 100% in Queensland.

• If you apply for the nomination in Australia, you may require some Queensland work experience in your nominated occupation

Speak to IDP's registered migration agents

All potential applicants must have an eligible occupation listed on one of the following skills lists:

• Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list  

• Short-term Skilled Occupation List 

• Regional Occupation List (Subclass 491 applicants only)

• Queensland Skilled Occupation List (Skilled workers living offshore only) 

All applicants must also have a suitable skills assessment for their eligible occupation before applying for a state nomination. 

In demand occupations

Queensland is experiencing critical skills shortages across many industries. Occupations in high demand currently include:

• Engineers

• Nurses

• Teachers

• Pharmacists

• Mechanics

• Electricians

• Chefs 

If you’re considering a career change, talk to the friendly team at IDP and find out how we can help you reach your career and migration goals!

Get expert study advice

To be considered for a Queensland state nomination, you must achieve a minimum IELTS band score of 6.0 for each of the 4 components to demonstrate that you have a competent level of English comprehension.  The Department of Home Affairs accepts IELTS One Skill Retake for both the subclass 190 and 491 visas.

If your occupation or professional registration authority requires an IELTS score higher than 6.0, you will need to meet that requirement instead to be considered for a Queensland state nomination. 

Make sure you’re prepared for your state nomination application by booking your IELTS test today . Available at over 4000 locations worldwide, it’s easy to find an IELTS test centre near you!

Booking your IELTS test - A step-by-step guide

Before applying for a Queensland nomination, you must carefully check the eligibility criteria from Migration Queensland, as well as the Department of Home Affairs. If you are confident that you satisfy all the requirements, you can follow these steps to apply to the Queensland State Nomination Skilled program:

1. Collect your documentation

You must provide evidence that you have met the eligibility requirements set out by Migration Queensland and the Department of Home Affairs. Documents that may be required include:

• Personal identification documents

• IELTS test results

• Proof of professional registration (if your occupation requires this)

• A suitable skills assessment

• Academic transcripts 

• Work experience-related document (if the chosen pathway requires)

2. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)

Use SkillSelect to submit an EOI for state nomination. You will be asked to provide information relevant to your EOI, including details about your work experience. In order for your EOI to be considered, you must select ‘Queensland’ as the only state you’d like to receive a nomination from.

3. Wait for an invitation

Not the most exciting step, we know. Migration Queensland will consider all EOIs that meet the eligibility requirements. If you are selected to receive a nomination, you will receive an email invitation to formally apply for a state nomination. 

4. Apply for your state nomination

When you receive your invitation from Migration Australia to apply for state nomination, you will be asked to:

• Upload your documents

• Pay the application fee

You can only upload one document per file. If you have more than one document for a file, please merge these so that they can be uploaded as a single file. 

Once you have received your invitation, you have 14 days to finish your application. It is very important to finish and submit your application during this time. If you do not finish your application within 14 days, you will need to submit a new EOI and start the process over. 

5. Receive your nomination and apply for your visa

If you are nominated by Migration Queensland, you will receive an email invitation from the Department of Home Affairs asking you to submit your visa application. Your visa application must be submitted within 60 days from the date of the invitation.

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IELTS is the world's most popular English test for a reason. Why choose IELTS?

• IELTS is accepted by more universities, colleges and academic institutions than any other English test. The test is accepted globally by more than 12,000 organisations.

• Are you more comfortable with paper or computers? IELTS lets you choose how you want to take your test. 

• Feel confident on test day with official IELTS preparation materials . They are free and you'll get access to premium materials including webinars, videos and practice tests. 

• IELTS is the only major test to offer One Skill Retake . You can now retake any component of the test; Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking. It's perfect if you want to improve on one area instead of redoing a full test. With other tests, you need to book, pay, and sit a full test again. 

Ready to get started? Book your IELTS today and take the first step on your journey to living, working or studying in Australia!

We sat down with Dorothy Yueh (MARN: 0430004), IDP's in-house migration agent in Brisbane to hear her thoughts about the program:

”The Queensland state-nominated program for FY 2023-24 is anticipated to be highly competitive, with the quota for QLD 190+491 reduced to 1550," said Dorothy.

"Invitations for selected applicants commenced at the end of September 2023, and monthly invitation rounds will continue throughout FY 2023-24. Based on my experience, Migration Queensland (MQ) is in favour of health-related occupations, likely due to the urgent need for health workers in the local industry," she added.

If you’re an international student interested in migrating to Australia, get some personalised visa advice from one of IDPs friendly and experienced Migration Services agents.

Get migration help

Legislation about immigration changes frequently. It’s important to check the Australian Department of Home Affairs  website for changes that may apply to you. If you are interested in Australian student visas , work visas, or looking to migrate permanently, you need to lodge an application with the Australian Government. You may want to consider getting support from a lawyer or migration agent .