An occupation on a state list is not a state nomination
Sources checked . Information only, not migration advice.
Short answer
A state or territory occupation list says which occupations that state accepts for its nomination program. Nomination is a separate decision by the state, made under its own criteria and its limited allocation of places.
That an occupation appears on a list therefore does not mean the state will nominate a person in that occupation. This page does not name a state for anyone, rank states or predict nomination.
What the list does and does not do
| Occupation list | Nomination | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The occupations a state or territory currently accepts for its program. | The state or territory choosing to nominate a particular person for the subclass 190 or 491. |
| Who decides | The state or territory publishes it, and can change it. | The state or territory, on its own criteria. |
| Other conditions | Usually only one of several criteria. | May include residence or work requirements, English and skills assessment validity, points, and an invitation process. |
| Capacity | Not limited by number. | Limited by the allocation of places the Australian Government gives each state and territory for each visa. |
Worked example: the ACT
Official ACT pages (captured 2026-10-13) show how a list sits among other steps. For the subclass 190 as a Canberra resident, the ACT requires, at the date a person submits or updates the Canberra Matrix, that the person meets Home Affairs criteria including a valid English test and skills assessment, and that the nominated occupation is on the latest ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List (or that a doctorate or small-business-owner pathway applies, where the occupation need not be on the list).
The same page requires residence in Canberra for at least six months at the date of Matrix submission, continuing until the date of invitation, evidenced by ACT banking activity. The ACT states that the Australian Government allocates it a fixed number of nomination places for each visa subclass each financial year (800 for each of the 190 and 491 in 2025-26), and it publishes a tentative schedule of Canberra Matrix invitation rounds for 2026-27.
So an occupation on the ACT list is one requirement. The list does not, on these pages, select who is nominated; the Matrix and the invitation rounds do. Other states set their own steps, and some publish rankings or rounds of their own; read each state's current pages.
Programs change
Lists, criteria and the number of places are reviewed by each state, commonly at the start of each program year, and can change within a year. A list read last year, or on an agent site, can be out of date. Check the date on the state's own page.
Where the national process comes in
State nomination under the 190 or 491 still sits inside the Home Affairs process: an EOI in SkillSelect, a suitable skills assessment, the visa's own criteria, and the visa application after the nomination and invitation. The guide on skills assessment versus visa requirements separates those steps.
Official sources
- ACT Government: ACT Government nomination — Allocation of nomination places (captured 2026-10-13)
- ACT Government: 190 nomination, Canberra resident applicants — List, Matrix, residence and validity criteria (captured 2026-10-13)
- ACT Government: Canberra Matrix invitation rounds — Tentative 2026-27 round schedule (captured 2026-10-13)
- Department of Home Affairs: Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) — National requirements for the 190
- Department of Home Affairs: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) — National requirements for the 491