20/08/2026
📢 NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) – 190 & 491 NOMINATION ELIGIBILITY UPDATE 🇦🇺
🏠 NT RESIDENTS – SUBCLASS 190
To be considered for 190 nomination, generally you must:
✔️ Have lived in the NT for at least 2 consecutive years immediately before applying
✔️ Have worked full-time in the NT for at least 2 consecutive years
✔️ Employment must be available for at least another 12 months
✔️ Employment should generally be in your nominated or closely related skilled occupation
For onshore nomination purposes, full-time employment means at least 35 hours per week, including equivalent hours through multiple part-time positions.
🏠 NT RESIDENTS – SUBCLASS 491
To be considered for 491 nomination, generally you must:
✔️ Have lived in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
✔️ Have worked full-time in the NT for at least 6 consecutive months
✔️ Employment must be available for at least another 12 months
✔️ Employment should generally be in your nominated or closely related skilled occupation
Exceptional provisions may apply to certain regional/remote employment and critical sectors.
🎓 NT GRADUATES
For 491 nomination:
✔️ Complete at least 2 academic years (4 semesters) of full-time study at an NT institution
✔️ Demonstrate genuine and sustained efforts and progress towards obtaining skilled employment with an NT employer
For 190 nomination, additional post-study residence and employment requirements apply.
For many graduates, this includes either:
➡️ 6 months continuous NT residence after course completion on a 485/associated bridging visa + eligible skilled employment/job offer; OR
➡️ 12 months continuous NT residence after completion + genuine and sustained efforts to obtain relevant skilled employment.
🌏 OFFSHORE APPLICANTS – 491
Offshore applicants will generally only be considered for Subclass 491.
Applicants generally need:
✔️ At least 2 years post-qualification work experience in the nominated occupation within the last 5 years
✔️ Genuine commitment to live and work in the NT long-term
✔️ Financial capacity to settle in the NT
✔️ Meet one of the offshore nomination streams:
1️⃣ NT Priority Occupation Stream
Occupation must be on the NT Offshore Migration Occupation List (NTOMOL) and relevant additional experience requirements must be met.
⚠️ This stream is currently CLOSED to new applications.
2️⃣ NT Job Offer Stream
✔️ Have a verifiable NT job offer in the nominated occupation
✔️ Employer/business must have been actively operating in the NT for at least 12 months
3️⃣ NT Family Stream
✔️ Have an eligible family member living in the NT for at least 12 months
✔️ Family member must meet the required visa/citizenship status and provide settlement support
✔️ Applicant must demonstrate genuine efforts to find employment in the NT
Eligible relatives can include parents, children, siblings, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, first cousins and grandparents.
💰 FINANCIAL CAPACITY – SETTLEMENT GUIDE
NT provides the following guidance:
👤 Single applicant – $35,000
👫 Applicant + spouse – $50,000
👨👩👧 Applicant + spouse + 1 child – $60,000
👨👩👧👦 Applicant + spouse + 2 children – $65,000
📌 IMPORTANT
Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee nomination. NT Government nominations are discretionary and applications are assessed individually.
Successful nominees are expected to live and work in the Northern Territory in their skilled or closely related occupation for at least 3 years from visa grant.
📩 Want to know whether you may qualify for NT 190 or 491 nomination? Contact us for an eligibility assessment.
Information summarised from the Northern Territory Government eligibility criteria updated 20 August 2026. Eligibility requirements are subject to change.
