Easiest State to Get PR in Australia: Nomination, 491, and Costs

If you’re asking which is the easiest state to get PR in Australia, the honest answer is Tasmania, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, with the caveat that “easiest” depends on your occupation, your points score, and whether you’re willing to live regionally. These three consistently offer broader occupation lists, smaller applicant pools, and active pathways through the Skilled Work Regional visa. New South Wales and Victoria are the hardest for most occupations. The federal government issues the visa, but state or territory nomination is usually the step that decides whether you get one.

Why State Nomination Is the Lever

Skilled migration runs through two visas where state choice matters. The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent visa tied to a commitment to your nominating state.¹ The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a five-year provisional visa for regional areas, with a route to permanent residency after three years via the subclass 191.²

Both require an Expression of Interest through the federal SkillSelect system and a nomination from a state or territory government before you can be invited to apply.³ Each state runs its own nomination program, with its own occupation lists, criteria, and quotas. That’s where the differences between states live.

You need at least 65 points to pass the federal points test.⁴ Points come from age, English, work experience, and education. State nomination adds more on top:

Those 15 points from a 491 are the game-changer. If you sit at 50 points on your own and can’t reach 65 for the independent visa, a regional nomination through the 491 lifts you across the line. That’s why regional states with active 491 programs are often the most accessible route to eventual permanent residency. And while 65 is the floor, states with fewer applicants effectively invite closer to it. Competitive states invite well above.

What Actually Makes a State Easier

Four things drive most of the difference:

Occupation list breadth. Some states nominate for a wide range of occupations; others restrict nomination to a narrow priority list. If your occupation is on a regional state’s list but not on Victoria’s, that regional state is your realistic pathway.
Competition for the allocation. Every state gets a federal allocation. Victoria received just 3,400 combined places across the 190 and 491 for 2025–26. States that attract fewer applicants relative to their allocation are naturally easier.⁷
State-level requirements. Some states demand a job contract, prior work in the state, or existing residence. Others accept offshore applicants with no Australian tie beyond a qualifying occupation.
Regional versus metropolitan focus. States classified entirely as regional can offer the 491 widely; states dominated by one big city reserve the 491 for people willing to settle well outside the capital.

The Most Accessible States

Tasmania

Tasmania is frequently the most accessible state, and the reasons stack up. The entire state counts as regional, so the 491 pathway is open anywhere in Tasmania. The state runs multiple pathways for skilled workers and graduates already living there, and its occupation list draws from the broader federal lists rather than a narrow subset.⁶

Nominated applicants commit to living in Tasmania for at least two years after nomination approval. Tasmania also requires that any outstanding debts to Tasmanian government agencies, such as education or health fees, be paid or on an accepted payment plan before nomination.⁶

South Australia

South Australia actively promotes its program and maintains a state-specific occupation list that tends to be broader than what you’ll find in Sydney or Melbourne. The state nominates for both the 190 and 491, with regional incentives and extra points access.⁸ Applicants commit to living and working in South Australia for at least two years after visa grant. Some occupations carry specific requirements on work experience or English beyond the federal minimum, so read the occupation-specific conditions before applying.

Northern Territory

The NT runs one of the most straightforward programs for anyone willing to commit to regional living. It nominates for both the 190 and 491, and candidates must agree to live and work in the NT for at least three years after visa grant, which is longer than the two-year commitment most other states require.⁹ The NT considers your employment prospects and whether your skills match NT industry needs.

One serious catch: the NT will not issue release letters permitting you to transfer to another state or territory, so only apply if you genuinely intend to settle there.⁹

The Middle Ground and the Hard States

Western Australia

WA sits in between. Its occupation list splits into two schedules: health and medical, and everything else. For the 190, most occupations require a full-time employment contract of at least six months in WA, a significant barrier for offshore applicants. Building and construction occupations are exempt. WA prioritises applicants already living in the state, and priority industries include building and construction, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and education and training. Meeting the 65-point pass mark does not guarantee an invitation.⁴

Queensland

Queensland offers separate streams for skilled workers living in Queensland, those living offshore, building and construction workers, Queensland university graduates, and small business owners in regional Queensland (491 only).¹⁰ Onshore and offshore occupation lists both exist, giving offshore applicants a route, though the onshore list is typically broader.

New South Wales

NSW is the hardest state for most occupations. The NSW government itself describes its program as “exceptionally competitive” and encourages applicants to consider other pathways rather than waiting for a NSW invitation.¹¹ NSW ranks candidates on age, English, education, points, and work experience, and only the highest-ranking EOIs in each occupation group get invited. Applicants must either be working in NSW in their nominated occupation, residing in NSW for at least six months, or residing offshore for at least six months.

Victoria

Victoria runs a Registration of Interest system through its Live in Melbourne portal, separate from SkillSelect. You submit the SkillSelect EOI first, then create an ROI on Victoria’s portal, and wait for an invitation to apply for nomination.⁷ With just 2,700 subclass 190 places and 700 subclass 491 places for 2025–26, competition is intense. Victoria tends to favour strong English scores and occupations in healthcare, IT, and engineering.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT ranks candidates through its Canberra Matrix. You register, receive a ranking against ACT-specific criteria, and the highest-ranked get invited. The small allocation and Canberra-focused economy make it competitive for most occupations, though it can be workable for applicants already living and working in Canberra.

Occupation Lists: Why “Easiest” Depends on You

For the subclass 189, 190, and 491, the federal government uses three occupation lists based on the 2013 ANZSCO classification: the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL).¹² A newer Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) exists but currently applies to employer-sponsored visas like the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), not to the points-tested skilled migration stream.¹³

Your occupation must appear on the relevant federal list, but that’s only half of it. Each state then maintains its own list of occupations it will actually nominate for, which may be narrower or broader than the federal list. An occupation on the MLTSSL might be closed in Victoria and actively sought in South Australia. That’s the core reason the “easiest state” varies so much between applicants.

The 491 Route Is the Strategy

The 491 is not permanent residency itself, but it’s one of the most accessible ways to reach it. After holding a 491 for at least three years, you can apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).¹⁴

The 191 is less about points and more about proving you actually lived, worked, and contributed in a designated regional area. You must provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three income years out of the five years of your eligible visa, and you must have complied with your 491 conditions throughout. There’s no minimum income threshold; the requirement is that you lived, worked, and filed taxes in a regional area.¹⁴

This is what makes Tasmania, South Australia, and the Northern Territory strategic. A 491 nomination is more attainable in those states. Three years of building a career in the region converts to full permanent residency through the 191 without re-entering the points contest.

Budget Before You Choose

Permanent residency isn’t cheap, and most fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.

Skills assessment fees vary by assessing authority. VETASSESS, one of the largest, charges AUD $1,096 for offshore applicants or AUD $1,206 including GST for onshore applicants. Engineers, accountants, and IT professionals use different bodies with different fees.¹⁵
English language tests such as IELTS or PTE Academic typically cost AUD $300 to $400 per attempt.
State nomination fees vary. Western Australia charges a non-refundable AUD $200.⁴
The federal visa application charge for a primary applicant on the 190 or 491 is AUD $4,910 for 2025–26. Each adult dependant adds AUD $2,455 and each child under 18 adds AUD $1,230. Fees are indexed annually.
Health examinations run approximately AUD $350 per person in Australia, varying overseas.¹⁶
Police clearances cost AUD $56 for an Australian Federal Police check, plus whatever each overseas country charges.¹⁷

For a single applicant, total costs typically land between AUD $7,000 and $10,000 before any migration agent fees. A couple or family can easily exceed AUD $15,000.

What Permanent Residency Does and Doesn’t Give You

A permanent visa lets you live in Australia indefinitely, work and study without restrictions, enrol in Medicare, apply for bank loans, sponsor eligible relatives, and eventually apply for citizenship.¹⁸

It doesn’t give you an Australian passport, the right to vote in federal elections (unless you were enrolled as a British subject before 1984), or access to government student loans. It also doesn’t give you an automatic right of re-entry. Your visa carries a travel facility, and once it expires you need a Resident Return Visa to re-enter after travelling overseas.¹⁸ Programs also change every year as states adjust their occupation lists and quotas, so confirm current criteria on the official state migration website before you commit.

1
Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
2
Department of Home Affairs. Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
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Department of Home Affairs. Expression of Interest
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Migration WA. 2025-26 WA SNMP Criteria
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Department of Home Affairs. Points Table for Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
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Migration Tasmania. Skilled Workers and Graduates Living in Tasmania
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Live in Melbourne. 2025-26 Skilled Migration Visa Nomination Program
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Move to South Australia. Nomination Requirements
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Australia’s Northern Territory. NT Government Visa Nomination
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Migration Queensland. Skilled Visas
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NSW Government. Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
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Department of Home Affairs. Skilled Occupation List
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Jobs and Skills Australia. 2024 Core Skills Occupations List Key Findings Report
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Department of Home Affairs. Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (Subclass 191)
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VETASSESS. Skills Assessment Fees for Professional Occupations
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Department of Home Affairs. Related Costs
17
Australian Federal Police. Apply for a National Police Certificate
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Department of Home Affairs. Permanent Residency Entitlements