NT State Nomination Full Guide 2025-26
NT Skilled Nomination (Subclass 190 & 491) — Updated Policies, Pathway Comparison & Practical Insights
NT State Nomination Overview
The Northern Territory (NT) uses the Subclass 190 and 491 nomination programs to attract skilled workers who have genuine employment potential and are willing to build a long-term future in the Territory. To be considered, applicants must first meet the Commonwealth requirements for skilled migration, including having an eligible occupation, a valid skills assessment, English language requirements and a points score of at least 65.
When assessing a nomination, NT focuses on whether your background aligns with local labour needs, your previous work or study history, how well you understand the NT job market, your genuine intention to settle in the Territory, and whether you have the financial capacity to support yourself while living there. Meeting the minimum criteria allows your application to be assessed, but does not guarantee nomination. NT gives priority to applicants who can demonstrate real economic contribution, clear employment prospects, or existing ties to the local community.
Once nominated, you may receive a visa invitation through SkillSelect and move forward with building your career and long-term life in the Northern Territory.
NT State Nomination Basic Requirements
Eligibility Overview
To apply for Northern Territory nomination (for either the Subclass 190 or 491 visa), applicants must simultaneously meet:
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The standard visa requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), and
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The specific requirements for each application stream set by the NT government.
Nomination is contingent upon satisfying both sets of criteria.
Department of Home Affairs Requirements
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Nominated Occupation | Your occupation must be listed on the Department of Home Affairs Skilled Occupation List. |
| Age | Be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation. |
| English | Achieve at least IELTS 6 in each component or equivalent English proficiency. |
| Points | Reach at least 65 points (based on the Department of Home Affairs Skilled Migration Points Test). |
| Skills Assessment | Hold a valid Skills Assessment for the nominated occupation. |
| Character & Health | Meet Australia’s character and health requirements (PIC4005/4007). |
190 VS 491
| Comparison | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 |
|---|---|---|
| Visa Type | Permanent Residency (PR) | Provisional Visa (valid for 5 years) |
| Living & Working Location | Can live and work anywhere in the nominated state | Restricted to regional areas of the nominated state (Regional Area) |
| Pathway to Permanent Residency | Direct PR upon visa grant | Eligible to apply for Subclass 191 PR visa after meeting requirements |
| State Nomination Points | +5 points | +15 points |
NT Onshore Applicants
NT Graduates
International students who completed their studies in the Northern Territory may be considered for NT state nomination under the 190 visa if, at the time of application, they meet the following:
- You completed full-time study at an NT education provider and finished at least two academic years (four semesters) in the same qualification or a packaged course, and successfully obtained one or more qualifications; and
- After the official completion date of your final qualification, you have lived in the NT for at least six continuous months while holding a 485 Temporary Graduate visa or a bridging visa linked to a 485 application; and
- You are either currently employed in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled role, have received a recent job offer, or can clearly demonstrate genuine and ongoing efforts to secure skilled employment with an NT employer. Evidence may include:
- Multiple job applications submitted to relevant NT employers over time;
- Membership in professional or industry associations;
- Positive engagement or feedback from NT employers or industry contacts.
The “completion date” refers to the date you are formally notified that you have met all academic requirements for your course.
Applicants who are already employed or hold a genuine job offer in their nominated or closely related occupation are generally given higher priority under this pathway.
NT graduates who are over 35 years of age and not eligible for a 485 visa may still be considered for NT nomination under the 190 visa if the following apply:
- You completed at least two academic years (four semesters) of full-time study at an NT education provider and obtained one or more qualifications; and
- You are currently employed, have a recent job offer, or can demonstrate genuine and sustained efforts to obtain skilled employment in your nominated or closely related occupation in the NT. Supporting evidence may include:
- Job applications submitted to NT employers;
- Relevant work experience already undertaken;
- Professional memberships or positive industry references.
You must show that both during and after your studies, you have been consistently working towards skilled employment in the NT and making realistic progress.
NT graduates may be considered for state nomination under the 491 visa if they meet the following:
- You completed at least two academic years (four semesters) of full-time study at an NT education provider and obtained one or more qualifications; and
- You can demonstrate genuine and ongoing efforts, with real progress, to secure skilled employment with an NT employer in your nominated or closely related occupation. Evidence may include:
- Multiple job applications submitted over time;
- Relevant work experience already undertaken;
- Professional memberships or employer engagement within the NT.
You must show a clear intention and realistic pathway to live and work in the NT on a long-term basis.
NT Residents
190 Nomination Requirements
If you are living in the Northern Territory (NT), you may be considered for NT state nomination under the Subclass 190 visa if, at the time you submit your nomination application, you meet all of the following:
- You can show that you have been living in the Northern Territory for a continuous period of at least two years immediately before lodging your nomination application, and that you are still living in NT at the time of application; and
- You can show that you have been working full-time in the Northern Territory for at least two continuous years in your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation, and that this role is expected to continue for at least a further 12 months. Your employment must also meet the additional employment requirements that apply to NT resident applicants.
If you live in the Northern Territory and work in a remote area, you may still be considered for NT 190 nomination under limited and exceptional circumstances, if you meet the following:
- You can show that you have lived in the Northern Territory for a continuous period of at least two years immediately before lodging your nomination application, and that you are still living in NT at the time of application; and
- You can show that you have worked full-time in a remote area of the Northern Territory for at least two continuous years, and that the role is expected to continue for at least a further 12 months. Your employment must also meet the additional requirements that apply to NT resident applicants.
For this purpose, remote areas mean locations outside the Greater Darwin region. This excludes areas within the City of Darwin, City of Palmerston, and the Litchfield Municipality.
Please note that your employer must provide a letter of support confirming that: genuine efforts were made to recruit locally, you are the most suitable candidate for the role, and your continued employment is critical to the ongoing operation of their business.
491 Nomination Requirements
If you are currently living in the Northern Territory (NT), you may be considered for NT nomination for the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa if, at the time you lodge your nomination application, you can show the following:
- You have been living in NT for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately before lodging, and you are still living in NT when you apply; and
- You have been working full-time in NT for at least six continuous months in your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation, and you can show the role is expected to continue for at least a further 12 months. Your employment must also meet the other requirements set out in the additional criteria.
If you live in NT and work in a remote area, you may still be considered for NT 491 nomination in limited, case-by-case situations, provided you can show:
- You have been living in NT for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately before lodging, and you are still living in NT when you apply; and
- You have been working full-time in a remote area of NT for at least six continuous months, and you can show the role is expected to continue for at least a further 12 months. Your employment must also meet the other employment requirements.
For this purpose, a remote area means anywhere outside the Greater Darwin region. In practical terms, this excludes locations within the City of Darwin, City of Palmerston, and the Litchfield Municipality.
Please note: your employer must provide a letter of support confirming genuine local recruitment efforts were made, and explaining why you are the right person for the role and why keeping you employed is important to the business.
If you meet the standard criteria above, but your current job is not in your nominated occupation (or a closely related occupation), you may still be considered for NT 491 nomination in rare, case-by-case situations, as long as you can show:
- You have worked full-time in NT for at least six continuous months in one of the following critical sectors:
- Energy
- Defence
- Agriculture
- Mining
- Health
- Aged or disability care
- Education (including childcare)
- Hospitality or tourism
- Construction
You must also show that the role is expected to continue for at least a further 12 months, and that the employment meets the other requirements in the additional criteria.
As with the remote area option, your employer must provide a letter of support confirming genuine local recruitment efforts were made, and explaining why you are the best fit for the role and why your ongoing employment matters to the business.
Additional employment requirements for all applicants (applies to all pathways)
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To ensure your role is genuinely related to your nominated occupation, most of your working time must be spent performing tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required for that occupation.
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Your position must be based in the Northern Territory (NT), and your employer must have a proven record of operating in the NT for at least 12 months.
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Working arrangements based in serviced offices, hot-desking environments, or roles that involve frequent changes of work location are generally not considered favourable (this also includes most remote work arrangements).
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Your salary must be paid at a market-appropriate rate for the role.
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If you currently hold a 457 or 482 Temporary Skilled Work visa, you must provide a letter of support from your current employer confirming that:
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They support your NT nomination application; and
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They understand that if you are granted a 491 or 190 nomination, you are not required to remain employed with their business.
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The Northern Territory Government may contact your employer to verify the information provided. If, in exceptional circumstances, you are unable to obtain a letter of support from your current employer, you must submit a detailed written explanation outlining the reasons why the letter cannot be provided.
NT Offshore Applicants
Offshore applicants are generally considered for nomination under the 491 Skilled Work Regional visa only.
To apply for NT state nomination from offshore, you must meet the following requirements at the time you submit your nomination application:
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You must have at least two years of full-time, post-qualification work experience closely related to your nominated occupation within the past five years.
(Note: some priority pathways or occupations may require a longer period of work experience.)
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You must be able to demonstrate a genuine intention to live and work in the Northern Territory long term.
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You must declare that you have sufficient financial capacity to settle and establish yourself in the Northern Territory.
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You must also meet the specific requirements of one of the three NT offshore pathways.
Please note:
If you are applying under the NT Family Stream or the NT Job Offer Stream,
you may nominate any occupation listed on the National Skilled Occupation List, and are not restricted to the NT priority occupation list.
If you are applying from outside Australia (offshore) under the Priority Occupation Stream, you generally need to meet all of the following:
- Hold a full skills assessment for your nominated occupation.
- Your nominated occupation must be on the NT Offshore Migration Occupation List (NTOMOL).
- If NTOMOL sets extra work-experience expectations for your occupation, you must meet those as well.
If you are applying offshore under the Job Offer Stream, you generally need:
- A genuine job offer that matches your nominated occupation.
- The position must be located in the Northern Territory (NT).
- The employer/organisation must have been actively operating in NT for at least 12 months.
If you have an eligible family member living in NT, you may be able to apply under the Family Stream. In practice, you usually need to show:
- Your NT-based relative holds an eligible status, such as:
- Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen; or
- a qualifying regional visa (for example: 491, 494, 489, 309, 887, 191).
- Your relative has been living in NT for at least 12 months.
- The relative is an eligible relative, such as:
- parent;
- child / step-child;
- brother or sister (including half-siblings);
- uncle or aunt;
- nephew or niece;
- grandparent.
- Your relative provides a statutory declaration confirming they will support your settlement (for example, helping with housing, work-search and practical day-to-day setup).
- You can show you have done real job-search and industry research, such as:
- evidence of researching the NT labour market; and
- evidence of contacting NT employers and/or lodging job applications.
Application Notes
Application fee
- Since 9 December 2019, all NT nomination applications for Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 require a AUD 300 application fee (GST applies if required).
- This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your application.
- If you believe you were charged incorrectly due to a system error, you may contact MigrationNT and provide evidence for review.
- Once payment is processed and the application is submitted, a confirmation email with a receipt will be issued.
After nomination approval
- If your NT nomination is approved, you will receive an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs to lodge your visa application.
- You must lodge the visa application within 60 days. If you miss this deadline, the nomination will lapse.
If your visa is refused
- All visa decisions are made solely by the Department of Home Affairs.
- MigrationNT cannot review, influence, or overturn visa decisions and does not assist with refusals.
Living and working commitment
- As part of the nomination process, you must sign a declaration confirming your intention to live and work in the Northern Territory for at least 3 years after your visa is granted.
- After visa grant, you must provide your NT contact details to MigrationNT.
- This is a serious and binding commitment. Applicants should carefully consider whether they can genuinely meet this obligation.
Moving to another state
- Accepting NT nomination means you commit to settling in NT for at least 3 years.
- The NT Government does not issue release letters. Your nomination cannot be transferred to another state or territory.
Application progress
- You can track the status of your application through the online system.
- If further documents are required, MigrationNT will contact you or your authorised representative through the system.
- Once a decision is made, you will be notified by email.
Assessment order and priority cases
- Applications are generally assessed in the order they are received.
- Priority may be given where:
- You are living in NT and your current visa expires within 30 days;
- You will turn 45 years old within the next 30 days;
- Your points score will fall below 65 points within 30 days due to age.
- If you fall into one of these situations, you should email migration@nt.gov.au with evidence.
SkillSelect and NT nomination
- NT does not automatically select applicants from SkillSelect.
- You must lodge an EOI in SkillSelect and a separate NT nomination application.
Updating documents
- If documents are requested, you will receive an upload link through the system.
- If you need to update information before assessment, you may request an upload link via the message system.
190 vs 491 outcomes
- Applicants with long-term residence and strong commitment to NT are more likely to be considered for Subclass 190.
- Others are more commonly assessed under Subclass 491.
Success rates
- MigrationNT does not provide pre-assessment opinions or success rate estimates.
Number of applications
- You can only have one NT nomination application in progress at any time.
- If you apply for 190 but do not meet the criteria, MigrationNT may automatically assess you for 491 without a new application.
Re-applying
- You may apply again if refused.
- However, unless there is a significant change (for example, a new job offer or improved English), approval chances remain low.
- Each new application requires a new AUD 300 fee.
After receiving NT nomination
- If you have already been nominated by NT, you cannot submit another NT nomination application.
Definition of full-time work
- For NT nomination purposes, 35 hours per week or more is considered full-time employment.
Your Next Move
- Complete a full eligibility assessment:
We start with a comprehensive review of your occupation, skills assessment, English results, EOI points, employment background, family circumstances, NTOMOL alignment, and whether you meet Job Offer or Family Stream requirements. This helps avoid unsuitable pathways and improves your overall chance of success. - Identify the most suitable NT pathway:
Based on whether your occupation appears on NTOMOL, whether you have a genuine and verifiable NT job offer, whether you have eligible NT-based family members, and how NT assesses employment and settlement intent, we design a pathway strategy tailored to your profile and confirm whether 190 or 491 is the realistic target. - Prepare decision-ready supporting evidence:
We assist with preparing and structuring evidence required for NT nomination, including skills assessments, English results, NT labour market research, employer or recruiter communications, compliant job offer documents, and family sponsor statutory declarations. Each claim in your application is supported by clear, credible, and relevant evidence. - Optimise ROI structure and timing:
We ensure the correct pathway is selected in the NT Gateway, information is accurately presented, and content remains consistent with your SkillSelect EOI. At the same time, we assess policy settings, document readiness, and your visa status to determine the most strategic timing for submission, reducing the risk of refusal due to weak preparation. - Ongoing policy monitoring and strategy adjustment:
NT nomination settings change without fixed schedules. This includes NTOMOL updates, Priority Occupation adjustments, family sponsorship requirements, and quota availability. We continuously monitor policy movements and, where necessary, adjust your pathway, strengthen evidence, and refine your ROI to keep your application competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never been to the Northern Territory. Do offshore applicants really have a chance?
Yes, but competition is very strong. For offshore applications, the key question NT looks at is whether you are genuinely likely to move to NT and find work there. If you do not have a job offer, family support, or clear research into the NT labour market, simply saying “I am willing to move to NT” is usually not enough.
Will NT suspect that I only want the nomination, not to actually settle there?
Yes. This is one of the most common reasons offshore applications are refused. NT closely assesses whether your intention to settle is genuine, including your employment prospects, living plans, research into NT, and any real connection to the territory. If they believe you are unlikely to move, they will refuse the application.
If my occupation is on the NTOMOL list, does that mean nomination is easy?
No. NTOMOL only means your occupation is eligible to apply, not that nomination is easy or guaranteed. Selection depends on factors such as labour market demand, available places, competition within the occupation, and the strength of your settlement evidence.
If I get a 491 but cannot find work in NT, will my visa be cancelled?
Your visa is not cancelled automatically. However, NT expects you to actively look for work and keep evidence of your job search for reporting purposes. If you make no effort or leave NT, this may affect your future 191 application or raise concerns about whether you met your commitment.
Is the NT Family Stream the easiest pathway?
No. Family sponsorship must be genuine and practical. Your relative must be able to provide real support, such as help with settlement, employment guidance, and everyday living. If NT believes the family support is only on paper and not practical, the application can still be refused.
Why is NT stricter than other states, with a higher refusal rate?
Because NT does not want to be seen as a “shortcut” migration state. They aim to nominate people who will actually move to NT, work there, and contribute to the local economy. Applications with unclear motivation, weak employment prospects, or poor evidence are often refused.
If I previously submitted an ROI to another state, will NT question my intention?
Yes. NT pays close attention to your state preference history. If you previously expressed a strong intention to live in another state, NT may question your commitment and expect a clear and reasonable explanation in your application.
Does an NT job offer have to be at market salary? Can a basic offer be used?
It must meet the market salary level. NT closely examines job offers to ensure the role is genuine, the salary is reasonable, the employer has been operating for at least 12 months, and there is a clear reason for hiring you. Offers that do not meet these standards are commonly refused.
Is offshore NT 190 realistic, or is 491 the real target?
For most offshore applicants, 491 is far more realistic. NT 190 is usually reserved for people who have lived in NT long term, have stable employment, and can demonstrate ongoing contribution. Without very strong factors, offshore applicants have a low chance of receiving 190 directly.
Can NT refuse an application just because documents are incomplete?
Yes. NT applies strict standards to evidence consistency, job genuineness, and research credibility. Issues such as payslips not matching bank records, missing rent payment evidence, or unstable working hours can lead to refusal. In many cases, there is no opportunity to fix the problem after submission.
Note: This FAQ is general information only and not legal advice. Settings (e.g., eligibility tests, exemptions, and evidentiary rules) can change; always check the latest legislative instruments before applying.
