Queensland’s 2026–27 Skilled Program Update: What Changes Before ROIs Open

ROIs Open on 6 November

Applicants need to meet the relevant Queensland pathway requirements when they submit the ROI. All work experience, residence and document requirements must already be met before the ROI is submitted.

Every applicant needs to submit a new ROI for 2026–27, including people who lodged one in an earlier program year but did not receive Queensland nomination. The linked SkillSelect EOI must also remain current and accurate.

Queensland does not require applicants to create a fresh SkillSelect EOI every financial year. EOIs generally remain active for two years, but Queensland will not consider one that is due to expire within 14 days.

Check Your Documents Before the ROI Opens

Queensland expects applicants to meet the relevant nomination criteria when the ROI is submitted, not at some later point.

Before registering, applicants should make sure their SkillSelect EOI is current and that they can provide documents supporting the information claimed in both the EOI and ROI. These may include a passport, skills assessment, employment evidence, residential evidence and pathway-specific documents.

Onshore Applicants Need a 2025–26 Notice of Assessment

Most applicants living in Queensland must have:

• lodged their Australian tax return for the 2025–26 financial year
• received their ATO Notice of Assessment
• entered the taxable-income amount from that NOA accurately in the ROI

The amount entered must match the figure shown as taxable income on the Notice of Assessment. A tax return, income statement, payment summary or tax receipt is not accepted as a replacement.

Applicants who were not required to lodge a tax return for 2025–26 can enter $0 in the ROI and do not need to provide an NOA.

The NOA and Income Statement Serve Different Purposes

The Notice of Assessment records taxable income for the completed 2025–26 financial year. Onshore applicants may also need a current ATO Income Statement to calculate and support their annualised earnings at the ROI stage.

Annualised earnings are based on current eligible employment and may differ from the salary stated in an employment contract. Applicants should not confuse these two documents or enter unsupported income figures.

Which Queensland Pathway Applies to You?

Queensland has five skilled nomination pathways for 2026–27. The correct pathway depends on where the applicant lives, their employment, study history or business activity.

Applicants living in Australia but outside Queensland cannot present themselves as offshore candidates. Use the offshore pathway only if you normally live outside Australia.

Skilled Workers Living in Queensland

This pathway is for candidates currently living and working in Queensland.

The main work and residence requirements are:

• Subclass 190: living and working in Queensland for at least 9 of the previous 12 months
• Subclass 491: living and working in regional Queensland for at least 6 of the previous 9 months
• at least 20 paid hours of work per week
• employment gained after completing the relevant qualification
• work in the nominated occupation or a closely related occupation with the same first three ANZSCO digits

The applicant must continue meeting the employment requirements when submitting the ROI, when invited and when nominated. Casual employment and a combination of eligible jobs can be accepted.

Candidates also need an occupation on the Queensland onshore occupation list, at least 65 points and Competent English.

Skilled Workers Living Outside Australia

Offshore applicants need a valid skills assessment for an occupation on the Queensland offshore occupation list.

They must also have at least one year of eligible skilled employment in the previous three years in the nominated occupation or a closely related occupation. The work must generally have been completed after the relevant qualification and amount to at least 20 hours per week.

Current employment in the nominated occupation is not a stated requirement at the ROI, invitation or nomination stage. However, all claimed experience must be accurately recorded in the SkillSelect EOI and supported by appropriate evidence.

Building and Construction Workers

Queensland provides a separate pathway for workers in selected building and construction occupations.

Applicants generally need to have lived and worked in Queensland for at least three continuous months before submitting their ROI, with at least 20 paid hours per week in the nominated or a closely related occupation.

Queensland intends to consider eligible building and construction candidates for subclass 190 where they meet the federal requirements. Subclass 491 may be used where the occupation or the applicant’s points position does not support subclass 190.

Queensland University Graduates

This pathway is available to eligible international graduates who completed a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD in Queensland.

The applicant must:

• Have completed 100% of the qualification in Queensland
• Fulfil the Australian Study Requirement
• Have graduated after 1 July 2022
• Hold a valid skills assessment for an onshore-listed occupation
• Meet the relevant Queensland work and residence period

For subclass 190, the graduate generally needs 9 months of Queensland residence and employment within the previous 12 months. For subclass 491, the requirement is 6 months within the previous 9 months in regional Queensland.

A useful feature of this pathway is that the Queensland qualification does not need to relate to the nominated occupation. Eligible employment can also be in any ANZSCO Skill Level 1 occupation, although only employment related to the nominated occupation can be used for SkillSelect work-experience points.

Small-Business Owners in Regional Queensland

This pathway is limited to subclass 491 and applies to eligible migrants operating a qualifying business in regional Queensland.

The business-purchase pathway has closed. The remaining start-up pathway generally requires:

• a business started before 19 September 2025
• operation in an eligible regional Queensland postcode
• 100% ownership, or joint ownership with a spouse or de facto partner
• a profitable business
• turnover of at least $200,000 in the 12 months before submitting the ROI
• continued business operation after nomination and visa grant

Businesses started between 1 June 2024 and 19 September 2025 must submit the ROI by 30 April 2027. Special rules apply to some businesses started between 1 May and 19 September 2025 that cannot complete two full years of operation by that deadline.

Queensland Has Separate Onshore and Offshore Occupation Lists

Applicants must use the occupation list that matches where they currently live.

Queensland has published:

• a list for candidates living in Australia
• a separate list for candidates living outside Australia

The lists identify the occupation, ANZSCO code, availability for subclass 190 and subclass 491, and any additional registration or licensing conditions. If an occupation does not appear on the relevant list, the applicant should not lodge an ROI under that skilled-worker pathway.

Examples From the Offshore Occupation List

The full table is extensive, so applicants should use the official list to check their exact occupation. Examples include:

These examples are not the complete list and should not be used as a substitute for checking the official table.

Some Occupations Are Available for Subclass 491 Only

Appearing on the Queensland list does not automatically make an occupation eligible for both visas.

Examples currently marked for subclass 491 but not subclass 190 on the offshore list include:

• Project Builder
• Vocational Education Teacher
• Construction Estimator
• Surveying or Spatial Science Technician
• Mechanical Engineering Draftsperson
• Floor Finisher
• Electrical Linesworker

Applicants should check the visa columns beside their exact occupation before selecting a subclass in the ROI.

Registration and Licensing May Still Be Required

An occupation’s inclusion on the list does not remove professional registration or licensing requirements.

The offshore list includes additional conditions for several occupations, including registration requirements for some teachers and licensing requirements for plumbers, electricians and refrigeration mechanics.

Queensland Does Not Select Applicants on Points Alone

Applicants must generally have at least 65 points to satisfy the minimum federal points requirement, but Migration Queensland says it does not primarily select candidates according to their SkillSelect points score.

Selection may also consider:

• skills and qualifications
• relevant work experience
• salary and employment stability
• ability to secure and maintain work
• location of employment
• age
• English proficiency
• a partner’s skills and English
• workforce demand, especially in regional, rural and remote Queensland

Invitations are issued to candidates considered most competitive at the time of selection.

Being eligible or submitting an ROI does not guarantee an invitation, nomination approval or visa grant.

ROI Rules Applicants Need to Know

Queensland’s ROI system has several strict rules:

• every applicant needs a new ROI for 2026–27
• only one visa subclass can be selected
• only one valid ROI can be held at a time
• a submitted ROI cannot be edited
• if information changes, a new ROI must be lodged
• where multiple ROIs are submitted, only the most recent is considered

The date an EOI or ROI was submitted does not improve the chance of selection. Applicants should lodge only after they meet the requirements and have the evidence needed to support their claims.

This matters because information cannot simply be corrected inside an existing ROI after submission.

What Happens After an Invitation?

Selected candidates receive an invitation from Migration Queensland at the email address recorded in their SkillSelect EOI.

They then have 14 calendar days to:

• upload the nomination application and required evidence
• pay the non-refundable application fee

If the complete application and payment are not received within that period, the application is closed and the candidate will not be reconsidered in the same program year.

Documents vary by pathway but may include:

• passport
• valid skills assessment or professional registration
• VEVO record for onshore candidates
• employment contracts
• employer statements
• payslips
• residential evidence
• ATO Notice of Assessment
• evidence supporting ROI annualised earnings
• Queensland graduation documents
• offshore employment references and translations

Queensland generally assesses complete nomination applications within approximately two to four weeks, although processing times can vary.

Queensland Nomination Fees for 2026–27

The fee is paid only after an invitation to apply for Queensland nomination. It is non-refundable, including where an applicant withdraws, their circumstances change or the later visa application is unsuccessful.

What to Prepare Before 6 November

Before Queensland ROIs open, applicants should check:

• the correct onshore or offshore nomination pathway
• whether their occupation appears on the relevant list
• whether the occupation is available for subclass 190, subclass 491 or both
• their SkillSelect EOI details
• points and English claims
• skills assessment validity
• employment and residence periods
• professional registration or licensing
• 2025–26 Notice of Assessment for onshore applicants
• documents needed if an invitation arrives

The objective is not to submit as quickly as possible. It is to submit an ROI that is accurate, eligible and fully supportable.