Skilled migration through state nomination involves several stages, each with its own waiting time from EOI to visa grant, so realistic expectations are essential.

1. State or territory nomination

• Each state and territory gets a yearly quota for 190 (Skilled Nominated) and 491 (Skilled Work Regional) visas and publishes its own Skills in Demand or occupation lists plus extra criteria such as minimum English, work experience and a commitment to live in that state (often at least 3 years for regional visas). The more popular states are New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.
  
• Processing for state nomination can vary from a few weeks to several months depending on the state and pathway; some governments report ranges from around 2 weeks up to 3 months, while heavily subscribed occupations like accounting may wait longer because of high points and competition.
  

2. Invitation to apply and evidence

• Once a state nominates you, SkillSelect issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and you normally have 60 days to lodge your visa application; if you miss this window, the invitation lapses and there is no guarantee of being invited again.
  
• At this point you must upload evidence for every point you claimed: skills assessment, employment references, contracts and payslips, tax records, English test, qualifications, NAATI, partner skills, etc., and your skills assessment usually needs to be valid within the specified period (often 3 years unless stated otherwise).
  

3. Lodging the visa and adding family

• You lodge your 190 or 491 visa through ImmiAccount and can include eligible dependants such as your spouse or de‑facto partner and dependent children; children aged 18–23 generally need proof of financial and practical dependency.
  
• State nomination simply makes you eligible to apply for skilled visas, and the Department of Home Affairs assesses health, character and all points‑based claims.
  

4. Processing times to visa grant

• For Skilled Nominated 190 visas take around 13-23 months
• For 491 regional visas, It can take anywhere from 20-28 months
  

5. Other PR pathways and the need for planning

• Besides direct 190, other common routes are 491 → 191 (regional PR after meeting income and residence rules), 494 regional employer‑sponsored → 191, and employer‑sponsored streams such as 482 leading to 186 in certain circumstances.
  
• Points requirements, state occupation lists and processing times change frequently, it is important to review your strategy regularly and ensure your EOI, skills assessment and documents are “invitation‑ready” before a state nominates you.

It should be noted that this process takes careful planning and with Australia’s migration policies changing regularly it is important that applicants check to see if the eligibility criteria remains the same.

SEA’s MARA adviser, Jessica Yuen (MARN: 2117701), can help you choose between 190, 491 and employer‑sponsored options, keep your evidence aligned with what states and the Department expect, and have your file ready to lodge as soon as an invitation arrives.