The Northern Territory has announced several changes in its nomination criteria.
Highlights:
- Northern Territory has updated its nomination criteria for subclass 190 and subclass 491.
- NT resident applicants will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if they have been living in the NT for at least two consecutive years.
- International students will have to apply for a Subclass 485 visa.
According to the statement published on by the territory officials, NT resident applicants will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if they have been living in the NT for at least two consecutive years immediately before application.
To understand these changes, listen to this interview with migration expert Suman Dua:
LISTEN TO

Visas: Northern Territory updates State Nomination Criteria
SBS Hindi
08:25
Besides, they should be able to demonstrate that none of their migrating dependants is residing in another part of Australia, and they have full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation continuously for at least two years.
“Applicants should be able to demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months,” says Brisbane-based migration agent Suman Dua, who is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia.
“International student graduates who are unable to live in the NT for six months after completing two years of study will not be considered for a subclass 190 nomination. However, they can apply for Subclass 491 if they can provide evidence of making genuine efforts to obtain employment from an NT employer in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation,” Ms Dua explains.
Applicants who started living in the NT before 1 July 2020 will be considered for subclass 491 nomination if they “have been residing in the NT for at least six consecutive months immediately before the application; demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants is residing in another part of Australia, and demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months,” according to the statement.

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- demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
- demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants is residing in another part of Australia, and
demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.”
Suman Dua says these changes suggest NT wants full commitment from applicants.

Uluru, also known as Ayres Rock Source: AAP
“The number of applicants in the NT is already very high, which has impacted the processing time too.”
“I think the officials want a six month buffer time. So they want students to finish the studies and work for at least six months before applying. At the moment students go for subclass 190 immediately after completing their studies,” says Ms Dua.
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