Australian Visas for International Nurses 2026: 482, 186, 494, 189, 190 and 491

International nurses commonly encounter employer-sponsored and points-tested visa families. This guide explains the role of subclasses 482, 186, 494, 189, 190 and 491, and how AHPRA and ANMAC may fit around them. It cannot determine which visa you qualify for.

The six common visa subclasses at a glance

Subclass	General category	Permanent?	Nomination / sponsorship
482 Skills in Demand	Employer-sponsored temporary skilled visa	Temporary, generally up to 4 years	Approved employer nomination required
186 Employer Nomination Scheme	Employer-sponsored permanent visa	Permanent	Employer nomination required
494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional	Regional employer-sponsored visa	Provisional, up to 5 years	Regional employer nomination required
189 Skilled Independent	Points-tested skilled visa	Permanent	No employer or state nomination; invitation required
190 Skilled Nominated	Points-tested state-nominated visa	Permanent	State or territory nomination plus invitation
491 Skilled Work Regional	Points-tested regional visa	Provisional, up to 5 years	State/territory nomination or eligible family sponsorship plus invitation

Employer-sponsored routes

Subclass 482 – Skills in Demand

The 482 allows an approved employer to sponsor an eligible worker in a nominated occupation. The Core Skills stream generally requires relevant work experience, an eligible occupation, the required English and a salary that meets both market-salary rules and the indexed income threshold. For a nursing role, the applicant also needs the professional registration required to perform the job.

A 482 is not permanent residence. Some holders may later become eligible for subclass 186 through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, but that depends on the legislation and personal circumstances at the time. Do not treat a future 186 as guaranteed.

Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme

The 186 is a permanent employer-sponsored visa with different streams, including Temporary Residence Transition and Direct Entry. Age, English, occupation, work experience, skills assessment and registration requirements differ by stream and exemptions may be narrow. Employer willingness alone does not establish eligibility.

Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional

The 494 is a provisional regional employer-sponsored visa. The position must be in an eligible regional area and the employer and applicant must satisfy nomination and visa requirements. Eligible holders may later access the subclass 191 permanent pathway after meeting the relevant residence and other requirements, currently including a minimum three-year period.

Points-tested skilled migration

Subclass 189 – Skilled Independent

The 189 is a permanent points-tested visa. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and may be invited if your occupation, skills assessment and points meet current requirements. The published minimum points threshold does not guarantee an invitation; actual invitation outcomes can be more competitive.

Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated

The 190 is permanent and requires nomination by a state or territory as well as a Home Affairs invitation. Each jurisdiction sets its own occupation priorities, evidence and residency or employment criteria and may change them during the program year.

Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional

The 491 is a five-year provisional regional visa available through state or territory nomination or eligible family sponsorship. It can lead to subclass 191 after the required period and conditions are met. Regional definitions and state criteria must be checked at the time of application.

How AHPRA and ANMAC fit around visas

Requirement	Purpose	Common relevance
AHPRA/NMBA registration	Legal authority to practise as a nurse	Essential for working in a registered nursing role; can also be required for visa or nomination evidence
ANMAC skills assessment	Migration assessment for a nominated occupation	Commonly relevant to points-tested visas and some employer or labour-agreement routes
English test	Professional registration, skills assessment and/or visa evidence	The score and validity rules differ between AHPRA, ANMAC and Home Affairs
EOI / state nomination	Invitation process for points-tested migration	Relevant to 189, 190 and 491; not a visa application by itself

AHPRA registration does not automatically produce a positive ANMAC skills assessment, migration points or a visa. Likewise, an ANMAC outcome does not permit you to practise as a nurse.

Costs: use live official tools

Visa application charges can change, depend on the stream and include additional applicant, nomination, sponsorship, health, police, English, translation and professional fees. The old fixed comparison table was removed because it mixed different application stages and would quickly become inaccurate.

• Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for current visa charges.
• Check the relevant state or territory page for nomination fees.
• Check ANMAC and NMBA fee pages separately.
• Budget medical examinations, police certificates, translations and possible travel without presenting one universal total.

English and points

Under the current skilled points test, Competent English gives 0 points, Proficient English 10 and Superior English 20. Home Affairs changed approved test score profiles on 7 August 2025. Do not use the AHPRA minimum as a migration-points shortcut; the receiving organisations use different scores.

A safe way to research your options

1. Confirm the occupation and professional registration requirements.
2. Read each live Home Affairs visa page. Note stream, age, English, experience, skills assessment and sponsor or nomination requirements.
3. Check ANMAC eligibility before paying.
4. For 190 or 491, check the current state or territory criteria directly.
5. Use SkillSelect only with accurate, maintainable information.
6. Calculate current charges with official tools.
7. Obtain registered migration advice where the choice or timing affects your legal position.

Common mistakes

• Assuming an employer can sponsor any nurse for any visa.
• Treating a 482 as guaranteed permanent residence.
• Submitting an EOI without a valid skills assessment where one is required.
• Using last financial year’s state nomination criteria.
• Counting AHPRA English as automatic Proficient or Superior English.
• Quoting a visa fee from a blog rather than the pricing estimator.
• Accepting personalised visa advice from someone who is not authorised to provide immigration assistance.

Official sources

• Home Affairs – Skills in Demand visa (482)
• Home Affairs – Employer Nomination Scheme (186)
• Home Affairs – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494)
• Home Affairs – Skilled Independent (189)
• Home Affairs – Skilled Nominated (190)
• Home Affairs – Skilled Work Regional (491)
• OMARA – Help from registered migration agents