Minimum requirements
To migrate to Australia under a skilled visa, you and your dependant family members on the application must satisfy the Department of Home Affairs requirements.
A summary of key minimum requirements are:
Age
You must be under aged 45 years at the time of nomination.
Skills assessments
You will need a full skills assessment from a relevant Australian skills assessment and assessing authority, for the skilled occupation that you have nominated.
A skills assessment is an independent assessment of whether you have the skills and / or experience to undertake an occupation in Australia. For information about which skills assessment body provides an assessment for your occupation, go to the Department of Home Affairs website.
English
The minimum English language requirement is an outcome of competent unless otherwise specified by assessing / licensing or registration body or on the Northern Territory (NT) Migration Occupation List. Competent means the equivalent of at least IELTS 6.0 in each band level.
NT Government accepts all English tests approved by Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
For a list of language tests accepted and the comparison of test scores go to the Department of Home Affairs website.
Points test
Meet the skilled migration points test of 65 or higher.
In addition to the above, you must also meet the Northern Territory (NT) Government requirements.
These requirements can be changed at any time by the NT Government. NT nominations are issued at the discretion of the NT Government, and meeting these requirements does not guarantee a nomination.
If you already live in Australia
For specific guidelines on eligibility read additional requirements for onshore applicants.
Please note the following general information:
- if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
- if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and have not completed studies in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
- if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination.
If you apply from outside Australia
Offshore applicants will generally only be nominated for a subclass 491 visa.
Offshore applicants must meet the minimum requirements above and meet the following NT nomination criteria:
- have post-qualification work experience of at least 2 years in your nominated occupation in the last 5 years (note: additional work experience may be required for some occupations under the priority occupations stream)
- demonstrate a genuine commitment to live and work in the NT on a long-term basis
- declare that they have the financial capacity to settle in the NT
- meet criteria against one of the 3 streams below.
Please note: those applying under the NT Family stream or the NT Job Offer stream can nominate any occupation on the national eligibility list
- Priority occupation streamOffshore applicants under this stream must:
- have a full migration skills assessment in an occupation listed on the Northern Territory Offshore Migration Occupations List (NTOMOL)
- meet any additional work experience required for the occupation as specified on the NTOMOL.
- NT Family StreamOffshore applicants under this stream must:
- have a family member in the NT who:
- is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen (see definition on Home Affairs website) or hold one of the following visas:
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 491Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 494Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 489a bridging visa granted in association with an application for a Skilled Regional Visa subclass 887 or Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) subclass 191 visa
- is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen (see definition on Home Affairs website) or hold one of the following visas:
- parent
- child or step-child
- brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
- aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
- nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
- first cousin, or
- grandparent
- have a family member in the NT who:
- NT Job Offer StreamOffshore applicants under this stream must have a verifiable job offer in their nominated occupation for a job that is based in the NT with an NT business / organisation that has been actively operating in the NT for at least 12 months
Commitment to the NT
Accepting a nomination from Australia's NT Government means that you are agreeing to the following conditions:
- live and work in the NT in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation for at least three years from visa grant
- let the NT Government know the status of your visa application - you need to do this when your visa is granted and when you arrive
- regularly provide your current contact details to the NT Government
- participate in surveys conducted by the NT Government.
If you are offered an NT Government nomination, a declaration form will be issued which will outline these obligations and you will be required to acknowledge, sign and return.
MigrationNT considers a number of factors in assessing commitment to the NT, including:
- length of residency in the NT
- previous travel to the NT
- connections to the NT (for example, close family members being long-term residents of the NT).
Occupation
All applicants must have a skilled occupation that is on the Australian Government's current list of eligible skilled occupations.
Offshore applicants applying under the Priority Occupation Stream must have an occupation on the NTOMOL.
Financial capacity to settle in the NT
Moving to a new place can be expensive. Skilled migrants to the NT are responsible for supporting themselves when they arrive in the NT, and the NT Government does not provide financial assistance.
It is important that you undertake research into the cost of living in the NT, and ensure that you have the financial capacity to successfully settle. The table below provides guidance on the level of financial resources that you may need depending on your family composition:
| Family composition | Minimum value of net assets |
|---|---|
| Individual applicant | AU$35 000 |
| Applicant and spouse | AU$50 000 |
| Applicant and spouse plus one child | AU$60 000 |
| Applicant and spouse plus two children | AU$65 000 |
Additional requirements for onshore applicants
The Northern Territory (NT) Government grants nominations under the subclass 491 and 190 visas for individuals who meet the visa eligibility criteria set by the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs and can demonstrate strong employment outcomes in the NT and a long-term commitment to the NT workforce.
The NT Government considers a range of factors to inform decisions on applications for nomination. The following guidelines are intended to assist potential applicants, and are subject to change at the discretion of the NT Government. Each application will be assessed on its own merits. NT nominations are issued at the discretion of the NT Government, and meeting these guidelines do not guarantee a nomination.
Specific guidelines are provided for applicants in the following categories:
Eligible NT graduates
Eligibility for a subclass 190 nomination
International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you have met the following criteria before applying for nomination:
- successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying on a full-time basis in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years (4 semesters) in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
- lived in the NT for a period of at least six continuous months immediately after the date of completion* of your last qualification, while holding a subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa or a bridging visa associated with a subclass 485 visa application (Note: this requirement does not apply for graduates who have completed all their Australian studies in the NT and are unable to qualify for a Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa only due to the age limit), and
- demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. This can be met through evidence of a number of applications made over a period of time for jobs in relevant occupations in the NT, and other supporting evidence such as membership in relevant professional associations, or positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT.
* Date of completion is the date on which you were notified that you have met all academic course requirements. This is the date when the final exam results or notice of course completion were available or published.
Eligibility for a subclass 491 nomination
International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 491 nomination if you have met the following criteria before applying for nomination:
- successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying on a full-time basis in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years (4 semesters) in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
- demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts and progress towards obtaining employment from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. This can be met through evidence of a number of applications made over a period of time for jobs in relevant occupations in the NT, any relevant employment held and other supporting evidence such as membership in relevant professional associations, or positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT. You will be expected to demonstrate genuine efforts and progress towards being employed in the NT in your nominated occupation both during and after your studies.
Other NT residents
An NT resident applicant refers to those on temporary visas with full work rights, currently residing in the NT.
Eligibility for a subclass 190 nomination
NT resident applicants will be considered for a subclass 190 nomination if you meet the following requirements before applying for nomination:
- demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 2 consecutive years immediately before applying for nomination
- demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
- demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in your nominated occupation or related occupation for at least 2 years immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months. In order to be related to the nominated occupation, the majority of time in the position must be spent on tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required to undertake the nominated occupation. The employment must also meet the requirements specified below.
Eligibility for a subclass 491 nomination
NT resident applicants will be considered for a subclass 491 nomination if you meet the following requirements before applying for nomination:
- demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
- demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
- demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in their nominated or related occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination in a position that is is available for at least a further 12 months. In order to be related to the nominated occupation, the majority of time in the position must be spent on tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required to undertake the nominated occupation. The employment must also meet the requirements specified below.
Additional employment requirements for NT residents:
- the position must be based in the NT, and the employer must have a record of trading in the NT for at least 12 months
- positions that are based at serviced office spaces or involve hot-desking arrangements will generally not be considered favourably
- you must be paid at market salary.
Applicants who have not been employed in their nominated occupation or a related occupation will generally not qualify for NT nomination.
Applicants who meet all of the other requirements specified above but are employed outside of their nominated or related occupation may qualify for a subclass 491 nomination on an exceptional and case by case basis if they are employed in one of the following critical sectors: health, aged or disabled care, education (including childcare), hospitality, construction and the trades.
Applicants who are on a Temporary Work (Skilled)(subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) must provide a letter of support from your current subclass 457 or subclass 482 sponsoring business stating that they:
- support your visa application
- understand that you will not be tied to their business once the subclass 491 / subclass 190 visa is granted.
The NT Government may contact your employer. There may be circumstances where the need for support from your current employer can be waived. Applicants who are unable to provide a letter of support from their employer must provide a detailed statement explaining the reasons as to why they are unable to do so.
