Victoria 190 ROI Strategy: Why Your Salary is the Hidden Tie-Breaker

Victoria's Registration of Interest (ROI) system doesn't just rank you by points. It weighs your occupation, English score, work experience, and - critically - how much you earn in skilled employment within Victoria. Two applicants with identical points scores in the same occupation can receive very different outcomes if one earns $70,000 and the other earns $110,000.

This guide breaks down exactly how Victoria's earnings-based assessment works, what to include and exclude from your figure, and the common mistakes that lead to silent disqualification.

How Victoria Uses Your Earnings

When you submit an ROI through the Live in Melbourne portal, onshore applicants are asked to provide an estimate of annual earnings from their current Victorian employment. This is not a mandatory eligibility requirement - you can submit an ROI without it - but if you're an onshore applicant, omitting it or understating it significantly weakens your competitiveness.

Victoria uses your earnings figure as a proxy for labour market relevance: the higher your skilled salary, the more the state values your economic contribution. Think of it as a return on investment (ROI) calculation - Victoria wants to nominate skilled workers who demonstrably contribute to the state's economy.

IMPORTANT

While there is no published minimum salary threshold for Victorian 190 nomination, crowdsourced data from recent rounds suggests that invited onshore applicants typically earned $80,000-$120,000+ in skilled employment. Lower earners can still be invited if their occupation is in a critical shortage sector (e.g., nursing, construction trades).

What to Include in Your Earnings Estimate

Victoria's Live in Melbourne portal provides clear guidance on what counts. Your estimated annual earnings should be before tax but excluding superannuation:

✅ Include	❌ Exclude
Base salary	Mandatory employer superannuation (currently 11.5%)
Wages	Overtime payments
Payments while on leave	Allowances (meals, car, uniform)
Penalty rates (weekends, public holidays)	Sign-on bonuses
Sales commissions (sales roles only)	Lump sum performance bonuses (non-sales roles)
Salary sacrifice amounts (novated lease, meal cards)	Incentive payments

How to Calculate Your Figure

For most salaried employees, the calculation is straightforward:

Annual earnings = Base salary + any eligible additions (penalty rates, commissions, salary sacrifice) − superannuation

For example, if your employment contract states a total remuneration package of $110,000 including super:

Component	Amount
Total package	$110,000
Less: Superannuation (11.5%)	−$11,345
Your estimated annual earnings	$98,655

If you work part-time or casual hours, the Live in Melbourne website provides a calculator to convert your earnings to a full-time equivalent. Use the adjusted figure from this calculator - do not estimate a full-time salary yourself.

WARNING

Do not inflate your earnings. If invited for nomination, you must provide documentary evidence including your employment contract, at least four weeks of recent payslips, a superannuation statement, and a position description. Over-estimating your earnings is a leading cause of nomination refusal.

The 5 Most Common Earnings Mistakes

These errors can silently disqualify your ROI or lead to nomination refusal after invitation:

1. Including Superannuation

The most frequent mistake. Your employer's mandatory super contributions (currently 11.5% of ordinary time earnings) must be excluded. If your contract states "$100,000 plus super," your figure is $100,000. If it states "$100,000 including super," your figure is approximately $89,686.

2. Claiming Non-Skilled Employment

Your earnings must come from skilled employment - roles classified at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, 2, or 3. If you hold an engineering qualification but currently work as a delivery driver, that income does not qualify. Search for your occupation's ANZSCO code and skill level to confirm whether your role qualifies as skilled.

3. Working for a Non-Victorian Employer

Your employer must be physically located in Victoria. Working remotely for a Sydney-based company from your Melbourne apartment does not count. Victoria specifically excludes virtual offices and proxy arrangements - the employer's principal place of business must be in the state.

4. Including Overtime and Allowances

Even if overtime is a significant part of your take-home pay, it should not be included. Similarly, car allowances, uniform allowances, and meal allowances are excluded. Only include the items listed in the "Include" column above.

5. Reporting Future or Projected Earnings

Your earnings estimate must reflect your current employment and be provable with recent payslips. A job offer for $120,000 starting next month does not count if your current payslips show $85,000. Wait until you've commenced the higher-paying role and have payslips to match.

What Evidence Do You Need?

If your ROI is selected and you receive an invitation to apply for nomination, you'll need to substantiate your earnings claim with:

Document	Purpose
Employment contract	Confirms salary, employer details, and role
Recent payslips (at least 4 weeks)	Proves current earnings match your estimate
Superannuation statement	Shows contributions are excluded from your figure
Position description / letter from employer	Confirms the role is skilled and located in Victoria

TIP

Keep these documents up to date at all times. Victoria's invitation rounds are unpredictable - there is no fixed schedule. When a round drops, invited applicants typically have a limited window to submit their nomination application. Having your evidence ready means you can respond immediately rather than scrambling.

Beyond Salary: The Complete Selection Picture

Earnings alone won't get you nominated. Victoria's holistic assessment also heavily weighs:

Factor	Strategic Tip
Occupation in a priority sector	Health, Construction, Education, ICT, and New Energy are strongly favoured. If you're in one of these, your earnings are weighted even more
Points score	The January 2026 round invited candidates at 85-100 points. Use the Points Calculator to identify where you can gain additional points
English proficiency	Superior English (IELTS 8+) adds 20 points and signals strong integration potential. Proficient (IELTS 7) adds 10
Victorian work experience	Longer tenure in skilled Victorian employment strengthens your ROI
Partner skills	A skilled partner with Competent English adds up to 10 points and broadens the household's economic value

For a full breakdown of Victoria's nomination programme, including 491 regional pathways and eligibility requirements, see our complete Victoria State Nomination 2026 guide.

What If Your Salary Is Below $80,000?

A lower salary doesn't automatically disqualify you - but you'll need other factors working strongly in your favour:

Critical shortage occupation: Registered nurses, construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters), and early childhood teachers have been invited at lower earnings thresholds because Victoria urgently needs these workers
Maximum points: Compensate with a high points score (90+), Superior English, and Australian work experience
Onshore presence: Being in Victoria already is itself a significant advantage
Growth trajectory: Demonstrate career progression - a recent promotion or salary increase shows upward momentum

If you're struggling to reach competitive points, remember that the 491 pathway offers 15 nomination points (compared to 5 for the 190) and may be a more realistic option. Explore this in our Victoria 491 regional pathway guide.

Your Action Plan

If you're targeting Victoria's next 190 round, here's what to do now:

Calculate your correct earnings figure - use the table above to include/exclude the right items
Gather your evidence documents - contract, payslips, super statement, and position description
Update your ROI - if your earnings have changed since you last submitted, log into Live in Melbourne and update your ROI immediately
Maximise your points - estimate your current score and identify realistic ways to improve (English retake, partner skills, Professional Year)
Confirm your ANZSCO code - verify your occupation is on the skilled list and classified at Skill Level 1, 2, or 3
Stay ready - Victoria announces rounds with little or no notice. Your documents should be ready to submit within days of receiving an invitation

NOTE

State nomination requirements and occupation lists are subject to change. Victoria may update its priority sectors, selection criteria, or available streams at any time. Always confirm current availability with the Live in Melbourne portal before applying.

How First Migration Can Help

Getting Victoria's 190 nomination right the first time matters - a poorly calculated earnings figure, an outdated ROI, or a weak points profile can mean missing an entire round. At First Migration Service Centre, our registered migration agents specialise in skilled migration pathways and can help you optimise your ROI, verify your earnings calculation, and build the strongest possible nomination case.

Ready to take the next step? We invite you to submit a free visa assessment so we can evaluate your Victoria 190 competitiveness and provide tailored strategy advice.