Health Professionals: How to Get Victoria State Nomination in 2026

Why Health Professionals Have the Edge in Victoria

Victoria's skilled migration programme for 2025-26 allocates 2,700 places for Subclass 190 and 700 places for Subclass 491. Health is the top priority sector for both visa streams, meaning your Registration of Interest (ROI) is ranked favourably compared to applicants from other industries.

Here's what makes VIC particularly attractive for health professionals:

Advantage	Details
Priority ranking	Health ROIs are assessed ahead of most other sectors
Both onshore and offshore	Unlike some states, VIC accepts offshore health applicants for both 190 and 491
Fast-track processing	Eligible health candidates may receive an invitation within 2 weeks of submitting their ROI
No separate state list	VIC accepts all occupations on the federal Skilled Occupation List - if you're on it, you can apply

TIP

Recent invitation data suggests approximately 30% of VIC nominations go to health-sector applicants. If you're in health, you're in the right sector at the right time.

Which Health Occupations Are Eligible?

Victoria doesn't publish its own occupation list. Instead, it accepts any occupation listed on the Department of Home Affairs' Skilled Occupation List. For health professionals, the most common nominated occupations include:

Occupation	ANZSCO Code	Assessing Authority	Skill List
Registered Nurse (Medical)	254418	ANMAC	MLTSSL
Registered Nurse (Aged Care)	254412	ANMAC	MLTSSL
Registered Nurse (Critical Care)	254415	ANMAC	MLTSSL
Midwife	254111	ANMAC	MLTSSL
General Practitioner	253111	AMC	MLTSSL
Specialist Physician	253311-253399	AMC	MLTSSL
Physiotherapist	252511	APC	MLTSSL
Occupational Therapist	252411	OTC	MLTSSL
Pharmacist	251511	APharmC	MLTSSL
Dentist	252312	ADC	MLTSSL
Medical Laboratory Scientist	234611	AIMS	MLTSSL
Radiographer	251211	ASMIRT	MLTSSL

Not sure if your occupation qualifies? You can search for your ANZSCO code to find out which skill list your health occupation appears on and which visa pathways are available. If you're a registered nurse, our complete RN migration guide covers the ANMAC assessment process in detail. For a broader overview of Victoria's programme including all priority sectors, see our Victoria State Nomination 2026 guide.

The AHPRA Trap: The #1 Mistake Health Applicants Make

WARNING

Your AHPRA registration must match your nominated ANZSCO occupation - and this is where many applications unravel.

Here's how it works: if you nominate ANZSCO 254418 (Registered Nurse - Medical) in your skills assessment and EOI, your AHPRA registration must reflect that you are registered as a nurse with a scope of practice consistent with that specific ANZSCO occupation. A mismatch can result in your ROI being overlooked or your visa nomination being refused.

Common AHPRA mismatch scenarios:

Scenario	Problem	Solution
Nurse assessed as 254418 (Medical) but holding general AHPRA registration without endorsement	VIC may question alignment	Ensure your ANMAC assessment matches your AHPRA registration type
Doctor assessed as GP (253111) but AHPRA shows limited registration	Limited registration may not align with full GP ANZSCO	Confirm your registration pathway (standard, specialist, limited) with AMC
Allied health professional with provisional AHPRA registration	Provisional registration may not satisfy VIC requirements	Check whether VIC accepts your registration type for nomination

What to do: Before submitting your ROI, compare your skills assessment letter, your nominated ANZSCO code, and your AHPRA registration certificate. All three must tell the same story.

Eligibility: What You Need Before Applying

To be eligible for Victoria state nomination as a health professional, you need to meet these requirements:

Requirement	Subclass 190	Subclass 491
Age	Under 45 at time of nomination	Under 45 at time of nomination
English	Minimum Competent (IELTS 6.0 each)	Minimum Competent (IELTS 6.0 each)
Skills assessment	Valid, with 12+ weeks remaining	Valid, with 12+ weeks remaining
Points	Minimum 65 (including nomination points)	Minimum 65 (including nomination points)
Nomination points	+5 points	+15 points
Visa fee	$4,910 AUD	$4,910 AUD
Commitment	Live and work in Victoria	Live and work in regional Victoria
AHPRA	Must match nominated occupation	Must match nominated occupation

IMPORTANT

While the minimum is 65 points, competitive health applicants typically score 75-85+ points. Use our Points Calculator to check where you stand.

Visa application fees are current as of March 2026 and are subject to change. The next fee adjustment is expected on 1 July 2026.

English Requirements for Health Professionals

While VIC requires a minimum of Competent English (IELTS 6.0 each band), your AHPRA registration board typically sets higher English standards. As of April 2025, AHPRA updated its English language registration standards with relaxed writing requirements:

Profession	AHPRA English Requirement (Updated April 2025)
Nursing and Midwifery (ANMAC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)
Medicine (AMC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)
Physiotherapy (APC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)
Occupational Therapy (OTC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)
Pharmacy (APharmC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)
Dentistry (ADC)	IELTS 7.0 (L/R/S 7.0, W 6.5) or OET (L/R/S B, W C+)

In practice, if you're AHPRA-registered, you've already met a higher English bar than VIC requires. This also means you'll score 10-20 extra points for Proficient or Superior English on the points test.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for VIC State Nomination

Step 1: Get Your Skills Assessment

Have your qualifications and experience assessed by the relevant assessing authority (e.g., ANMAC for nurses, AMC for doctors). Ensure the ANZSCO code on your assessment matches your intended nominated occupation.

Step 2: Obtain AHPRA Registration

If you haven't already, apply for AHPRA registration with the relevant National Board. Confirm that your registration type (general, specialist, provisional) aligns with your nominated ANZSCO code.

Step 3: Submit Your EOI on SkillSelect

Lodge an Expression of Interest through the Department of Home Affairs' SkillSelect system. Select Victoria (VIC) as your preferred state.

Step 4: Submit Your ROI on Live in Melbourne

Create an account at liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au and submit your Registration of Interest. You'll need your SkillSelect EOI number.

Step 5: Wait for an Invitation

VIC assesses ROIs based on a comparative ranking system. Your profile is ranked against others based on age, English proficiency, qualifications, experience, and salary (for onshore applicants). Health professionals may benefit from fast-track processing.

Step 6: Apply for Visa Nomination

If invited, you'll have a limited timeframe to submit your nomination application with supporting documents, including your skills assessment, AHPRA certificate, English test results, and evidence of commitment to Victoria.

190 vs 491: Which Visa Should Health Professionals Choose?

Factor	Subclass 190	Subclass 491
Visa type	Permanent	Provisional (5 years)
Points from nomination	+5	+15
Where you can live	Anywhere in Victoria	Regional Victoria only
PR pathway	Immediate PR on grant	Must apply for 191 after 3 years
Regional areas (VIC)	N/A	Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, and more
Offshore applicants	Eligible	Eligible (health is priority sector)

Strategy tip: If you're 10 points short for the 190 (which requires only +5 from nomination), the 491 gives you an extra +15 points. Many health professionals use the 491 pathway through regional Victorian cities like Geelong or Ballarat, then transition to permanent residency via the Subclass 191 after three years.

NOTE

State nomination requirements and occupation lists are subject to change. Please confirm current availability with Victoria's Live in Melbourne portal before applying.

How First Migration Can Help

Getting your AHPRA registration, skills assessment, and ANZSCO code aligned is where most health professionals need expert guidance. A mismatch between any of these can delay or derail your application entirely.

At First Migration Service Centre, our registered migration agents specialise in skilled visa applications for health professionals. We can:

Confirm your AHPRA registration aligns with your nominated occupation
Guide you through the SkillSelect EOI and VIC ROI process
Maximise your points score for the best chance of invitation
Prepare your complete nomination application with supporting evidence

Ready to take the next step? We invite you to submit a free visa assessment so we can understand your situation and provide tailored advice on your Victoria state nomination strategy.