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Vietnamese workers: which Australian state could be your next step in 2026-27?

Visa guide · 2026-08-19 · 4 min read

Some skilled workers cannot get a visa on their own. A state or territory can help by nominating them. This means the state says it supports your application. The two main visas are subclass 190 and subclass 491. The 491 is a regional visa. Each year the rules change, so here is where three places stand for 2026-27.

The three places side by side

Offshore means you are outside Australia. Onshore means you are already there.

Tasmania

Tasmania has the clearest plan. It has 2,050 places this year. Of these, 1,250 are for subclass 190 and 800 are for subclass 491. Last year it had 1,200 and 650. So there is more room now.

A Registration of Interest is a form that tells the state you want to be considered. These forms reopened on 17 August 2026. The first weekly invitations started on 20 August. It costs nothing to register. The nomination fee is $387, and $425.70 with GST.

There is one hard point for people outside Australia. Tasmania is not sending subclass 491 invitations to overseas applicants this program year. This follows Ministerial Direction 119, which sets processing priorities. There is one small exception. Overseas health professionals and teachers who already have a job offer from an eligible Tasmanian employer can apply for subclass 190. They use the Health or Education Sector Job Offer Pathway.

If you already have a 491 application waiting, it will not change to a 190 by itself. You must withdraw it and send a new form for the 190. A new invitation is not certain.

The ACT

The ACT opened a new Migration Application portal on 30 July 2026. It has a safer login, works on a phone, shows your progress, and lets you edit after you submit. Old submissions move across. You need a new account with the same email address.

The total fee is $350. This is $25 for the Canberra Matrix and $325 for nomination. A Matrix entry lasts six months. You can make it twelve if you update it before it ends. Updating is free, but it changes your place when two people have the same score, because the newest update wins a tie. If your visa or documents are about to expire, you may ask for faster processing, but only after you receive an invitation.

The ACT has not yet confirmed its 2026-27 places. Its list of occupations is under review.

Queensland

Queensland has not opened. Fees have changed since 1 July 2026. They are $573 for offshore applicants and $630.30 including GST for onshore applicants. This is for both subclass 190 and 491. While you wait, keep your documents ready.

A note on aged care roles in Far North Queensland

Three aged care jobs are still on the list for the Far North Queensland migration agreement for now: Personal Care Assistant, Nursing Support Worker, and Aged or Disabled Carer. A plan to remove them is reportedly on hold. This affects aged care only, not disability care.

Which one should you look at?

If you need a clear choice today, Tasmania gives the most information. The ACT is easier to use but has no numbers yet. Queensland is a waiting game.

Prepare your papers in the meantime. Vietnamese degrees and trade certificates are usually assessed again in Australia, and some visas ask for IELTS or PTE. Get certified English translations of your documents. If a police certificate is requested, it is usually the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).

Please stay safe. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker, and be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to "secure" a job or a visa. You can read about each visa on the official visa listing.

#nomination #state nomination #subclass 190 #subclass 491 #tasmania #queensland #vietnamese workers