Victoria is home to more than seven million people, and it keeps drawing new arrivals. In the year to March 2026, the state grew by 1.6 per cent, the second fastest of any state, with net overseas migration adding around 81,700 people. Melbourne also ranked third in the world in the EIU Global Liveability Index 2026, scoring full marks for healthcare and education. That kind of appeal brings strong competition for nomination, and with it, a ranking where every point may carry more weight.
If Victoria is where you want to build your life, the Victorian points test is one of the first things worth getting right. In our latest video, Grant, our registered migration agent from Pathway to Aus, walks us through how the test works and what you can do to strengthen your Victoria state nomination. It draws on what our team sees each week as we help skilled workers plan their move to Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The short version is simple. Victoria ranks applicants against each other, so your EOI and ROI should accurately reflect your current circumstances, with evidence to support every claim you make.
Key Takeaways
- The Victorian points test ranks every Victoria ROI for 190 and 491 nomination and has no set pass mark.
- You still need to meet federal rules, including 65 points on the Home Affairs test.
- Victoria scores seven factors, including age, education, English, experience, skill level, Victorian earnings and partner skills.
- Invitations come through two streams: top-ranked applicants and priority industries.
- Keeping your EOI, skills assessment and English results current may help strengthen your rank.
What is the Victorian Points Test?
The Victorian points test, sometimes called the Victorian skilled migration points test, is an internal system Victoria uses to rank people who lodge a Victoria ROI (Registration of Interest). It helps the state decide who to invite to apply for Victoria skilled visa nomination.
There is no set pass mark. Victoria simply ranks the ROIs it receives, and the strongest profiles tend to rise to the top. That means your score only has meaning next to everyone else’s. So instead of asking “Do I qualify?”, you should ask “How do I stand out?”
Which Visas Use the Victorian Points Test?
The test applies to the two state-nominated skilled visas.
- Victoria 190 visa (Skilled Nominated): A permanent visa that lets you live and work anywhere in Victoria.
- Victoria 491 visa (Skilled Work Regional): A provisional visa that asks you to live and work in regional Victoria, and which may lead to permanent residency through the subclass 191 visa.
How It Differs from the Home Affairs Points Test
Many people assume the two tests are the same. Here’s a clarification on how they differ:
|
Victorian points test |
Home Affairs points test |
|
|
Run by |
Victorian Government |
Department of Home Affairs |
|
Purpose |
Ranks ROIs for Victorian nomination |
Sets eligibility for skilled visas |
|
Pass mark |
None, it is a ranking |
65 points minimum (based on historical data but not an exactly established point) |
|
Where you lodge |
Victoria ROI |
SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) |
You need to meet both. Your EOI still has to satisfy the federal rules, and your ROI then competes on Victoria’s own scale. For a quick sense of your federal score, our points test is a good place to start.
Know your federal score first
Your Victorian rank only counts if you meet the 65-point Home Affairs minimum. Check where you stand in a few minutes.
Minimum Eligibility for Victorian Skilled Migration
Before ranking even comes into play, you generally need to meet the federal requirements, such as:
- Be under 45 when invited
- Hold a valid, positive skills assessment in an eligible occupation
- Have at least Competent English
- Score at least 65 on the Home Affairs points test
- Have a current EOI in SkillSelect and a lodged Victoria ROI
Victoria may add its own criteria to each round, so it is worth checking the current requirements before you lodge.
How are Points Calculated?
Victoria scores seven factors, each with its own published points table. Your Victorian points test total is simply the sum of all seven. They fall into three broad groups:
Your Core Personal Profile
This covers your age, your English ability and your qualifications. These tend to carry the most weight, so they shape your score before anything else is considered. Younger people with strong English often start from a higher base.
Still, that is never the full picture. An older applicant with deep experience and excellent English may still rank well.
Work Experience and Skill Level
Victoria looks closely at how many years of experience you have and the skill level of your occupation. Experience that clearly matches your nominated occupation tends to tell a more convincing story than a long but scattered work history, so the way you document it can make a quiet but meaningful difference.
Local Commitment and Partner Skills
Your annual earnings in Victoria may count to your VPT earning, which rewards people already living and working in the state. If your partner is included in your application, their skills may also add to your rank.
How Do I Check My Victorian Points Test Score?
Victoria publishes its points tables on the Live in Melbourne website, so you can tally your own estimate factor by factor. Take care with earnings since Victoria sets its own method for working them out and your contract salary may not be the figure it uses.
Not sure your numbers add up?
Small errors in earnings or experience may cost you rank. Have a registered migration agent review your profile before you lodge your ROI.
How Victoria Sends Invitations
Victoria invites candidates through two separate streams, and knowing which one suits you may change how you plan.
- Highest VPT total across all occupations: Victoria invites the top scorers under its points test to apply for nomination.
- Highest total within the priority industry: Victoria also invites people working in key sectors. These have included construction, healthcare, social assistance and education.
Priority sectors can change from year to year. If your occupation sits in one of them, you may find a path that does not depend on topping the overall rankings. If it does not, your ranking becomes the main lever, and every factor you can lift starts to count.
How to Strengthen Your Victorian Points Test Result
Most of the time, we help our clients with small, practical steps rather than big changes. This means that you don’t need to rebuild your profile. You just need to make sure every part of it is working for you. Here’s how to make your Victorian Points Test result stronger:
Keep your SkillSelect EOI up to date
Your EOI should always reflect where you stand today. A new qualification, an extra year of work or a better English score is worth adding as soon as it happens. An out-of-date EOI can quietly hold you back, even when your real profile has moved on.
Check that your skills assessment is valid
Skills assessments do not last forever. If yours lapses while you wait, your EOI may no longer be valid, and you may lose time you cannot get back. Check the expiry date now and plan a renewal well ahead.
Keep your English test result current
English results also have a shelf life. A valid test is essential, and a higher one may lift your rank. If you have the chance to resit and improve your score, it is often one of the most direct ways to move up.
Build local experience in Victoria
Victorian earnings are one of the seven factors Victoria scores, so work in the state can count directly toward your rank. If you are onshore, it may be worth thinking about how your next role fits that goal.
Building skills in Melbourne?
Explore trade courses in Melbourne that may lead to in-demand occupations and valuable local experience.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Over the years, we have seen the same few issues hold strong candidates back. These include the following:
- Treating the Victorian points test as if it were the federal test
- Letting a skills assessment or English result expire while waiting
- Leaving an EOI unchanged for months
- Guessing Victorian earnings instead of following Victoria’s method
- Assuming one strong factor makes up for gaps elsewhere
None of these are hard to fix. They simply need early attention before a quiet gap in your file becomes the reason you are passed over in a busy round.
How Pathway to Aus Can Help
Every profile is different and the right plan depends on your job, timing and where you are on your journey. Some people are close and need a few small tweaks. Others need a longer plan, with study or work in Victoria first.
We support you across the full General Skilled Migration process, from your EOI and ROI through to your subclass 190 visa application. If you are still building your skills, our Educate to Migrate pathway may help you gain a qualification in an occupation Australia needs.
No agent can promise an invitation or a visa outcome, and state programmes change. What we can do is help you put forward the strongest, most accurate version of your profile, so that when Victoria ranks its next round, you are in the best position you can be.
Ready to see where you stand? Book a consultation with our team and let us build a strategy that suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Victorian ROI take?
There is no fixed processing time for a Victorian ROI. Victoria runs invitation rounds through the programme year, and lodging an ROI does not mean you will be selected.
Does it cost anything to lodge a Victorian ROI?
From the 2026 to 27 programme, Victoria introduced a fee for each ROI and a separate fee for each nomination application. Check the current amounts on the Live in Melbourne website before you lodge.
Can I apply for Victorian nomination from outside Australia?
Offshore applicants have generally been able to lodge an ROI for Victorian nomination. Victoria has at times limited or prioritised certain occupations for offshore candidates, especially for the subclass 491 visa.
Does my Victorian ROI carry over to the next programme year?
No. An ROI is valid only for that program year where you submitted it. If you submitted one in a previous year, you must submit a new ROI when the new program opens to be considered.
What is the difference between Victoria’s 190 and 491 nomination?
The subclass 190 is a permanent visa that lets you live anywhere in Victoria. The subclass 491 is a provisional visa that requires you to live and work in regional Victoria, and it may lead to permanent residency through the subclass 191 visa.
