Skilled visa Australia: Victoria 2 May 2026 190/491 trends

Key data from Victoria’s 2 May 2026 skilled visa Australia round

How the 2 May 2026 round fits Victoria’s 2025–26 program

Victoria’s 2025–26 skilled nomination program requires both a SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) and a Registration of Interest (ROI) for state nomination, under the skilled visa Australia framework. The state has 3,400 total nomination places: 2,700 for Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and 700 for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), with demand confirmed as higher than available places. This structure allows Victoria to filter EOIs and ROIs rather than simply selecting by points, which helps explain why the 2 May 2026 round appears selective rather than broad in our analysis of Group client outcomes.

Occupation and visa mix: 190 dominates, 491 still active

Across this visible sample, subclass 190 clearly dominates with nine invitations, while subclass 491 appears once for a Welder profile. All cases are onshore, and the occupations span engineering, ICT, business and design, with a single trade profile under 491. For agents, applicants and educators tracking skilled visa Australia demand, this suggests Victoria is active across multiple clusters but still highly selective.

Balanced profiles over raw points: what the sample shows

The sample includes invited applicants at 75 points (including state) alongside profiles at 100 points, which undercuts any idea that Victoria is operating a simple “highest points only” queue. Lower-point invitations, such as the 75-point Civil Engineer and 75-point ICT Business Analyst, sit alongside higher salaries, partner points, or relevant work alignment, underlining that profile structure and practical employability appear to matter. This aligns with Victoria’s ability to assess both EOI and ROI details, going beyond the basic skilled visa Australia points table available in tools like the ImmiIQ points calculator.

Analysis: what Victoria’s 2 May 2026 round suggests for skilled visa Australia nominations

Engineering, ICT, business and trades: which clusters moved?

Earlier December, January and March 2026 Victoria invitation observations referenced in the source also showed repeated movement in engineering, ICT, health, education and some business-linked roles, although point ranges and salary levels shifted between rounds. What appears more stable across these months is the profile style: employment-ready, workforce-active candidates with structured partner, English and experience components. For education providers, this pattern may highlight continuing demand for qualifications feeding into engineering and ICT ANZSCOs such as [233211](https://app.immiiq.com/occupation/233211), [233999](https://app.immiiq.com/occupation/233999), [263111](https://app.immiiq.com/occupation/263111) and [232511](https://app.immiiq.com/occupation/232511).

“Victoria does not seem to be rewarding only the highest raw points. It appears to be rewarding balanced profiles.”

Salary as a credibility signal, not a skilled visa Australia requirement

Victoria does not award migration points for salary under the skilled visa Australia system, yet salary keeps appearing in the trend data as a kind of credibility marker. The source compares several rounds: in January 2026, ICT salaries in trend data sat roughly AUD 95,000–155,000 and engineering around AUD 90,000–145,000; in March 2026, ICT was roughly AUD 80,000–230,000 and engineering AUD 90,000–120,000. For 2 May 2026, several cases again sit above AUD 100,000, but the sample also shows lower-salary invitations, reinforcing that salary strengthens a story of skilled employment rather than operating as a fixed threshold.

This pattern may affect how agents and applicants interpret skilled visa Australia requirements: salary is not a points item but can interact with English, experience and relevant work to create a more convincing ROI story. Our analysis of the Group sample suggests that Victoria appears to read salary as one part of an employability narrative, alongside onshore status and occupation fit.

Onshore presence: still a practical edge in Victoria

Every visible invitation in the 2 May 2026 sample is onshore. Previous December, January and March observations cited in the source also pointed toward a strong onshore weighting, especially among engineering and ICT profiles. For those tracking skilled visa Australia pathways, this suggests that being physically present and active in Victoria’s labour market can still provide a practical edge, even though offshore applicants remain eligible within the formal program rules. Lowest since September 2025.

Next steps for agents, applicants and providers watching Victoria’s skilled visa Australia trends

How can this partial 2 May 2026 data be turned into practical planning without overreaching its limits? The steps below summarise ways different stakeholders may wish to consider using these signals while staying anchored to official Victoria and Department of Home Affairs settings.

1. 01Cross-check each invited occupation against its **ANZSCO description** and skill level on ImmiIQ’s [occupation](https://app.immiiq.com/search) pages to understand why certain roles, such as Civil Engineer (233211) and Computer Network and Systems Engineer (263111), might align with Victoria’s needs.
2. 02Review current **EOI and ROI settings** for Victoria on the official site and via ImmiIQ’s [EOI tools](https://app.immiiq.com/eoi) so that profile planning reflects both state nomination rules and the skilled visa Australia points framework.
3. 03Map client or student profiles against the visible trend ingredients – onshore status, English, experience, partner points and relevant work – using the ImmiIQ [points calculator](https://app.immiiq.com/calculator) as a starting reference rather than a complete decision rule.
4. 04For education providers, align course and marketing insights with occupations that appear repeatedly in Victoria’s trend commentary (engineering, ICT, health, education, business-linked roles), while acknowledging that the state’s official quotas and criteria remain the primary reference.
5. 05Monitor future Victoria news updates (such as any further 2025–26 nomination announcements) and compare them with earlier December, January, March and 2 May 2026 patterns to see whether the preference for balanced, onshore profiles continues or shifts.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute migration advice. Always consult a MARA-registered migration agent for advice specific to your circumstances.

Related

12 May 2026 6 min

WA State Nomination Streams 2026: General vs Graduate (2026-05-08)

Western Australia’s 2025–26 State Nominated Migration Program rules, confirmed on 2026-05-08, make one decision critical: General Stream or Graduate Stream. This article explains the **WA state nomination** structure, lists, and ranking logic so agents, applicants and educators can align strategy with the correct pathway.

8 May 2026 6 min

Skilled Partner Points & SC 190 Status Changes – 8 May 2026

Skilled partner points for Subclass 190 visas can’t usually replace ‘single applicant’ points after invitation. This 8 May 2026 update explains how marital status changes affect the points test, skilled partner criteria and refusals under regulation 190.212 for skilled nominated visa applicants.

29 Apr 2026 6 min

Subclass 189 High‑Risk Occupations 2025–26 (DHA 2026-04-29)

Which occupations may have no realistic Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) chance in 2025–26? Using DHA data current to 2026-04-29, this article explains high‑risk occupations, occupation ceilings, and why state nomination and employer sponsorship now matter more for many profiles.