We want this first post of the decade to be an extra useful one for you. We’ve decided to help you answer one of the most commonly asked questions: “Which state should I go to for PR?”
As the points cut-offs for PR get higher and higher, many people know that state nomination is one of the best options to help you get PR. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are popular states to live in, but are not necessarily the best for PR prospects. So, which one?
Today, our principal migration agent provides a easy-to-understand summary of the pros and cons of each state to help you make that choice.
Prefer tables and numbers over words?
A handy comparison table with rankings is also available at the bottom of this page ⬇️
South Australia
✔️ Pro – As long as you meet the requirements, you will have a high chance of being invited.
✔️ Pro – Large range of occupations available.
❌ Con – for onshore applications, it’s likely they will only get 491 nomination instead of 190.
Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)
✔️ Pro – As long as you meet the requirements, you will have a high chance of being invited (assuming you score high points on the Canberra Matrix).
✔️ Pro – It is possible to get state nomination with employment in any occupation, instead of specifically skilled employment.
❌ Con – Points cut-off for Canberra Matrix has some fluctuation, though fluctuations are not big.
Northern Territory/Tasmania
✔️ Pro – Work experience isn’t required for the study streams.
❌ Con – Even though you meet the requirements, depending on the number of people applying at the same time as you, you may still not receive an invitation.
Queensland
✔️ Pro – As long as you meet the requirements, you will have a high chance of being invited.
✔️ Pro – Large range of occupations available.
❌ Con – The times when the state nomination program is open is unpredictable, paritcularly for the 190 visa.
❌ Con – For the study stream, work experience is also required.
Victoria
✔️ Pro – As long as you meet the requirements, you will have a high chance of being invited.
❌ Con – Not many occupations available.
❌ Con – The requirements can change based on demand. For some fields (e.g. IT, engineering and nursing), during peak demand, just meeting the work stream requirements is not enough to receive an invitation.
New South Wales
✔️ Pro – Little requirements, so most people are eligible to submit an EOI.
✔️ Pro – For some occupations, prior residency in the state and work experience are not required.
✔️ Pro – Large range of occupations available.
❌ Con – High unpredictability: Lack of requirements mean a large number of applications are received. This results in unclear wait times, particularly if availability is not marked as ‘high avilability’.
Western Australia
✔️ Pro – As long as you meet the requirements, you will have a high chance of being invited.
❌ Con – Small occupation list for the standard stream.
❌ Con – For the study stream, work experience is also required.
Here’s a comparison table of all the states with rankings based on the key factors.
3 = high | 2 = moderate | 1 = low
We hope this summary helps you be clearer on the main differences between the states and helps you in making your decision!
If you are stilll confused about your PR pathway though, don’t worry, we’ve helped thousands of people like you plan their pathway from here to PR. Read more about our personalised PR Strategy Session, where you can get a personalised migration plan drawn up by our principal migration agent.