Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
190 nomination as an onshore applicant vs 190 nomination as an offshore applicant
The visa is the same; the state’s door is not. Every state and territory nominates for the 190, and most run separate streams for applicants living and working in the state and for applicants abroad, with the onshore stream the larger and the offshore stream limited to occupations the state cannot fill locally and often to higher scores. An applicant in Australia registers with the state they live in, usually after a period of residence and work there; an applicant abroad reads which states run an offshore stream for the occupation this program year and registers there. The onshore applicant has the easier road in most states; the offshore applicant has a road in some.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Who
- An applicant living in the nominating state, usually with a period of residence and work there · An applicant outside Australia, in an occupation on the state’s offshore list
- Streams
- The main stream in every state; graduate and employment streams in several · Offshore streams in some states, for selected occupations, often at higher scores
- Evidence
- Residence and employment in the state, often a job offer · The occupation, the score, and sometimes a job offer or a commitment
- Competition
- Lower for the same occupation in most states · Higher; fewer places
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 190 nomination as an onshore applicant | 190 nomination as an offshore applicant | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | An applicant living in the nominating state, usually with a period of residence and work there | An applicant outside Australia, in an occupation on the state’s offshore list |
| Streams | The main stream in every state; graduate and employment streams in several | Offshore streams in some states, for selected occupations, often at higher scores |
| Evidence | Residence and employment in the state, often a job offer | The occupation, the score, and sometimes a job offer or a commitment |
| Competition | Lower for the same occupation in most states | Higher; fewer places |
| Charge | $6,140 primary applicant | $6,140 primary applicant |
| Watch out | Moving interstate before the nomination voids the residence period | Program years open and close; an offshore stream can close mid-year |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The visa is the same; the state’s door is not. Every state and territory nominates for the 190, and most run separate streams for applicants living and working in the state and for applicants abroad, with the onshore stream the larger and the offshore stream limited to occupations the state cannot fill locally and often to higher scores. An applicant in Australia registers with the state they live in, usually after a period of residence and work there; an applicant abroad reads which states run an offshore stream for the occupation this program year and registers there. The onshore applicant has the easier road in most states; the offshore applicant has a road in some.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
190 nomination as an onshore applicant or 190 nomination as an offshore applicant — which is better?
The visa is the same; the state’s door is not. Every state and territory nominates for the 190, and most run separate streams for applicants living and working in the state and for applicants abroad, with the onshore stream the larger and the offshore stream limited to occupations the state cannot fill locally and often to higher scores. An applicant in Australia registers with the state they live in, usually after a period of residence and work there; an applicant abroad reads which states run an offshore stream for the occupation this program year and registers there. The onshore applicant has the easier road in most states; the offshore applicant has a road in some.
What is the main difference between the 190 nomination as an onshore applicant and the 190 nomination as an offshore applicant?
Who: 190 nomination as an onshore applicant — An applicant living in the nominating state, usually with a period of residence and work there; 190 nomination as an offshore applicant — An applicant outside Australia, in an occupation on the state’s offshore list. Streams: 190 nomination as an onshore applicant — The main stream in every state; graduate and employment streams in several; 190 nomination as an offshore applicant — Offshore streams in some states, for selected occupations, often at higher scores. Evidence: 190 nomination as an onshore applicant — Residence and employment in the state, often a job offer; 190 nomination as an offshore applicant — The occupation, the score, and sometimes a job offer or a commitment.
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