Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Nominate one state in the EOI vs Select any state
The expression of interest asks which state or territory the applicant wants to be nominated by, and selecting any makes the EOI visible to every state program that reads SkillSelect, which widens the field. It does not replace the state’s own process: every state requires its own registration of interest or application, with its own criteria, and most read whether the applicant lives, works or has ties in that state. An applicant with a genuine connection to one state names it and applies there; an applicant abroad with none selects any and applies to each state whose offshore stream lists the occupation. Selecting any costs nothing, and naming a state the applicant has no connection to earns nothing.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Visibility
- One state’s program · Every state’s program
- What it does
- Signals the preference the state reads · Widens who can read the EOI
- What it does not do
- Apply to the state; the state’s own registration is still required · The same
- Suits
- An applicant living or working in the state, or with ties there · An applicant abroad, or with no connection to a particular state
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Nominate one state in the EOI | Select any state | |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | One state’s program | Every state’s program |
| What it does | Signals the preference the state reads | Widens who can read the EOI |
| What it does not do | Apply to the state; the state’s own registration is still required | The same |
| Suits | An applicant living or working in the state, or with ties there | An applicant abroad, or with no connection to a particular state |
| Multiple EOIs | One EOI per visa subclass can name one state | One EOI reaches all |
| Watch out | States read residence and ties; a name without a connection is noticed | A nomination from one state commits you to it; two nominations are not held at once |
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 expression of interest asks which state or territory the applicant wants to be nominated by, and selecting any makes the EOI visible to every state program that reads SkillSelect, which widens the field. It does not replace the state’s own process: every state requires its own registration of interest or application, with its own criteria, and most read whether the applicant lives, works or has ties in that state. An applicant with a genuine connection to one state names it and applies there; an applicant abroad with none selects any and applies to each state whose offshore stream lists the occupation. Selecting any costs nothing, and naming a state the applicant has no connection to earns nothing.
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
Nominate one state in the EOI or Select any state — which is better?
The expression of interest asks which state or territory the applicant wants to be nominated by, and selecting any makes the EOI visible to every state program that reads SkillSelect, which widens the field. It does not replace the state’s own process: every state requires its own registration of interest or application, with its own criteria, and most read whether the applicant lives, works or has ties in that state. An applicant with a genuine connection to one state names it and applies there; an applicant abroad with none selects any and applies to each state whose offshore stream lists the occupation. Selecting any costs nothing, and naming a state the applicant has no connection to earns nothing.
What is the main difference between the Nominate one state in the EOI and the Select any state?
Visibility: Nominate one state in the EOI — One state’s program; Select any state — Every state’s program. What it does: Nominate one state in the EOI — Signals the preference the state reads; Select any state — Widens who can read the EOI. What it does not do: Nominate one state in the EOI — Apply to the state; the state’s own registration is still required; Select any state — The same.
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