Victoria’s Skilled Migration — What’s New (3 Dec 2025 Invitation Round)

In a significant update for prospective migrants, Victoria’s Skilled & Business Migration Program recently conducted an invitation round on 3 December 2025.

If you had submitted your Expression of Interest (EOI) via Skill Select and a corresponding Registration of Interest (ROI) on the Live in Melbourne portal, this round might have brought good news — or at least a reminder to stay patient.

Let’s delve into the details: what changed, what remains the same, and what aspirants should do next.

Why This Victoria Skilled Migration Invitation Round Matters?

• Fresh Opportunity Under 2025–26 Program

For the 2025–26 program year, Victoria was allocated 3,400 state-nomination places in total: 2,700 for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and 700 for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). This full allocation replaces the earlier “interim allocation” figures, which initially showed far smaller numbers (200 places for 190, 180 for 491) until the full count was confirmed. In short: the 3 Dec round is part of a broader, more ambitious push by Victoria to fill several thousand nomination slots over the program year.

• Ongoing Selection — Not a One-Time Event

Unlike a “one-shot draw,” this invitation round is one among several planned throughout 2025–26. Candidates whose ROI has not been selected in this round remain eligible for upcoming rounds, as long as their EOI/ROI details remain accurate and up-to-date. If you didn’t receive an invitation, this doesn’t mean you’re out — your application simply remains in queue.

How the System Works: EOI + ROI + Ranking

For those new to the process, here’s a simplified breakdown of how visa nomination via Victoria works:

1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through Australia’s Skill Select system. This expresses your interest in obtaining a skilled visa and provides details like your occupation, experience, education, English proficiency, partner status, etc.

   
   

2. Submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) via the Live in Melbourne portal — using your EOI number from Skill Select. ROI is not an application but a precondition for nomination.

   
   

3. Ranking & Selection: All ROIs are ranked against each other. The ranking considers a variety of factors, such as:

   • Age

   • English language proficiency

   • Years of experience in the nominated occupation

   • Education level

   • Skill level

   • Salary (for onshore applicants)

   • Partner’s skills (if applicable)

   • The nominated occupation itself, especially whether it matches priority sectors for Victoria.

4. Invitation: If your ROI ranks high enough relative to others, you receive an invitation via email — meaning you can now apply for state nomination. If not, you remain in the pool for future rounds. 

   
   

That’s the system — and the 3 Dec 2025 round is just a part of this ongoing cycle.

Who Was Prioritized (And Who Might Benefit)

While the authorities don’t always publish a full "invited occupations list" after each round, some publicly available and crowdsourced data from the latest December 3 round provides insight into the kinds of candidates who were favoured. For example:

• Onshore applicants for subclass 190 with occupations such as Community Worker and Electrical Engineer reportedly got invitations.

• Offshore nursing professionals (e.g. Registered Nurse — Paediatric, or RN in aged care) have also been mentioned.

• For subclass 491 (regional visa), early-childhood teachers (ECT), hotel & motel managers (especially for regional Victoria) and certain hospitality/tourism roles seem to feature.

  
  

In general, priority seems tilted towards:

• Health & social care (nurses, community workers)

• Education (especially early childhood/teachers)

• Skilled trades and engineering roles

• Hospitality, tourism, and regional service roles (for subclass 491)

• Occupations with demonstrable skilled salary, relevant experience, and strong English proficiency

  
  

If your background matches one of these sectors — and your EOI/ROI is competitive — chances might be better when future rounds come.

What If You Didn’t Get an Invite This Time?

Don’t lose heart. Not getting an invite does not automatically disqualify you. Here’s what you can do:

• Verify that your EOI and ROI details are accurate and up to date. If anything has changed (salary, job, partner status, skills), update accordingly or submit a new ROI. 

• Ensure you meet eligibility criteria for subclass 190 or 491 (as per the 2025–26 Skilled Visa Nomination Program).

• Be patient and wait for future rounds. Invitations are ongoing throughout the program year, not just once a year.

• Consider improving your profile — e.g. gaining further relevant work experience, boosting English proficiency, or using an occupation that’s in demand. High-ranking ROIs tend to have a combination of these.

What This Means for 2025–26 Migration Aspirants

• The expanded allocation (3,400 nomination places) shows that Victoria is serious about attracting skilled migrants — helping fill workforce gaps in sectors like healthcare, education, engineering, hospitality, and regional services.

• Because the program remains open to both onshore (within Australia) and offshore candidates, it offers hope to those still abroad — especially professionals from high-demand occupations.

• The nomination process rewards more than just high EOI-points — experience, salary, and suitability of occupation (especially relative to Victoria’s labour needs) appear to matter significantly. 

• For Indian and other international professionals evaluating migration options, this round serves as a reminder to act quickly: get your EOI/ROI ready, ensure documentation, and monitor future rounds.

A Word of Caution

• Even though a total of 3,400 places are allocated, not all will be filled at once — selection remains competitive. Submissions are marathon, not sprint.

• Receiving an ROI does not guarantee an invitation. Selection depends on relative ranking among all applicants.

• Some sources of public data (especially on who got invites) come from crowdsourced websites rather than official release — treat such lists as indicative, not definitive.

Final Thoughts

The 3 December 2025 invitation round for the Victoria Skilled & Business Migration Program is a welcome step for many thousands of potential migrants. With a sizable allocation for 2025–26 (2,700 for subclass 190 and 700 for subclass 491), the state has signalled its readiness to tap global talent across healthcare, education, trades, regional work and more.

If you’ve already applied — keep your fingers crossed. If not — there’s still time to submit your EOI/ROI, polish your profile, and prepare for future rounds. For those in India or elsewhere considering migration to Australia, this represents a fresh, live opportunity.