The Queensland Skilled Migration Program for 2025–26 will officially open for Registration of Interest (ROI) on Friday, 19 September 2025.
With significant updates announced for the new program year, applicants should take care to understand the requirements before lodging, as last year saw a high refusal rate due to incomplete or inaccurate applications.
Changes at a Glance for 2025–26
- Revised Occupation Lists
Two revised occupation lists will be published:- 201 occupations on the onshore skills list
- 113 occupations on the offshore skills list
- Pathways
- New streamlined onshore pathway for Building & Construction workforce
- Removed Offshore Energy Workers
- Skilled Program Requirements
- Ongoing work requirement removed for onshore applicants
- Work hours requirement reduced to 20 hours per week
- Queensland work experience requirements have changed
- Casual work accepted
- Settlement funds no longer required for offshore
- Expression of Interest (EOI)
- No longer need to create a new EOI each year
- No longer required to choose only Queensland as your state of interest
- Selection Factors
- Age, Regional location, qualifications
- Revised ROI questions for partner
- New process for calculating ROI Annualised earnings
Registration of Interest (ROI)
- Only one ROI per candidate is permitted for Queensland state nomination
- A new ROI is required for this program year (Expression of Interest (EOI’s) can remain, but must be up-to-date
- Applicants must provide evidence at the time of applying to support claims in their ROI
- There is no longer a requirement to nominate Queensland exclusively in your EOI
Skilled Workers Living in Queensland
- Have an occupation on the Queensland Onshore Skills List
- Work experience must be:
- Gained after completing qualifications
- Closely related to the nominated occupation
- Within the same ANZSCO minor group (same first three digits)
- At least 20 hours per week
- Have been living and working in Queensland before submitting your ROI
- For at least 6 months (Subclass 491) or
- For at least 9 months (Subclass 190)
- You must still be in a role that meets requirements when you submit your ROI, when you are selected and nomination
- Multiple eligible jobs can be combined to meet work hours requirements
Queensland University Graduates
- You have:
- A Bachelor Degree, Master’s Degree or PhD from a Queensland university or tertiary institute
- Completed 100% of this qualification in Queensland
- Graduated after 1 July 2021
- Have been living and working in Queensland before submitting your ROI
- For at least 6 months (Subclass 491) or
- For at least 9 months (Subclass 190)
- Work experience is gained after you obtained your qualification
- Employment may be in any Skill Level 1 occupation
Skilled Workers Living Outside Australia (Offshore)
- Work experience requirement reduced from five years to one year
- Settlement funds requirement has been removed
- Preference will still be given to candidates with greater experience
- Only work experience declared as related to your nominated occupation on your EOI will be considered
Selection Process
- The Queensland program does not operate on a “first come, first served” basis. Instead:
- Invitation rounds will be conducted in smaller, more frequent batches, but without notice
- The date of application is not a factor in selection
- Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation
- Candidates are assessed and ranked within their ANZSCO 4-digit occupation group
- Top-ranked candidates will be invited based on the strength of their application, not the order it was submitted
Selection Factors
- Queensland places strong emphasis on:
- Salary levels (onshore applicants with higher salaries are prioritised)
- English competency (higher than the minimum requirement preferred)
- Work Experience (onshore applicants in regional areas are favoured)
- Partner skills (including English and nominated occupation)
- Age
- Skill level – PhD holders are valued more highly than Master’s or Bachelor’s graduates
Important Reminders
- Accuracy matters: Last year, a significant number of ROIs were refused because applicants did not read the requirements carefully or provided incomplete information.
- Evidence at lodgement: Supporting documents must be ready and submitted when applying
- EOI vs ROI: You do not need to submit a new EOI for Queensland, but you do need to submit a new ROI for the 2025–26 program
- No round results published: The Queensland Government will not publish when invitation rounds are held or their results
Looking Ahead
- The Queensland program remains highly competitive. Registered Nurses were among the top nominated occupations in the previous program year, and this trend is expected to continue. With only the strongest and most accurately completed applications being considered, applicants are encouraged to carefully review the criteria before submitting their ROI.
- The new occupation lists will be published on Thursday, 18 September 2025, giving prospective applicants just one day to prepare ahead of the official opening.
We now have a full-time Registered Migration Agent based in Brisbane who can assist you with preparing your ROI and application for Queensland state nomination. Contact us today to ensure your application is complete, competitive, and aligned with the new requirements.