Victoria 190 Without a Job Offer: Eligibility and ROI Earnings Explained
You do not have to be employed to meet Victoria's employment-related eligibility rule for subclass 190 nomination. Its current official page says there is no minimum work-experience or hours requirement for nomination eligibility. You must still meet the other state and federal requirements, and selection is not guaranteed. Whether you can claim Victorian earnings in your Registration of Interest is a separate question.
Where you live changes the earnings question
Victoria's subclass 190 route accepts applicants living in Victoria or overseas. An applicant already in Australia but living in another state or territory is generally not selected, although Victoria considers some border-community exceptions. An interstate address should not be treated as equivalent to living overseas.
If you live overseas, the official earnings guide says you do not need to provide earnings information in the ROI. A salary earned in Hong Kong or another overseas location should not be presented as Victorian earnings simply because you hope to move there.
If you live in Victoria and have qualifying skilled employment for an employer physically located there, you may be able to claim earnings. If you are not working, have non-skilled employment or work for an employer not physically located in Victoria, the guide says you can still meet the nomination employment rule, but cannot claim those earnings. It currently instructs these onshore subclass 190 applicants to enter $0 for estimated earnings and 0000 for the employer postcode. Follow the current form and official instructions for your circumstances.
A job can be different from your nominated occupation
The earnings guide says the employment used for an earnings claim need not be the same as your nominated occupation. It must nevertheless be skilled employment, and the employer must be physically located in Victoria. Virtual offices are not accepted for that purpose.
The guide describes skilled employment by the relevant ANZSCO skill levels 1, 2 or 3. Check the actual role and classification rather than assuming every paid job qualifies. A suitable migration skills assessment and any professional registration requirements remain separate checks; having eligible earnings does not establish every occupation or points requirement.
For example, an applicant with an assessed engineering occupation and another current role should check whether that role meets the skilled-employment definition before entering its salary. The fact that the job differs from the nominated occupation is not, by itself, the whole answer.
Use the earnings calculation, not the full package figure
There is no minimum earnings requirement for Victorian nomination eligibility. Earnings are one of several ROI ranking factors. A high salary cannot replace the other requirements or guarantee selection, and a person without a claimable salary should not invent one to improve the application.
The official guide generally starts from earnings before income-tax deductions and excluding superannuation, and explains which payments may be included. It excludes items including mandatory employer superannuation, overtime, specified allowances, certain bonuses and investment returns. Read the treatment of each component before copying a remuneration package into the ROI.
If you have several jobs, the guide says to include only the estimated earnings from the highest-paying eligible job. Casual and part-time work have specific calculator instructions. Use the applicable official calculation rather than multiplying an assumed weekly income or adding every job together.
Prepare evidence for any earnings you claim
When invited to apply for nomination after claiming earnings, the official guide normally calls for an employment contract, a reference or position description showing employment duration, hours and duties, at least the most recent four weeks of payslips, and a superannuation statement showing recent contributions. More evidence may be requested. Casual work with variable hours and contractor arrangements have additional instructions, so the general employee list should not be treated as complete for every arrangement.
Keep the employer's actual operating location, your role and the earnings calculation consistent with the documents. Resolve discrepancies before submission. An amount that looks reasonable is not a substitute for supporting evidence.
Keep eligibility, ranking and visa approval separate
First check your residence category, occupation, assessment, English, points and the current nomination criteria. Then decide whether you can claim earnings and how to evidence them. Finally, track the EOI, ROI, invitation and application stages separately. An ROI is not a nomination application, and nomination is not a visa grant.
For an initial discussion with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, a short summary of where you live, your assessed occupation, current duties, employer location and evidence dates can help identify the questions to resolve. Do not send account passwords or complete unredacted payroll records just to ask whether a job is required.
Sources checked
Policy and official-source check: 26 October 2026.
Victorian Government: Subclass 190 eligibility and employment https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/migrate/skilled-migration-visas/skilled-nominated-visa-subclass-190
Victorian Government: Annual earnings estimation guide https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/migrate/skilled-migration-visas/earnings-calculator
Victorian Government: Registration of Interest https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/migrate/skilled-migration-visas/registration-of-interest-for-victorian-state-visa-nomination
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