Northern Territory · Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional · 2026-27
Northern Territory 491 state nomination guide
NT 491 accepts only specified onshore exceptions under its current 2026–27 notice. Applicants must satisfy the NT Graduate or Resident stream as well as a listed visa or age deadline; offshore nomination is currently closed.
Only onshore NT Graduate or NT Resident applicants meeting a listed exception may lodge: substantive visa expiry on/before 30 September 2027 with no 485 eligibility; turning 45 by that date; or a birthday by that date taking 491 points below 65. No new offshore applications.
A current 2026–27 allocation was not independently verified from the official sources reviewed. No prior-year number has been carried forward, and an unknown allocation is not zero.
Official pages can change without notice. Confirm before acting.
Streams and pathways
NT graduates — baseline criteria
The published 190 criteria include two academic years of eligible NT study and post-completion NT residence plus specified employment or sustained job-search alternatives. An additional over-35/no-485 graduate category exists. These do not override the current 190 closure.
NT residents — current exception screening
For 491, meet all resident-stream employment and residence requirements AND one of the current deadline exceptions. Being onshore somewhere in Australia is not enough.
Offshore
The current notice closes new applications in all offshore streams. Historical Priority Occupation, family or job-offer eligibility does not override that closure.
Key requirements
- Check the current closure/exception notice before considering the underlying eligibility page.
- For 491 exceptions, meet the NT Graduate or NT Resident eligibility and one of the precisely dated exceptions.
- Meet Home Affairs' visa requirements, skills assessment, English and at least 65 federal points including the relevant nomination points.
- For onshore employment, the reviewed rules require full-time or equivalent work of at least 35 hours weekly with an NT employer, at market salary and with employer support.
- The employer normally needs at least 12 months' NT trading history; remote work for an employer outside the NT generally does not qualify unless it services NT clients.
- Demonstrate genuine NT settlement commitment and meet applicable financial-capacity requirements.
How the process runs
Check whether the chosen visa is accepting any new applications.
For 491, establish a listed deadline exception with documentary proof.
Check the full Graduate or Resident stream requirements and employment evidence.
Lodge only if the current notice allows it; do not treat an underlying eligibility page as permission.
If nominated, follow Home Affairs' separate invitation and visa process.
Before you rely on this
- The NT's current exceptions do not reopen 190.
- An expiring visa alone is insufficient: NT stream eligibility and the exception wording both apply.
- No new offshore applications are accepted under the reviewed notice.
Fees
Confirm the nomination application fee, GST treatment and refund conditions on the official application portal before paying. Commonwealth visa charges, assessments and professional fees are separate.
Invitation data
No complete current-year official invitation dataset was verified for this guide. No unofficial score is presented as a government cutoff, and no invitation is promised.
No official invitation figures are recorded in this guide.
Points scores from past rounds are not cut-offs. States select on occupation, ranking factors and capacity, and a score that was invited before may not be invited again.
Official sources
Checked 23 October 2026. Links open in a new tab.
- NT — 2026–27 closure and precise 491 exceptions (opens in a new tab)
- NT — underlying stream eligibility and employment requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Home Affairs — state and territory allocations (check the table's program year) (opens in a new tab)
Related reading
General information only, not migration advice or an eligibility assessment. Nomination is at the discretion of each state or territory.