Victoria is introducing a structured, transparent ranking system for its 2026-27 Skilled Visa Nomination Program. Understanding exactly how your Registration of Interest will be scored is the difference between a competitive application and one that sits in the pool indefinitely.
Victoria's 2026-27 Skilled Visa Nomination Program will open soon for Registrations of Interest. When it does, every eligible ROI submitted to Victoria will be ranked using the Victorian Points Test — a scoring system published by the Victorian Government specifically for its nomination program.
This is completely separate from the Australian Government's SkillSelect points test, which determines whether you are eligible to hold a Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa. The SkillSelect test is a federal eligibility threshold. The VPT is Victoria's internal competition ranking. You need both to work in your favour.
An applicant with 75 SkillSelect points and a weak VPT profile may never receive an invitation. An applicant with 65 SkillSelect points and a very strong VPT score in a priority occupation may be invited in the first round. Understanding which factors drive your VPT total — and how you compare to others competing for the same nomination places — is the most important piece of analysis you can do before submitting your ROI.
According to the Live in Melbourne website, Victoria uses two selection pathways in each invitation round.
Most Competitive: In each invitation round, ROIs with the highest VPT totals across all eligible occupations in the pool at that time are invited. This is the open competition pathway — your VPT score is measured against every other eligible ROI regardless of occupation.
Priority Industry: ROIs with the highest VPT totals within each priority industry in the pool at that time are separately invited. This means applicants in Healthcare, Social Assistance, Education, and Construction compete primarily against others in the same industry group, not against the entire ROI pool. A healthcare professional with a VPT score that would not make the cut in the open competition may still receive an invitation if they rank at the top of the Healthcare priority pool.
This two-pathway structure is strategically important. Your nominated occupation and the industry it falls under can matter as much as your raw VPT score when it comes to actual invitation outcomes.
Every eligible ROI receives a VPT total based on information drawn from the applicant's SkillSelect Expression of Interest and the Victorian Registration of Interest.
Age carries the most weight in the entire VPT framework. The system strongly favours applicants between 20 and 29, who receive the maximum 300 points. From age 30 onwards, points reduce progressively with each year.
| Age | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| 18 | 265 |
| 19 | 282 |
| 20 to 29 | 300 |
| 30 | 286 |
| 31 | 270 |
| 32 | 256 |
| 33 | 240 |
| 34 | 226 |
| 35 | 210 |
| 36 | 196 |
| 37 | 180 |
| 38 | 166 |
| 39 | 150 |
| 40 | 136 |
| 41 | 106 |
| 42 | 76 |
| 43 | 46 |
| 44 | 16 |
Age is the only factor you cannot improve. Every other factor in the VPT is something you can work toward. This makes age the most important reference point for your planning timeline. Applicants in their early to mid-thirties should treat the VPT age reduction as a countdown signal: every year of delay costs you real ranking points.
English is the second most heavily weighted factor, reflecting Victoria's emphasis on skilled migrants who can contribute productively from day one. Only Proficient and Superior English attract VPT points.
| English Level | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| Competent English | 0 |
| Proficient English | 100 |
| Superior English | 200 |
The gap between Proficient and Superior English is 100 points — equivalent to the entire maximum allocation for work experience. For applicants currently at Proficient level, retaking your English test to achieve Superior results before submitting your ROI is one of the highest-return investments you can make in your VPT score.
Superior English in the SkillSelect framework generally requires an IELTS score of 8.0 in each component, or equivalent in PTE, TOEFL, or Cambridge tests.
Work experience is assessed based on years in your nominated occupation, not total years of employment.
| Years of Experience | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| 0 years | 0 |
| 1 year | 20 |
| 1 to 3 years | 40 |
| 3 to 5 years | 60 |
| 6 to 8 years | 80 |
| More than 8 years | 100 |
The experience must be in your nominated occupation — not a related field or previous career. Applicants who have worked in occupations adjacent to their nominated ANZSCO code should assess carefully whether that experience qualifies before claiming it in their VPT score.
Educational qualifications are weighted by level. Higher postgraduate qualifications attract significantly more points than bachelor degrees.
| Qualification | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| Other | 25 |
| Bachelor and Honours | 50 |
| Masters | 75 |
| PhD | 100 |
For applicants currently holding a bachelor degree and considering postgraduate study, a Masters qualification adds 25 VPT points over a bachelor. A PhD adds 50 VPT points. Where a postgraduate qualification is genuinely aligned with your occupation and career goals, the VPT points represent an additional strategic benefit worth factoring into your planning.
This factor rewards applicants whose nominated occupation is classified at Skill Level 1 — the highest level under the ANZSCO framework.
| Occupation Skill Level | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| Skill Level 1 occupation | 50 |
| Skill Level 2 occupation | 0 |
| Skill Level 3 occupation | 0 |
Skill Level 1 occupations are typically managers and professionals requiring a bachelor degree or higher, or at least five years of relevant experience. To check the skill level of your occupation, see the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list.
Partner skills can add 50 VPT points, but three conditions must all be satisfied simultaneously for these points to apply.
You must have claimed 10 partner-skill points in your SkillSelect Expression of Interest. Your partner must be included in the Victorian-nominated visa application. And your partner's occupation must be a current priority industry occupation under Victoria's 2026-27 program.
If any one of these three requirements is not met, the VPT contribution for partner skills is zero — not reduced, but zero. This makes consistency between your SkillSelect EOI and your Victorian ROI particularly important. An error or mismatch in partner skills claims across the two systems can cost you 50 points that should legitimately belong to you.
Single applicants, applicants with Australian citizen or permanent resident partners, or applicants whose partner's occupation falls outside the priority industries receive 0 points for this factor.
For full details on how partner skills points work in the SkillSelect system, see the points table on the Department of Home Affairs website.
If you are currently working in a skilled role in Victoria, your annual earnings from that employment can significantly boost your VPT ranking. The earnings table runs from $80,000 at the entry point to $170,000 or above at the maximum.
| Annual Victorian Earnings (AUD) | VPT Points |
|---|---|
| $80,000 to $84,999 | 8 |
| $85,000 to $89,999 | 16 |
| $90,000 to $94,999 | 24 |
| $95,000 to $99,999 | 32 |
| $100,000 to $104,999 | 39 |
| $105,000 to $109,999 | 47 |
| $110,000 to $114,999 | 55 |
| $115,000 to $119,999 | 63 |
| $120,000 to $124,999 | 71 |
| $125,000 to $129,999 | 79 |
| $130,000 to $134,999 | 87 |
| $135,000 to $139,999 | 95 |
| $140,000 to $144,999 | 103 |
| $145,000 to $149,999 | 111 |
| $150,000 to $154,999 | 118 |
| $155,000 to $159,999 | 126 |
| $160,000 to $164,999 | 134 |
| $165,000 to $169,999 | 142 |
| $170,000 and over | 150 |
Earnings must come from current skilled employment in Victoria. The Victorian Government has published a specific methodology for how eligible annual earnings are calculated — it is not simply your contract salary. Before claiming Victorian earnings in your ROI, review the Annual Earnings Estimation guide on the Live in Melbourne website to ensure your calculation is correct.
Adding the maximum from all seven factors:
| Factor | Maximum VPT Points |
|---|---|
| Age (20 to 29) | 300 |
| English (Superior) | 200 |
| Work Experience (8+ years) | 100 |
| Education (PhD) | 100 |
| Occupation Skill Level 1 | 50 |
| Partner Skills | 50 |
| Victorian Earnings ($170,000+) | 150 |
| Total Maximum | 950 |
Very few applicants will score at or near the maximum. The realistic question is where your score sits relative to others in your occupation's invitation pool. Use our Victorian Points Test Calculator to estimate your position.
This is the most important operational feature of the VPT, and it is stated directly by the Victorian Government: unlike the Australian Government's points test, the VPT does not have a fixed pass mark. Invitations are issued to ROIs with the highest VPT totals in each invitation round.
What this means practically is that the VPT score you need to receive an invitation changes every round, depending entirely on who else is in the pool and how many invitation places are available. A score of 550 may be competitive in one round and fall short in the next if a large number of highly qualified applicants submit ROIs in the intervening period.
Victoria has also confirmed that it cannot tell individual applicants their likelihood of receiving an invitation or how their score compares to others currently in the pool. This is by design: the system is a live competition, not a static threshold.
Personal circumstances — including an approaching visa expiry, an age-related deadline, or the imminent expiry of a skills assessment — cannot be used as grounds to request priority. If you are approaching any of these deadlines, you should pursue alternative visa strategies in parallel rather than relying on receiving a Victorian invitation in time.
Victoria has published its 2026-27 priority industries. Applicants in these industries compete separately within their industry pool, which can be a significant strategic advantage over the open competition pathway.
Healthcare is the largest priority industry by number of included occupations. The full list of eligible Healthcare occupations includes Medical Diagnostic Radiographer (251211), Medical Radiation Therapist (251212), Sonographer (251214), Optometrist (251411), Hospital Pharmacist (251511), Occupational Therapist (252411), Physiotherapist (252511), Podiatrist (252611), Audiologist (252711), Speech Pathologist (252712), a full range of Specialist Physicians and Surgeons (codes 253311 through 253521), Psychiatrist (254411), Nurse Practitioner, and all Registered Nurse specialisations (254412 through 254499), Midwife (254111), Nurse Educator and Researcher (254211 and 254212), Nurse Manager (254311), and Dental Technician (411213).
If your occupation falls within Healthcare, review the complete priority occupations list on Live in Melbourne to confirm your specific ANZSCO code is included.
The Social Assistance priority group includes Clinical Psychologist (272311), Educational Psychologist (272312), Organisational Psychologist (272313), Psychologists not elsewhere classified (272399), Social Worker (272511), and Welfare Worker (272613).
The Education priority industry is divided into two subgroups with different eligibility conditions.
The Teachers subgroup includes Middle School Teacher (241311), Secondary School Teacher (241411), Special Needs Teacher (241511), and Special Education Teachers not elsewhere classified (241599).
The Early Childhood Education subgroup covers Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher (241111) with a specific condition: Registrations of Interest with one or more years of relevant work experience and Proficient or Superior English will be prioritised. This condition makes English and experience particularly critical for Early Childhood applicants competing within this subgroup.
Construction is divided into two subgroups with different occupational compositions.
The Construction Professionals subgroup covers Geotechnical Engineer (233212), Geophysicist (234412), Hydrogeologist (234413), Construction Project Manager (133111), Surveyor (232212), and Other Spatial Scientist (232214).
The Construction Trades subgroup covers a wide range of licensed trades including Glazier (333111), Bricklayer (331111), Stonemason (331112), Plumber General (334111), Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber (334112), Drainer (334113), Gasfitter (334114), Roof Plumber (334115), Carpenter and Joiner (331211), Carpenter (331212), Joiner (331213), Building Inspector (312113), Electrician General (341111), Electrician Special Class (341112), Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic (342111), Sheet Metal Worker (322211), Metal Machinist (323214), Electrical Engineering Technician (312312), Solid Plasterer (333212), Wall and Floor Tiler (333411), Roof Tiler (333311), Toolmaker (323412), Metal Fabricator (322311), Motor Mechanic General (321211), and Automotive Electrician (321111).
If you work in a trade occupation, check whether your ANZSCO code appears in the Construction Trades subgroup. Being in a priority trade subgroup separates your ROI from the open competition pool and allows you to be ranked only against other tradespeople in the same category.
Victoria has introduced fees for its 2026-27 nomination program that did not apply in previous years.
The Registration of Interest fee is $60 excluding GST, or $66 including GST for applicants required to pay GST. This is a one-time fee per program year. If you withdraw your ROI and submit a new one during the same program year, you will not be charged the ROI fee again.
If invited, the Subclass 190 or 491 nomination application fee is $180 excluding GST, or $198 including GST.
These fees should be budgeted for separately from the Department of Home Affairs visa application fee, which applies at the visa application stage.
For full fee information, see the Victorian Government skilled migration fees page.
If you submitted a Registration of Interest under a previous Victorian program year, that ROI will not automatically be considered under the 2026-27 program. You must submit a new ROI once the 2026-27 program opens.
This is the period to prepare. Before the program opens, you should review your SkillSelect Expression of Interest to ensure all claimed points are accurate and current, confirm your English test result is recent enough to be accepted, verify your skills assessment is valid, review whether your employment information and Victorian earnings claim is correctly documented, and calculate your estimated VPT score under the new framework.
Use our Victorian Points Test Calculator to work through your score before the program opens.
This distinction is critical and is the source of significant confusion among applicants.
The SkillSelect points test is administered by the Department of Home Affairs and determines whether you meet the minimum eligibility threshold to hold a Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 visa. The minimum is 65 points including applicable nomination points.
The Victorian Points Test is administered by the Victorian Government through the Live in Melbourne platform and determines how your ROI ranks in the competition for Victorian nomination places.
Both must be satisfied. Passing the SkillSelect threshold does not guarantee Victorian nomination. And being nominated by Victoria means the visa itself must still be assessed and granted by the Department of Home Affairs separately.
The VPT draws its inputs from your SkillSelect EOI and your Victorian ROI. Inconsistencies between the two — particularly on partner skills claims, occupation codes, and English test results — can affect your VPT score and your nomination outcome. Both documents must be accurate and consistent before you submit.
Based on the seven VPT factors and the priority industry framework, here is where to focus your preparation.
English score is the fastest improvement you can make. The gap between Proficient and Superior English is 100 VPT points. If you are currently at Proficient level, retaking your test before the program opens can add more points to your VPT than any other single action — except age, which you cannot change.
Check your partner's occupation against the priority industry list. If your partner holds a skills assessment in a Healthcare, Social Assistance, Education, or Construction occupation and you have claimed partner skills points in SkillSelect, you may be entitled to 50 VPT points. Make sure your SkillSelect EOI reflects this and that the information is consistent with your Victorian ROI.
Verify your Victorian earnings calculation using the official method. The earnings points can add up to 150 VPT points, but the calculation must follow the Victorian Government's Annual Earnings Estimation guide. A salary stated on an employment contract is not necessarily the same as eligible annual Victorian earnings under the program's definition. Use the official guide to calculate your correct figure.
Understand your priority industry position. If your ANZSCO code appears in one of the four priority industries above, your ROI will be ranked within that industry pool as well as in the open competition. Being in a priority industry with a strong VPT score may mean you receive an invitation that would not come through the open competition pathway.
Estimate your score before you submit. Use our Victorian Points Test Calculator to get a clear picture of your estimated VPT total based on your age, English level, experience, education, occupation, partner, and earnings. This helps you identify where additional preparation could meaningfully improve your position.
Before the 2026-27 Victorian program opens, use our Victorian Points Test Calculator to estimate your score based on the official Victorian Government weighting published on the Live in Melbourne website.
The calculator covers all seven VPT factors and gives you a clear estimate of where your ROI is likely to rank. It is a planning tool, not a guarantee of an invitation — but knowing your position before you submit is far better than discovering it after.
Book a Consultation
If you want an assessment of your Victoria 190 or 491 nomination strategy, including your VPT score, your priority industry position, and whether your SkillSelect EOI and Victorian ROI are consistent, speak with a registered migration agent before the program opens.
Book at provisa.setmore.com or call 02 9007 4409.
Offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Video consultations available nationally.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information published on the Live in Melbourne website and the Department of Home Affairs, current as of October 2026. VPT settings, priority industries, occupation lists, and program fees are subject to change when the 2026-27 program opens. This article does not constitute migration advice. For decisions specific to your circumstances, consult a registered migration agent. Professional Visa and Education Services, Registered Migration Agents.