The state nomination programme attracting the most attention lately is undoubtedlyWestern Australia— and the reasons are straightforward:

1. Enormous invitation numbers

2. Scores hitting new lows

3. Extremely minimal requirements

Let’s look at the invitation data from the last round in detail.

The data shown here covers Western Australia’s two invitation rounds in October and November, with scores for both the 491 and 190 tallied for reference.

TakingAccountingas an example: in October’s round, all EOI applications submitted on or before 29 March 2022 with a total score of 85 or above were invited. This includes points added by the state government (15 points for 491, 5 points for 190).

In other words, if yourown EOI score is 75— add Western Australia’s 15 points, andyou are guaranteed to receive a 491 invitation. And it’s not just Accounting —looking at the trend across recent rounds,IT, Engineeringand most other major occupations follow the same pattern!

If yourEOI score is 70, is there still a chance? Yes!Looking at November’s invitation data: for Accounting at 85 points, invitations advanced from 29 March to 17 August — nearly five months of progress in a single round. We have good reason to believeWestern Australia’s December and January rounds could clear out all 85-point applicants.

— If 491 is practically a freebie, how do you actually get a WA 491? —

EOI score of 70+, how do you get there?

Let’s look at a typical EOI score breakdown for anAustralian graduatestudent:

Category	Points Criteria	Score
Age	25–33 years	30
English	All four components at 7	10
Qualifications	Bachelor’s / Master’s	15
Australian Study	Two years of study in Australia	5
Spouse Skills	Single	10
WA 491 Nomination		15
		Total: 85

Other alternative or additional points categories include:Regional study bonus, NAATI, PYand similar.

In general, achieving an EOI total of 85+ is extremely common for Australian graduates.

So — if my EOI total is 85, can I get a WA 491? Are there really no other requirements?

That’s correct. There are no other requirements.This year, Western Australia has waived all work experience, job offer, and prior residency duration requirements for interstate applicants seeking a491 nomination.

In short: if your EOI score is high enough, the invitation is yours!

The 491 is this straightforward,and frankly the 190 isn’t much harder either.

–

Referring back to the points table at the start: using Accounting as an example, October’s round invited everyone who submitted an EOI by 29 March 2022 with a total score of 85 or above.So if yourown EOI score is 85, add the state government’s 5 nomination points for 190 and you already cross the threshold.If yourEOI score is 80, there’s a good chance you’ll receive an invitation in one of the coming rounds.

There is, of course, one additional requirement: after receiving a WA 190 invitation, applicants mustprovide evidence of a relevant job offer — a Job Offer —with the following specific requirements:

(1) A full-time employment contract closely related to your nominated occupation, lasting at least 6 months from the date of submitting the nomination application, with a minimum of 35 hours per week.

(2) For those not yet in employment, the position must commence within 3 months of submitting the nomination application.

(3) Self-employment and sub-contractor arrangements do not meet the requirements.

(4) The role must meet Australia’s applicable salary requirements and represent a genuine and substantive position.

In simple terms, WA’s 190 requirements this year are: EOI score above the threshold + a job offer!

For job-seeking advice in Western Australia, feel free to get in touch!

Alright — it all sounds straightforward. So I’ll just submit an EOI and wait to be invited from interstate. But do interstate applicants actually have a real chance of receiving an invitation from WA while staying in their current state?

If you stay interstate and simply submit an EOI for WA, do you have a chance?

Let’s look at how WA structures its invitation priorities this year:

The first priority tier goes to applicants currently residing in Western Australia (not necessarily local graduates).

The second tier is interstate applicants.

The third tier is overseas applicants.

So — has WA started inviting second-tier applicants, and when it does, will you have an advantage?

Let’s discuss:

1. The invitation data we’ve seen so far shows thatall General Stream Schedule 2 invitations have gone to applicants residing in WA locally.This is consistent with the state government’s goal of using state nomination to attract people to relocate.

2. WA may start inviting interstate residents (including those who have relocated to WA with a WA address) once the pool of local applicants is largely cleared.The question here is: when?Would WA only consider high-scoring interstate applicants after local applicants for a given occupation have dropped to very low score thresholds?

3. When invitations do open to interstate residents, the pool becomes national with no geographic restriction —and the only selection criterion would be EOI score, bringing us back to the same logic as the Subclass 189 rounds.

4. When interstate invitations begin, the question is whether your score is higher than other applicants in your occupation — specifically, whether you sit in the absolute top-score bracket.

So,

if you

do not want to go back to the old points-scramble game,

our conclusion this year is:

1. WA’s current scores are low partly because local students are relatively fewer, and because a dedicated local-applicant stream has been created for them.The ample allocation is the biggest safeguard.

2. Willing to relocate to WAand establishing ‘WA residency’ status naturally gives you a buffer— separating you from interstate applicants who haven’t moved, so you don’t need to compete with them.

3. WA’s invitation score thresholds are already very low — if you relocate, you can meet the minimum requirements. The real question is simplywhogets there first —Once a cohort of people has relocated, the minimum score for ‘WA residents’ will also rise.

if you are considering

heading to WA but still have some reservations,

1. Who should consider going?

A. For your EOI score

— first check your score against WA’s invitation thresholds. Look at the actual invitation score for your occupation.For Accounting, IT, and Engineering as examples: those with an own EOI score of 80–85 can pursue the 190; those with an own EOI score currently at 70–75 can lodge an EOI for the 491.

B. Are there other opportunities?

If your current state’s nomination programme or the Subclass 189 are unlikely to come through in the short term, and you meet WA’s application criteria, why not give it a try?

2. When should you go?

WA’s invitation rounds are currently stable at once per month, in the second half of the third week of the month.The December round is expected around 23 or 16 December. To establish ‘WA residency’ status ahead of the invitation,those waiting for an invitation can aim to arrive in WA before 15 December.

3. How do you prove your residential address?

Rental accommodation in Australia is competitive at the moment, so you don’t need to have a lease in place before going —just having somewhere to stay is fine (hotel, Airbnb, a friend’s place, a share house, etc.).So how do you prove residency? The WA state government has indicated it will accepta range of supporting documents,such as:Flight itinerary, spending records, rental agreement, utility bills (if available)— along with any other records that demonstrate your presence in WA, which can be compiled into a single supporting document when the time comes.

4. Timing and costs

As mentioned above,the suggestion is to head to WA by mid-December and allow yourself about 2 weeks to await an invitation.

If invited, you can then look for a longer-term rental and settle in. Supporting documents can be submitted together within 28 days as part of your nomination application materials. Your upfront commitment is therefore limited — flights and short-term accommodation costs — and everything else can be confirmed after you receive the invitation. The job offer, too, can be prepared and lined up in parallel; you’ll still have 28 days to finalise everything after receiving the invitation.The idea is to give yourself two weeks to go and see whether you receive an invitation.

Western Australia this year has a large allocation, a low local-applicant backlog, and has created an excellent opportunity for applicants willing to relocate. It would be a real shame not to secure a 491 or 190 by making the move.

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