WA wants your tools
If you're a carpenter, plumber, electrician, bricklayer or other qualified tradie, the Subclass 190 visa could be your fastest route to permanent residency in Western Australia.
WA is building faster than it can find people to do the work. The state government knows this, which is why construction trades get some of the friendliest treatment in WA's state nomination program.
This guide covers how the 190 works, how Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) fits in, and what to do if the 190 isn't the right fit for you.
What is the 190 Visa, in plain English?
The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is a permanent visa. A state government nominates you because your trade is in demand there. You get permanent residency from day one, with no employer sponsor and no provisional stage.
How it works, start to finish
The 190 has more steps than a flat-pack wardrobe, but they always run in the same order. Get them right and there are no spare screws at the end.
Get a positive skills assessment. For most trades this comes from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). More on that below.
Sit an English test (unless you're exempt). WA needs Competent English, such as IELTS 6 in each band. Passport holders from the UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and the USA don't need to sit a test for WA nomination.
Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. Select Western Australia, claim at least 65 points, and nominate an occupation on WA's list.
Wait for a WA invitation. WA runs its own invitation rounds, usually monthly. If invited, you have 28 calendar days to apply for nomination.
Apply for WA nomination. You lodge through the Migration WA Portal and pay a non-refundable $200 fee. WA quotes about 28 working days for decision-ready applications.
Get nominated. WA nominates you in SkillSelect, and Home Affairs sends you a visa invitation.
Lodge your visa application. You have 60 days to lodge with Home Affairs, including health checks and police clearances.
Get your grant, then keep your promise. If you're offshore, you move to WA within three months, register your arrival, and live and work in WA for two years.
WA is very clear that an invitation doesn't guarantee nomination, and nomination doesn't guarantee a visa. Every step needs evidence that holds up.
TRA skills assessments: proving you can actually swing a hammer
Your skills assessment is the foundation of the whole application. Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) checks your qualifications and work history against the Australian standard for your trade. No positive assessment, no EOI. No EOI, no 190.
TRA runs several programs, and the right one depends on your trade, your passport and where you trained:
Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP)
Certain passport and occupation combinations, and all applicants in licensed trades
A TRA-approved training provider assesses you, usually with a practical test. Successful applicants can receive an Australian qualification or an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR).
Migration Skills Assessment (MSA)
Everyone else, including many UK and Irish tradies
A document-based review of your qualifications and employment
Job Ready Program (JRP)
International graduates with an Australian trade qualification
A multi-step program, including a period of supervised work in Australia
Some 482 applicants
For temporary employer-sponsored visas, not the 190
A few things tradies regularly trip over:
Sparkies and plumbers must use OSAP. Electricians (General and Special Class), Plumbers (General) and Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics all need an OSAP assessment, whatever their passport. This is because these are licensed trades.
A skills assessment isn't a WA licence. Electricians and plumbers still need to get licensed in WA before working unsupervised. Plan for this early.
Paperwork wins or loses it. Payslips, employer references with duties, and tax records do the heavy lifting. "My mate Dave can vouch for me" is not evidence.
Assessments are valid for three years. Don't let yours expire while you're waiting for an invitation.
Pick your occupation carefully. Your assessment, EOI and nomination must all match exactly.
A quick word on scaffolders and riggers: these roles generally aren't eligible for the 190. Employer-sponsored pathways such as a DAMA are usually the better route (see below).
WA state nomination: why tradies get the red-carpet treatment
WA ranks building and construction trades at the top of its priority list. Construction tradies also don't need a WA job offer for the 190, which is the biggest hurdle for almost everyone else.
WA's General stream uses two occupation lists. Schedule 1 (WASMOL 1) needs at least one year of work experience and a WA employment contract. Schedule 2 (WASMOL 2) has no work experience requirement. Check WA's occupation search to see which schedule your trade is on.
What you'll need for WA nomination as a construction tradie:
Your occupation listed on the WASMOL and available for the 190
A matching skills assessment (a 485 provisional assessment won't count)
Competent English, or an eligible passport
An EOI with at least 65 points, and be under 45
Normally a full-time, six-month WA employment contract for the 190, but this is waived for building and construction occupations
WA ranks EOIs in this order:
Living in WA (for at least three months, with real evidence like a lease and bank statements)
Living offshore or interstate
Then within each group: building and construction trades first, then other construction roles, then healthcare, hospitality and education, then everyone else
Then highest points
Then oldest EOI date
In practice, this works in tradies' favour. In WA's 14 October 2026 round, the last building and construction tradie invited for a Schedule 2 190 was offshore, with 65 points. By comparison, non-trade priority occupations needed 85 to 90 points, even with WA residence.
One thing worth knowing: when you accept WA nomination, you're committing to live and work in WA for two years. WA asks you to register your arrival and complete surveys during that time. It's a promise, so only make it if you mean it.
If the 190 doesn't fit: Plan B, C and DAMA
Not everyone ticks every box for the 190, and that's fine. WA has more back doors than a country pub.
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional). This is the 190's provisional cousin. It gives you 15 nomination points instead of 5, and WA doesn't require a job contract for it. You live and work in a designated regional area, which in WA's case includes Perth. After three years, you can apply for permanent residency through the 191. One warning: national 491 places were cut sharply for 2026–27.
Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand). An employer sponsors you directly. It isn't points-tested, so it suits tradies who are over 45, short on points, or already have a WA boss keen to keep them. It can lead to permanent residency through the 186 later.
DAMAs (Designated Area Migration Agreements). These are WA-specific deals that let employers sponsor workers on concessions they couldn't get otherwise. Through the WA DAMA, these can include:
Age limit lifted from 45 to 55
Lower English requirements for many trade-level roles (IELTS 5.0 for the 482)
Occupations not on the standard skilled lists, which can help roles like scaffolders
A built-in pathway to permanent residency after two years in regional WA or three years in Perth
WA currently has a state-wide WA DAMA covering Perth and the regions, plus regional agreements for the Pilbara, Goldfields, Kimberley and South West. Employers in a region with its own DAMA check that list first. The Goldfields DAMA has been extended to 31 December 2026.
The catch with any DAMA is that it all runs through your employer. The business has to be endorsed and sign a labour agreement, so the job offer comes first. If you're a scaffolder eyeing Port Hedland or a carpenter with an offer in Kalgoorlie, this may well be your best route.
Ready to down tools and pick up a visa?
The 190 rewards tradies who plan ahead. That means the right skills assessment, an EOI that's accurate down to the last point, and evidence that holds up to scrutiny. Get the order wrong and you can lose months, or hundreds of dollars in non-refundable fees.
Shamrock Migration Services is a Perth-based consultancy that works with tradies every week. We help carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other trades with TRA assessments, WA state nomination, 482 sponsorship and DAMA pathways. We'll tell you straight which pathway fits, and which one doesn't.
Book a consultation with our Perth team and let's get you on the tools in WA.
Harry Parsons, Director and Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418538), Shamrock Migration Services.
This article is general information only and is not migration advice. WA program settings, occupation lists, fees and the points test change regularly. Information is current as at October 2026. Please speak with a registered migration agent about your circumstances before acting.
