What Can I Do on a 190 Visa in Australia in 2026?
A Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) makes you an Australian permanent resident on the day it is granted, and with it you can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in the public health scheme Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives, travel in and out of Australia for five years, and apply for citizenship if you later meet the eligibility rules. That list comes straight from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) official page, as of July 2026. Immigration settings move, and how a rule lands depends on your own record, so read what follows as general orientation rather than advice tailored to your situation, and confirm anything time-sensitive against the Department's current page or a registered migration professional.
Is the 190 visa actually permanent residency?
Yes. The subclass 190 is a permanent visa: it lets you stay in Australia indefinitely, and you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted.
What is not permanent is the travel component. You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you like for five years from the date of grant. Once those five years run out, you still hold permanent residency, but you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. The exact end date of your travel facility is shown in VEVO, the Department's visa entitlement verification system.
Can I work and study on a 190 visa?
Both, with no separate work permission needed. As a permanent resident you can take up any job, change employers, or study. The Department's page also notes that you may be able to attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program if you are eligible.
You are protected by Australian workplace law while you work. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance on the workplace rights and entitlements of visa holders and migrant workers, which is the place to check pay, leave and conditions if something looks wrong at work.
Do I get Medicare as soon as the visa is granted?
You can enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme. The Department's page lists enrolling in Medicare as one of the things this visa allows you to do.
Separately, the Department warns that newly arrived residents may need to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits. That waiting period is a Services Australia rule about government payments generally, not a statement about Medicare eligibility, and the two should not be read as the same thing.
Can I sponsor my relatives once I have the 190?
As an Australian permanent resident you might be able to sponsor eligible family to come to Australia. Which visa fits a given relative depends on the relationship and their circumstances, and the Department directs applicants to its visa finder tool rather than naming a single visa for every family member.
Sponsoring is not the same as guaranteeing a grant. Family members who apply still have to meet health and character requirements, and relatives who are not travelling with you to Australia may need to meet them too. If you apply with family included, members of the family unit can be added when you lodge the application, or after you lodge but before a decision is made.
How long can I travel in and out, and what happens after five years?
Five years of unrestricted travel starts on the grant date, not on the day you first fly in. After that, returning as a permanent resident requires a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157).
Two practical points from the Department's page:
- Your visa is digitally linked to your passport; you do not get a label in your passport.
- Use VEVO if you need to prove your visa and its conditions to someone, or to check when the travel component ends.
There is one edge case worth flagging. If you hold a New Zealand passport and an immigration officer processes your clearance at the border, the Department recommends telling them that you hold a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and that you do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). Being granted a subclass 444 might affect your eligibility for Australian citizenship later.
When can I apply for Australian citizenship?
After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship. The subclass 190 page itself does not set out the qualifying residence period; that detail sits in the Department's citizenship material, and the length of residence required is a separate test from holding the visa.
What the 190 page does fix precisely is the start date of your permanent residency for citizenship purposes:
- If you were in Australia when the visa was granted, it starts on the grant day.
- If you were outside Australia when it was granted, it starts on the day you entered Australia on this visa.
That distinction matters for anyone whose grant letter arrived while they were offshore: the clock for citizenship begins at first entry, not at grant.
What are my obligations while holding the visa?
The obligation stated on the visa page is simple: you and your family members must obey Australian laws. There is no separate activity test attached to the visa on that page.
The one timing rule to respect is entry. If you are outside Australia when the visa is granted, you must enter Australia before the date specified in your visa grant letter.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 190 visa permanent or temporary?
It is permanent. The subclass 190 lets you stay in Australia indefinitely, and you become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted. Only the travel component is time-limited, expiring five years after the grant date.
Do I lose permanent residency if I stay outside Australia for more than five years?
You keep your permanent resident status, but you lose the automatic right to re-enter. After the five-year travel facility ends, you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to come back as a permanent resident, which is why long stays overseas are worth planning around.
Can my partner and children get the same rights?
Family members included in the application hold the same visa, so they can live, work and study in Australia and enrol in Medicare. Family members who apply must meet health and character requirements, and those not travelling with you to Australia might also need to meet them; they can be added when you lodge or before a decision is made.
Is Medicare automatic once the 190 is granted?
You can enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme. Newly arrived residents may also need to wait before certain Australian Government payments and benefits become available.
Can I sponsor my parents on a 190 visa?
As a permanent resident you may be able to sponsor eligible family, but the visa depends on the relationship and the relative's circumstances, and the Department points people to its visa finder rather than one fixed option. Sponsorship does not guarantee a grant, since health and character requirements still apply.
Will I get a visa sticker in my passport?
No. The Department digitally links your visa to your passport, so there is no label. Use VEVO when you need to show your visa and conditions to an employer, a landlord or anyone else.