WA Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL): 2026 Guide

If you’re aiming for a Western Australian state nomination, the Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List, known as WASMOL, is the first thing to check. Your occupation has to sit on this list, or on the related Graduate Occupation List, before you can be considered for a subclass 190 or 491 visa through WA.

This list isn’t fixed. It changes as WA’s workforce needs shift, and the rules around English tests, work experience, and employment contracts have also been updated recently. This guide breaks down exactly how the WA skilled migration occupation list works for the current 2025-26 program year, so you know where you stand before you lodge anything.

1. What Is the WA Skilled Migration Occupation List?

The WA Skilled Migration Occupation List, or WASMOL, is the set of occupations that Western Australia considers a priority for its State Nominated Migration Program. If your nominated occupation appears on it, and you meet the other criteria, you may be invited for WA State nomination.

State nomination matters because it adds extra points to your Department of Home Affairs points test score, and in some cases it’s the only realistic way to reach the score you need for an invitation.

Being on the list doesn’t guarantee a job or a visa. It simply means your occupation is eligible to be considered, provided you also meet WA’s other requirements.

2. Schedule 1, Schedule 2, and the Graduate Occupation List

The WA skilled migration occupation list isn’t one single list. It’s split into streams, and which one applies to you changes what you need to prove.

Each schedule lists occupations against their ANZSCO code and shows whether that occupation is available for the subclass 190, the subclass 491, or both. Some occupations sit on more than one schedule, so it’s worth checking each one rather than assuming your occupation only fits a single stream.

3. Which Visas Use the WASMOL

A nomination against the WA skilled migration occupation list can support two visa subclasses.

• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – a permanent visa, with State nomination adding five extra points to your Home Affairs points test score
• Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) – a provisional visa requiring three years in regional WA, with State nomination adding 15 extra points

The 491 visa’s larger points boost is one reason many applicants find it easier to reach an invitable score through the regional pathway, even if a 190 visa is their end goal further down the track.

4. 2025-26 Program Status: What’s Changed

The WA State Nominated Migration Program was paused from 1 July 2025 while the Commonwealth Government finalised the state’s nomination allocation for the year. A small interim allocation followed in September 2025, with an additional interim allocation issued in November 2025.

Invitation rounds resumed shortly after, and WA has been issuing invitations most months since. Across the 2025-26 program year so far, WA has issued well over 8,000 invitations across the General and Graduate streams combined, spread across both the 190 and 491 visa subclasses.

This history matters because it shows the program can pause or slow down between Commonwealth allocation decisions. If you’re timing an application, it pays to check the current status before assuming invitations are running on a fixed monthly schedule.

5. Eligibility Requirements by Stream

Every stream shares some baseline requirements, then adds its own on top.

A provisional skills assessment issued for a subclass 485 visa cannot be used to support a WA nomination. Your assessment has to match the exact occupation you’re nominating.

6. English Requirements (Updated August 2025)

WA’s English requirement sits at Competent English, which needs to be met in all four components in a single sitting. This part of the criteria changed on 7 August 2025, so it’s worth checking which table applies to your test date.

Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 stay valid under the older score table until 6 August 2028, provided they’re still within their three-year validity period. Tests taken from 7 August 2025 onward are assessed against a new scoring table, and this is also when the Occupational English Test moved from a letter-grade system to a numerical one.

• IELTS (Academic or General Training) – overall band 6 in each of the four components
• PTE Academic – around 47 to 50 in each component, depending on your test date
• OET – Grade B under the old system, or a numerical equivalent for tests from August 2025
• TOEFL iBT – scores in the mid-teens to low-20s per component

If you hold a passport from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, or Ireland, you’re exempt from sitting an English test for WA State nomination. A British National (Overseas) passport does not qualify for this exemption.

7. Work Experience and Employment Contract Rules

General Stream applicants need at least one year of work experience in their nominated occupation, or a closely related one, within the last ten years. This can be Australian experience or overseas experience, but the two cannot be combined to reach the one-year mark.

Closely related means the occupation shares the first four digits of your nominated occupation’s ANZSCO code. Only paid employment of at least 20 hours a week counts, and a professional year or unpaid placement generally doesn’t qualify unless it meets these same conditions.

For applicants invited through Schedule 1, or some Schedule 2 occupations, on the 190 visa, a written employment contract is required, covering at least six months of full-time work in WA at no less than 35 hours per week. Contracts submitted by independent contractors or sole traders generally don’t meet this requirement. This contract condition does not apply to 491 visa applicants.

8. How WA Ranks and Invites Applicants

Meeting the criteria doesn’t guarantee an invitation. WA ranks eligible expressions of interest, and invitations go out from the top of that ranking down.

1. Applicants currently residing in Western Australia
2. Applicants residing interstate or overseas
3. Within each group, priority sector occupations are ranked ahead of other occupations
4. Higher points test scores are ranked ahead of lower scores
5. Older expression of interest submission dates are ranked ahead of newer ones

This is why two applicants in the same occupation can have very different waiting times. Location and industry sector often matter as much as your raw points score.

9. Priority Occupations and Industry Sectors

WA currently treats five industry sectors as priority areas for the 2025-26 program: building and construction trades, other building and construction occupations, healthcare and social assistance, hospitality and tourism, and education and training.

Occupations across these sectors are broad. A few examples that regularly appear on the WA skilled migration occupation list include registered nurses across multiple specialisations, civil engineers, carpenters, electricians, early childhood teachers, and various accounting roles. This is only a sample, and it changes over time, so always confirm your specific occupation and ANZSCO code against the current list rather than relying on older summaries.

10. How to Check If Your Occupation Is Listed

Because the WASMOL and the Graduate Occupation List are updated periodically, the safest approach is to search the official list directly rather than relying on a screenshot or an older PDF you found online.

If your occupation isn’t currently listed, it doesn’t necessarily rule out Western Australia altogether. Other states and territories run their own occupation lists, and your circumstances might fit a different pathway entirely.

11. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Relying on an outdated occupation list. Schedules change, and an occupation eligible last year may not be eligible now.
2. Using a 485-based skills assessment. WA specifically excludes provisional assessments issued for the Temporary Graduate visa.
3. Combining Australian and overseas work experience. WA requires a full year in one or the other, not a blend of both.
4. Submitting a self-employment contract. Independent contractor and sole trader arrangements generally don’t satisfy WA’s employment contract rules.
5. Testing your English against the wrong table. The scoring tables changed on 7 August 2025, so an old benchmark score may no longer apply.

12. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WA Skilled Migration Occupation List?

It’s the list of occupations Western Australia considers a priority for its State Nominated Migration Program, covering the subclass 190 and 491 visas.

Is the WA State Nominated Migration Program currently open?

The program was paused from 1 July 2025, then reopened with interim allocations later that year. Invitation rounds have since resumed, though timing depends on the Commonwealth allocation issued each year.

Is there an application fee for WA State nomination?

Yes. There’s a non-refundable application fee of $200 once you’re invited to apply for State nomination.

Do I need a job offer to be eligible for WASMOL Schedule 1?

Generally yes, for the 190 visa. Schedule 1 occupations typically require a genuine, full-time employment contract in Western Australia.

How long does WA take to process a State nomination application?

Current processing time for decision-ready applications is around 28 working days, though this can vary depending on application volumes.

13. Final Word: Get Expert Help

The WA skilled migration occupation list looks straightforward on the surface, but the fine print around English scores, work experience, and employment contracts trips up a lot of otherwise strong applicants. Getting even one detail wrong can mean a declined nomination and a wasted application fee.

A migration agent in Perth who works with WA nominations regularly can check your occupation, your points score, and your documents before you lodge anything, so you’re applying with a clear picture of where you actually stand.