Changing Address After State Nomination: What Happens
Changing address — not as simple as you might think
Once you have a state nomination and are either waiting for or have received a skilled visa, changing your address is not purely a personal decision. Depending on the visa you hold and the stage you are at in the process, changing address — particularly moving out of the nominating state or the regional area — can carry significant legal consequences.
Stage 1: After receiving nomination but before lodging the visa
If you have been nominated by a state but have not yet lodged a 190 or 491 visa application, you are still in a transitional stage. At this point:
- With a 190 nomination: if you change your address to outside the nominating state, the state may reconsider or cancel the nomination. Some states require you to maintain an address within the state until you lodge the visa application
- With a 491 nomination: similarly, leaving the regional area before lodging your application may affect the nomination
During this stage, if you need to change address, notify the state and seek advice from a migration agent first.
Stage 2: After lodging the visa, while it is being processed
After you have formally lodged the visa application with the DHA:
- You have an obligation to update your address details through ImmiAccount if they change
- Changing address at this stage usually does not cost you the visa application, but the DHA may ask for an explanation
- With a 491 visa application, if you leave the regional area while it is being processed, this may raise questions about your commitment
Always update your address promptly — failing to do so can mean important correspondence from the DHA is sent to the wrong place.
Stage 3: After receiving the 190 visa (permanent)
Once you hold a 190 visa and are a permanent resident:
Legally: the 190 is a permanent visa — no visa condition prevents you from leaving the nominating state. As a permanent resident, you have the freedom to travel and settle anywhere in Australia.
On the initial commitment: when you received the nomination, you signed a commitment to live and work in the state. Leaving early does not breach a visa condition, but it does break the moral or ethical commitment you made to that state.
Practical consequences:
- The state cannot cancel your visa
- However, if you need any assistance from the state in the future (for example, a nomination for a relative), a history of breaking your commitment may count against you
- Updating your address on ImmiAccount is mandatory — the DHA needs an accurate contact address
Stage 4: After receiving the 491 visa (temporary)
This is the most serious situation. The 491 visa carries visa condition 8579 — a mandatory condition to live and work in the designated regional area.
If you change your address to outside the regional area:
- You breach the visa condition — the DHA may cancel the visa
- The time you spend outside the regional area does not count towards the 3 years required for the 191 visa
- A later 191 visa application will have a gap that is difficult to explain
Updating your address on ImmiAccount: wherever you move, updating your actual address is a legal requirement. Not updating is worse than updating to a new address (since at least the new address shows where you actually are).
Notification and reporting requirements
For all visa types:
- Update your address on ImmiAccount as soon as it changes
- If a change may affect a visa condition, notify your migration agent
- Keep all documents proving your address (utility bills, leases) for every address you have lived at
If your life circumstances force you to leave the regional area or the nominating state, don’t decide on your own — consult a migration agent immediately to find an appropriate legal solution before you move.