ANZSCO 121212 · STSOL
Flower Grower
On the short-term list, so the 189 isn’t available. The route is state or territory nomination (190 or 491).
Path to permanent residence
The steps for the points-tested visas, with this occupation’s own assessing body, lists, cut-offs, fees and processing times.
Skills assessment
Get a positive assessment from VETASSESS (Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services). It must still be valid when you’re invited: usually 3 years, or less if the assessment says so.
English
Show at least Competent English (IELTS 6 in each band, or an equivalent PTE, TOEFL, OET or Cambridge score). Proficient adds 10 points and Superior adds 20.
Points
Score at least 65 on the federal points test, counting nomination points for the 190 (+5) or 491 (+15). Flower Grower isn’t eligible for the 189, so the score you need depends on the state that nominates you. Work out your points · see when they change.
Expression of Interest
Submit a free EOI in SkillSelect for the visas this occupation allows: 190 (state nominated), 491 (regional, nominated). It stays active for 2 years, and your points and date of effect decide your place.
State nomination (190 / 491)
2 of 8 list Flower Grower: New South Wales, Victoria. Open or inviting now and listing it: New South Wales. Also open, with no published occupation list: Tasmania (check its criteria). Each state ranks applicants its own way. See every state.
Invitation and visa application
When invited, lodge within 60 days. Base fee for the main applicant: AUD 6,140 for the 190, AUD 6,140 for the 491; family members pay extra. You’ll also need health checks and police certificates.
Decision and PR
Home Affairs decides 90% of applications within 190: 16 months · 491: 18 months. The 189 and 190 are permanent visas. The 491 is a 5-year provisional visa; after at least 3 years living and working in regional Australia you can apply for permanent residence (191) if you meet its requirements, including income.
Employer-sponsored route
✓On the Core Skills Occupation List
An Australian employer can sponsor Flower Grower on a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, Core Skills stream (base fee AUD 4,015). The Employer Nomination Scheme (186) is the usual next step to permanent residence for 482 holders who meet its requirements.
Positions it doesn’t cover
- The position predominantly involves responsibility for low-skilled tasks. Example 1: Fruit picking or packing or feeding of livestock or animals. Example 2: Truck driving.
What a Flower Grower does
Official description and tasks from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ANZSCO 2022).
Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and performs planting, cultivating and harvesting activities to grow flowering and foliage plants.
Qualifications and experience: Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).
- Also calledFloriculturist
- SpecialisationsMarket Gardener (Flowers) (Aus)
- ANZSCO skill level1 of 5 (1 is highest)
- ANZSCO 2022 code121611 (Home Affairs uses 121212)
- Unit group1216 Horticultural Crop Growers
Tasks
ABS lists tasks for the whole unit group, Horticultural Crop Growers. Skills assessments and employer nominations compare the duties you’ve done with the ANZSCO description and tasks, so check yours match.
- Planning and coordinating the production and marketing of horticultural crops, from soil preparation to harvest, taking into account environmental and market factors
- Planning crop production and selecting seeds, seedlings, bulbs and plant stock
- Coordinating and developing strategies for cultivating, fertilising and watering to maintain optimal production, crop health and growing conditions
- Organising farming operations and routines, such as collecting, storing, grading and packaging produce
- Planning and coordinating the sale, purchase and despatch of produce
- Directing and overseeing general farming activities to maintain crop health by managing biosecurity and other risks and controlling pests and weeds
- Planning and overseeing the provision and maintenance of infrastructure such as equipment, machinery, sheds and water supply systems and irrigation systems
- Maintaining and evaluating records of farming activities, monitoring market activity, and planning production accordingly
- Overseeing data collection and analysis and farm technology systems
- Managing business capital including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
- May select, train and supervise staff and contractors
Visa processing priority
Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026.
Flower Grower may count as a agriculture, aquaculture or fishing occupation: Defined by the role, not a code list: the nominated position must be directly involved in primary production or supporting it (crops, livestock, fishing and seafood, animal health, irrigation, farm supervision, or processing primary products). If it doesn’t, it’s processed in the order below.
- Primary applicants in a construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing or resources occupation, or one related to Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, whether in or outside Australia.
- All other primary applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
- Primary applicants outside Australia when they applied, whose application isn't combined with anyone else's.
- All other applications.
This sets the order Home Affairs works through applications, not who is eligible or who gets invited. Check your processing group →
SkillSelect queue
Expressions of interest waiting for Flower Grower, from the official SkillSelect EOI dashboard.
| Visa | EOIs waiting | Invited |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Nominated (190) | under 80 | 0 |
| Skilled Work Regional (491), state | 8–152 | 0 |
SkillSelect EOIs as at September 2026. Counts are EOIs, not people; 190 and 491 scores include nomination points. See how many are ahead of your points →
State and territory nomination
Whether Flower Grower is on each state’s current list, and where each program stands.
| State or territory | 190 | 491 | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | – | – | See site |
| New South Waleslisted by unit group | – | ✓ | Inviting |
| Northern Territory | No list | No list | Closed |
| Queensland2025–26 list | – | – | Not open yet |
| South Australia | No list | No list | Not open yet |
| Tasmania | No list | No list | Open |
| Victoria | ✓ | ✓ | Not open yet |
| Western Australia | No list | No list | Not open yet |
Program status is for 2026–27. Being listed doesn’t mean a state is inviting now, and each state has its own criteria. “Nominated so far”: 190 / 491 nominations this program year (Home Affairs).
Shortage rating
No shortage nationally, and the same in every state and territory.
Jobs and Skills Australia’s rating of the labour market. Invitations also depend on planning levels, ceilings and how many EOIs are waiting, so the two don’t always line up.
After an invitation
Home Affairs’ current processing times for the points-tested visas.
| Visa | Half decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (189) | 61 days | 8 months |
| Skilled Nominated (190) | 4 months | 16 months |
| Work Regional (491), state nominated | 5 months | 18 months |
| Work Regional (491), family sponsored | 4 months | 7 months |
Home Affairs, decisions to 31 August 2026. Clock starts when you lodge, which you must do within 60 days of an invitation.
Plan with this occupation
Sources and method
- 189 rounds: Home Affairs invitation rounds and previous rounds. 2022–23 rounds reported offshore and onshore separately; we show the lower score.
- State lists: each state’s official site, checked 15 October 2026. Queensland shows its 2025–26 lists until 2026–27 is announced; NSW lists by ANZSCO unit group; Victoria accepts any occupation on the federal lists.
- Shortage: Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 codes).
- Processing times: Home Affairs processing times guide.
- Skilled lists and assessing authorities: LIN 19/051, checked 14 October 2026.
- Occupation description, titles and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, used under CC BY 4.0.
- Employer route: Core Skills Occupation List, LIN 24/089 (compilation 2025-11-07). Fees: Home Affairs visa pages, checked 14 October 2026.
- Agents: embed this occupation on your website.