This is the 2026 state nomination comparison for ANZSCO 392211 — Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. For the pathway guide, skills assessment, invitation rounds trends, and cost / timeline case study, see the linked cluster articles.
The summary
| State | 190 | 491 | Path if not eligible |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 employer-sponsored |
| VIC | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 (494 regional Vic) |
| QLD | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 (494 regional QLD) |
| SA | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 (494 regional SA) |
| WA | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 (494 regional WA) |
| NT | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 / 494 (whole NT is regional) |
| ACT | ✓ | ✓ | Canberra Matrix |
| TAS | ✗ | ✗ | 186 DE / 482 / 494 (whole TAS is regional) |
Only ACT nominates 392211. For everywhere else, the realistic pathway is employer sponsorship.
NSW — no nomination, but big print employer base
NSW does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
This is not the deal-breaker it sounds like. NSW hosts the largest concentration of print employers in Australia:
- IVE Group (Banksmeadow, Silverwater) — one of Australia's largest integrated print groups, runs sheetfed offset, heatset web, digital, packaging.
- Bluestar (Silverwater) — commercial print + direct mail.
- Currie Group customers — Heidelberg / Komori user network across Sydney.
- Daniels Printing Services — security / specialised pre-press.
- Packaging printers — Visy, Orora, Pact Group facilities across Western Sydney.
Realistic pathway for NSW: 186 DE or 482 + 186 TRT via employer sponsorship. Sydney also hosts most national print recruitment agencies.
VIC — no nomination, but Melbourne is a major print hub + regional book printing
VIC does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
Melbourne has the deepest pre-press talent market in Australia:
- IVE Group Melbourne (Braeside).
- McPherson's Printing (Maryborough — regional Vic) — Australia's largest book printer.
- Ligare (Sydney + regional satellite operations).
- Bambra Press (Melbourne) — premium short-run / fine art.
- Print Bound (Melbourne) — book / educational.
- Packaging cluster — Orora, Visy, Amcor Melbourne facilities.
Realistic pathway: 186 DE / 482 for Melbourne metro. 494 regional employer-sponsored for McPherson's (Maryborough) or other regional Victorian printers.
QLD — no nomination, but regional packaging strong
QLD does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
Brisbane and Gold Coast host commercial print operations (Inkwise, Snap Print, Currie Group customers). Regional Queensland packaging (Visy, Orora plants in Toowoomba / Townsville / Mackay) supports 494.
Realistic pathway: 186 DE / 482 for Brisbane / Gold Coast. 494 regional employer for Toowoomba / Townsville / regional north.
SA — no nomination
SA does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
Adelaide's print industry has consolidated significantly. Surviving operators: Lane Print Group, Finsbury Green, Salmat (closed major operations 2023), plus packaging (Detmold). 494 is realistic across all of SA outside Adelaide CBD (Adelaide is treated as regional for 494 purposes).
Realistic pathway: 186 DE / 482 for any Adelaide-based sponsor. 494 for Detmold (Brompton — borderline regional) and any regional SA sponsor.
WA — no nomination
WA does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
Perth print industry is small: Quality Press, Vanguard Press, Daniels Printing's WA operation, plus packaging (Pact, Orora Perth). 494 is realistic across all WA outside Perth.
Realistic pathway: 186 DE / 482 for Perth sponsor. 494 for any WA regional sponsor.
NT — no nomination, but the whole NT counts as regional
NT does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
NT's print industry is tiny — Darwin / Alice Springs commercial print + government printing. Whole of NT counts as regional for 494 and 191 PR purposes.
Realistic pathway: 494 with any NT sponsor. Limited employer market.
ACT — the only state with nomination
ACT nominates 392211 for both 190 and 491.
ACT allocations FY 2025-26: 800 for 190, 800 for 491 — across ALL eligible occupations. ACT runs the Canberra Matrix monthly; invitations are issued by Matrix score within stream.
Critical stream invitations (where 392211 might appear on the critical list for an intake): 55-65 Matrix score typically sufficient.
Non-critical / standard stream: 65-75+ typically required.
Realistic Matrix score for an offshore pre-press operator without ACT history:
- English Superior: 15
- Spouse with skills: 10
- Spouse with English: 5
- Years of experience: 5-10
- Asset declaration (modest): 5
Total: roughly 40-45. Offshore candidates face uphill Matrix odds.
If you already live in ACT (e.g., on partner / student / WHM visa) with an ACT pre-press job, you can realistically push 60-70 Matrix points.
ACT print sector: Paragon Printers, Daniels Printing (ACT branch), CanPrint / government printing, signage / large-format operations. Not large — perhaps 50-100 active pre-press operators in ACT, with maybe 5-15 jobs open at any time.
TAS — no nomination
TAS does not nominate 392211 for 190 or 491.
Tasmanian print industry is small: Mercury Walch, Premium Print, plus regional commercial printers. Whole of TAS counts as regional for 494 / 191.
Realistic pathway: 494 with any TAS sponsor. Limited but viable employer market.
ACT Canberra Matrix deep-dive
The Canberra Matrix is ACT's scoring system, separate from Home Affairs points test. Key scoring elements:
| Element | Points |
|---|---|
| Length of ACT residence (long-term) | up to 25 |
| Recent ACT resident | up to 15 |
| Offshore | 0-10 |
| English Proficient | 10 |
| English Superior | 15 |
| ACT job in nominated occupation | 15-20 |
| ACT job in non-nominated occupation | 5-10 |
| Spouse skills | up to 15 |
| ACT-region Bachelor or Master study | 10-20 |
| ACT-region PhD | 25 |
| Assets / investment in ACT | 5-15 |
| Family in ACT | 5 |
To score competitive (60+) you typically need a combination of ACT residence + ACT job + Proficient/Superior English + spouse skills.
Pure offshore candidates with no ACT connection face structural Matrix disadvantage and are rarely invited unless extraordinary points profiles.
Realistic recommendation by candidate type
Offshore candidate, no Australian connection:
- Skip state nomination — not realistic.
- Focus on 186 DE / 482 employer sponsorship.
- Target NSW (largest sponsor base), VIC (Melbourne + Maryborough), regional packaging.
Onshore candidate already in ACT:
- ACT Matrix is the natural fit. Combine with local ACT pre-press job.
Onshore candidate in NSW / VIC / QLD on 482 / 485 / partner visa:
- 186 TRT via current sponsor (after 2 years on 482).
- ACT relocation possible but adds 12-18 months delay.
Regional Vic / regional NSW / regional Tas candidate:
- 494 regional employer → 191 PR after 3 years.
Tools
- Points calculator
- Visa fee calculator
- Document checklist
- Eligibility wizard
- Invitation rounds tracker
- ANZSCO search
Authoritative sources
- ACT Skilled Migration
- Home Affairs visa pricing
- Trades Recognition Australia
- Jobs and Skills Australia
- Print Industries Association of Australia
Next step
Want help picking the right state and visa for your pre-press profile? Book a 30-minute free strategy call with a MARA-registered agent at Global Select.