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📙 Daily Activity Report: 13 Dec 2025

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When should we expect the planning levels for the next program year? March? May? And if I remember correctly, I think by August, States and Territories should be starting to release their allocation numbers, right?

Major update from DHA on partner points

Information updated on 12 Dec 2025: - If applicant claimed single points at the time of invitation (189/190/491) they must be single until their visa grant. - ⁠Even if applicant married skilled partner (skills assessment and competent English) after the invitation and before the grant will not give 10 points to the applicant and visa will be refused. - This is because the partner must already have been included and have nominated an occupation at the time of invitation for those partner points to count.

Refusals under Regulation 190.212 – Partner Points

Members are advised that the MIA has observed refusals under regulation 190.212 where applicants have attempted to claim points under Part 6D.11 Partner Qualifications following a change in marital status between receiving an invitation and lodging a Subclass 190 visa application. In these cases, applicants who were single at the time of invitation were awarded ten points under Item 6D112. After invitation, they married a skilled partner and sought to claim ten points under Item 6D111. Although the partner held a valid skills assessment predating the invitation, the Department has determined that applicants are not eligible to claim skilled partner points after the invitation is issued, as they are no longer single and under Item 6D111(d), the partner must have nominated a skilled occupation at the time of invitation in order for the applicant to claim the points.

The MIA assisted the member in challenging these refusals as jurisdictional error, but after approximately eight months the Department ruled that the decision was lawful.

Members should exercise caution when advising clients in these circumstances. Any change in marital status between invitation and application may result in refusal if points are claimed under the skilled partner category. It is essential that applicants understand that their skilled partners will need to be included in the application at the time of invitation for them to meet Item 6D111(d) and claim the 10 points at the time of points assessment for the visa application.

The matter was also escalated to the Director of Independent Skills and Innovation Policy. In these discussions, the MIA emphasised that the current interpretation was harsh given the extensive processing delays which are beyond the applicants’ control and are inconsistent as applicants are able to claim points if they marry an Australian citizen or permanent resident but not if they marry a skilled partner.

The Director advised that the regulations are intended to prevent applicants from unduly claiming points or adding non-genuine partners after invitation. To address concerns about processing times, the Department is working towards a more regularised approach to invitation rounds, aiming to reduce the time between invitation and visa application assessment and thereby minimise the likelihood of significant changes in applicants’ circumstances. The Department also confirmed that when exploring options for points test reform, the issues raised by the MIA will be taken into account, with the aim of achieving equitable outcomes for skilled migrants while maintaining the integrity of these programs.

Example of calculating and filling occupation ceilings - 2411 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers

📙 Daily Activity Report: 12 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for Australian Skilled Visas (subclass 189, 190, and 491) based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

No new S56 requests were reported on 12 December 2025.

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

The majority of S56 requests observed in today's grants involved remedicals (repeat medical examinations), particularly for applications lodged in late 2023 and early 2024. This aligns with the 12-month validity period for health examinations. Several cases also required Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) checks, especially for secondary applicants or when name changes occurred.

Multiple S56 requests were common, with some applicants receiving 2-4 separate requests throughout their processing journey. Common additional requests included Form 80 (personal particulars), Form 1390 (employment evidence), relationship evidence for partners, and vaccination records (including polio and TB screening).

Priority occupation grants (Occupational Therapist) showed significantly faster processing times (approximately 3 months) compared to non-priority occupations, which ranged from 12-24 months. The longest processing times were observed for 491 visas lodged in late 2023, with grants taking approximately 24 months.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of the comments below and may be refreshed as more comments arrive. Due to the nature of crowdsourced and AI-generated content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. This information should be consumed with caution.

📊 This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and individual states possess complete grant and invitation data.

Useful Links

👨🏻‍🏫 Book IELTS 💾 FOI 🧮 Calculator 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Australian PR

📗 FY2025-26 Migration Planning Levels 🔖 Frequently Asked Questions 📞 Useful phone numbers and emails 📋 Visa Application Document List 🏘️ Guide to Housing, Jobs and Community 📲 Whatsapp Groups ☎️ Book Consultation to explore your 189/190/491 Skilled Visa Options

Just a quick question: Based on the recent 190 onshore visa grants, the lodged dates where around 25–27 October 2024. Does this mean they have cleared the backlog up to October 2024?

TAS Processing Times and Invitations Issued Latest Update 11/12/25

Migration Tasmania will close from 12:00 noon, Wednesday 24 December 2025 for the Christmas / New Year holiday period and reopen Friday 2 January 2026.

Registrations of interest (ROIs) and applications for state nomination can continue to be submitted during this period, however we will not be processing applications or answering any enquiries during this time.

No invitations to apply for nomination will be issued during this period

We wish everyone a very happy festive season.

ROIs invited to apply for nomination on 11/12/2025: - Subclass 190 - 15 ROIs invited - Subclass 491 - 30 ROIs invited

The lowest scores invited: - Subclass 190 - 287 points (Green pass) - Subclass 491 - 35 points (Orange pass)

Number of ROIs on hand (ROIs with a status of Submitted after the invitation round has taken place): - Subclass 190 - 352 ROIs - Subclass 491 - 219 ROIs

Nomination places available: - Subclass 190 - 902 places - Subclass 491 - 561 places

Nomination applications lodged but not yet decided: - Subclass 190 - 196 applications - Subclass 491 - 84 applications

Invitations issued but application not yet lodged: - Subclass 190 - 96 invitations - Subclass 491 - 81 invitations

Oldest nomination application lodged and not yet allocated to a case officer - 14/11/2025

📙 Daily Activity Report: 11 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for Australian skilled visas (subclasses 189, 190, and 491) based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

Remedicals Dominate: The majority of S56 requests issued were for remedicals, particularly for applications lodged between July 2023 and January 2024. This suggests a systematic review of medical clearances for applications approaching the 12-month validity period.

Form 815 Follow-ups: Multiple applicants received a second S56 requesting Form 815 (Health Undertaking) approximately one month after remedical requests. This pattern was particularly evident in SA491 applications.

Employment Evidence: Several offshore applicants received S56 requests for employment evidence, including superannuation records, tax records, and work emails. This was more common for 190 VIC and 491 NSW applications.

PCC Requests: Police Clearance Certificate requests appeared as both initial and follow-up S56s, with some applicants asked to provide PCCs for countries visited or translations of existing PCCs.

Multiple S56s Common: A significant number of applicants received two S56 requests during their processing journey, typically separated by 1-2 months.

Useful Resources

• Profile for @sillyfox2533: https://smartvisaguide.com/lalala
• Profile for @asifsajjad: https://smartvisaguide.com/asifsajjad

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of the comments below and may be refreshed as more comments arrive. Due to the nature of crowdsourced and AI-generated content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. This information should be consumed with caution.

📊 Data Limitation: This report represents crowdsourced data and is therefore a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs has complete grant data.

Useful Links

👨🏻‍🏫 Book IELTS 💾 FOI 🧮 Calculator 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Australian PR

📗 FY2025-26 Migration Planning Levels 🔖 Frequently Asked Questions 📞 Useful phone numbers and emails 📋 Visa Application Document List 🏘️ Guide to Housing, Jobs and Community 📲 Whatsapp Groups ☎️ Book Consultation to explore your 189/190/491 Skilled Visa Options

I have seen the FOI requests not giving numbers of backlogs lodged before January 2023. Is it because earlier backlogs are not requested, or because they have all already been cleared?

📇 Latest FOI for October 2025 PDF

Other than nurses, teachers (early childhood, primary, secondary), allied health professionals (medical technologies, physiotherapists, anesthesists, etc), and social workers, what occupations are being treated as de facto priority occupations now for 189, 190, 191, and 491 visas? I have been seeing carpenters, welders, and many construction-related applicants getting granted lightning fast recently.

NSW 491 Pathway 1: I meet all the requirements for 491 pathway 1, but I am confused regarding 6 months experience. I have more than 1 year of experience in Nominated Occupation but after Skilled Assessment from VETASSESS, my 1 year of experience is deducted and I got deemed skilled date. I am not claiming any work experience point. But Am I eligible for 491 pathway 1? the 6 months experience should be actual work or work after deemed skilled date?

📙 Daily Activity Report: 10 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 10 December 2025, based on crowdsourced data from the skilled migration community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns

Priority Occupations: Priority occupations (Health and Teaching) continue to demonstrate significantly faster processing times. Secondary Teachers received grants in 13-18 days (VIC 190), while a General Practitioner received a 189 grant in 3 months. A NSW 491 Secondary Teacher received a direct grant in 4 months.

Non-Priority Occupations: Non-priority occupations show considerably longer processing times, ranging from 1 year 1 month to 2 years 5 months. Software Engineers, Corporate Services Managers, and Civil Engineers experienced processing times exceeding 12 months.

S56 Requests: Medical and PCC requests remain the most common S56 types. Multiple PCC requests were observed for applicants with complex residential histories. One case received two separate S56 requests over a 3-month period. Employment evidence requests were also noted for Organisation and Methods Analysts.

ACT Invitation Round: ACT conducted an invitation round on 10 December 2025, inviting across both 190 and 491 subclasses. Points ranged from 70 to 140 ACT matrix points, with Accountants requiring the highest points (140) and Medical Technicians the lowest (70). The complete round data will be published by ACT in the coming days.

Useful Resources

• ACT Electronics Engineer 190 Invitation: https://smartvisaguide.com/ashokh4793
• ACT Invitation Round Library: https://smartvisaguide.com/library
• October 2025 FOI Document: https://smartvisaguide.com/static/dist/library/FOI_OCT_2025.pdf
• Software Engineer 190 Grant Details: https://smartvisaguide.com/nephew

News and Updates

October 2025 FOI (Freedom of Information) documents are now available for review.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of community comments and may be refreshed as additional data becomes available. Due to the crowdsourced and AI-generated nature of this content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. This information should be consumed with caution.

📊 This report represents crowdsourced data and is a subset of total activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs and individual states possess complete data. For invitation rounds, only the nominating state has comprehensive round information.

Useful Links

👨🏻‍🏫 Book IELTS 💾 FOI 🧮 Calculator 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Australian PR

📗 FY2025-26 Migration Planning Levels 🔖 Frequently Asked Questions 📞 Useful phone numbers and emails 📋 Visa Application Document List 🏘️ Guide to Housing, Jobs and Community 📲 Whatsapp Groups ☎️ Book Consultation to explore your 189/190/491 Skilled Visa Options

Hi, I am Enrolled Nurse applied for 190 TAS on 4 June, other people that applied from July also got their grant, but mine is still on received. When can I expect grant? @gregormendel?? Cheers

I am looking for people who are in the same situation as me.

491 Priority Occupation

• Lodged on April 4, 2025
• S56 request on October 4, 2025. It was for employment evidence and I submitted it via Immi Account on the same day. It's says the documents has been Received on Oct 5, 2025.
• Offshore, Industrial Pharmacist, and already 8 months since lodgment.

Any body waiting longer than me? Should I sent follow up to DOHA? Thank you for your responses.

🗂️ Subclass 189 Policy Document →

📙 Daily Activity Report: 09 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 09 December 2025 based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns

Priority Occupations: Subclass 189 grants for priority occupations (Registered Nurse and Occupational Therapist) demonstrated expedited processing, with visa processing times of approximately 3 months from lodgement in September 2025 to grant in December 2025. All 189 grants reported today were direct grants with no S56 requests.

Non-Priority Occupations: Visa processing times for non-priority occupations varied significantly. The 190 IT grant took approximately 13 months, while 491 grants ranged from 18 months (Chef, TAS) to over 29 months (ICT Support Engineer, NT). Older lodgements from 2023 continue to receive grants, indicating ongoing processing of the backlog.

S56 Requests: S56 requests primarily involved medicals, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), Form 80, and evidence of English proficiency for secondary applicants. One case received two separate S56 requests before grant. The turnaround from S56 submission to grant was notably quick in some cases, with one applicant receiving a grant on the same day as S56 submission (WA case).

Family Applications: Multiple grants involved families of 3-4 members, demonstrating successful processing of applications with secondary applicants.

Useful Resources

• Notes on New Subclass 189 Selection Model: https://smartvisaguide.com/posts/11443
• Complete subclass 189 policy document: https://smartvisaguide.com/posts/11484

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This blog post is an AI summary of the comments below and may be refreshed as more comments arrive. Due to the nature of crowdsourced and AI-generated content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. This information should be consumed with caution.

📊 This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs has complete grant data.

Useful Links

👨🏻‍🏫 Book IELTS 💾 FOI 🧮 Calculator 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Australian PR

📗 FY2025-26 Migration Planning Levels 🔖 Frequently Asked Questions 📞 Useful phone numbers and emails 📋 Visa Application Document List 🏘️ Guide to Housing, Jobs and Community 📲 Whatsapp Groups ☎️ Book Consultation to explore your 189/190/491 Skilled Visa Options

@gregormendel Considering ongoing 190 visa processing speed, what would be the chance of grant for 190 visa lodged in Mar 2025 for health sector non-priority occupation of nec category (134299)? any insights would be helpful. Thank you

Hi, I am Enrolled Nurse applied for 190 TAS on 4 June, other people that applied from July also got their grant, but mine is still on received. When can I expect grant? @gregormendel??????????? Cheers

Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program update 8 December 2025

Christmas / New Year office closure

Migration Tasmania will close from 12:00 noon, Wednesday 24 December 2026 for the Christmas / New Year holiday period and reopen Friday 2 January 2026.

Registrations of interest (ROIs) and applications for state nomination can continue to be submitted during this period, however we will not be processing applications or answering any enquiries during this time.

No invitations to apply for nomination will be issued during this period

We wish everyone a very happy festive season.

Program adjustments December 2025

Based upon program evaluation and stakeholder feedback, some minor adjustments have been made to program settings.

The impacts of these changes are expected to be minor, and existing ROIs will not be affected.

Subclass 491 Tasmanian Skilled Employment pathway

Orange-plus attribute: You have been employed in Tasmania for more than the past 12 months, but less than 18 months, in a role directly related to your skills assessment, currently earning at least $57,000 per year (or a base rate of $28.85 per hour (30pts)

The score for this attribute has been updated from 30 to 35 points to ensure longer-term employment relevant to skills assessment is acknowledged appropriately.

Orange attribute: You have two years of relevant prior Australian industry experience, and you currently receive a base salary of at least $57,000 per year (or $28.85 per hour). (6pts)

This has been updated to: “You have two years of relevant prior Australian industry experience, and you currently receive a base salary that pays more than the National Minimum Wage, but less than $57,000 per year (or a base rate of $28.85 per hour). "

This change is to avoid confusion with the similar Orange-plus attribute attracting 30 points.

Only new ROIs will be affected by these changes. ROIs that have already been submitted and which have claimed both attributes will be recognised.

Subclass 190 and 491 Tasmanian Skilled Graduate pathway

Orange-plus attribute - Graduate program offer This attribute has been updated to remove the restriction on not having commenced the program. The attribute can now be claimed if the graduate program offer was made in the previous 12 months, whether or not the graduate has commenced the role:

You have received an offer for a graduate employment program within the last 12 months. The program is full-time, was offered prior to or within twelve months of graduation, is directly related to your skills assessment, and is from a Tasmanian business with at least 20 employees that has been operating in Tasmania for more than five years.

Subclass 190 Tasmanian Established Resident pathway

Minimum requirements A change has been made to the requirement wording to clarify the intention that eligible business operations must have achieved a net profit after receiving income of $76,515: have operated a business in Tasmania for at least the past two years, generating a minimum personal income equal to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (currently $76,515), with the business also achieving a net profit after receiving that income

Reminders

Dependants must not be living elsewhere in Australia For all nomination pathways dependant family members must not be living in another Australian state or territory other than Tasmania.

They may be currently living overseas.

If they have relocated from another state or territory, they must have moved to Tasmania at least three months before applying for nomination.

Applicants must provide supporting evidence to verify the location of their dependent family members. Acceptable evidence may include travel itineraries to Tasmania and bank statements demonstrating living expenses incurred in Tasmania.

New Subclass 189 Selection Model — Simple Explanation

Australia has a limit (ceiling) on how many people can be invited for each occupation under the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa.

How the occupation limit works:

1. First, department fills occupation places through other visas such as: • Employer Sponsored visas • State Nominated visas (190) • Regional visas (491/494)
2. Only the leftover places (if any) are then used for the 189 visa.
3. ⁠These limits are managed at a broader occupation group level (not very specific job titles).

How department decides how many places each occupation gets;

Department looks at: • How many people are already working in that occupation (using government employment data), and • Multiplies that number by a percentage, depending on how important or scarce the occupation is.

The result is the maximum number of 189 visas that can be given for that occupation.

Occupation Tiers Explained Simply

🔵 Tier 1 – Most critical occupations • Multiplier: 4% • These are very important, hard-to-fill jobs. • They usually take many years of training. • Examples: Doctors, medical specialists, researchers * Highest chance of selection.

🟢 Tier 2 – High priority occupations • Multiplier: 2% • Important jobs needed urgently. • Training time is usually shorter than Tier 1. • Examples: Teachers * Good chance of selection.

🟡 Tier 3 – General occupations • Multiplier: 1% • Most occupations fall here. • Ensures Australia has workers across many fields. * Moderate to limited number of invitations.

🔴 Tier 4 – Oversupplied occupations • Multiplier: 0.5% • Jobs where Australia already has many workers or many visa holders. • Invites only a small number to avoid oversupply. * Lowest chance under 189.

Example of calculating and filling occupation ceilings - 2411 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers

Full Policy Document here

189 granted just now, 08 Dec 2025. Registered Nurse (nec). Lodged on 1st Sept 2025.

@gregormendel / @biotechy, My English test completed 2 years on 6th December, 2025. The validity mentioned on the test result was also 2 years. But, I read somewhere that English tests are valid for 3 years for immigration purpose. Is that true? Or do I need to take the test again ?

hello everyone how much time does it takes for visa grant for medical laboratory technician, DOL 20 may 2025, priority occupation.