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📙 Daily Activity Report: 09 Dec 2025

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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.

Next ACT invitation round will be conducted on Wednesday 10 December 2025.

Updated ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines Canberra Resident – February 2026

📙 Daily Activity Report: 08 December 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 08 December 2025, based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests observed today primarily involved medicals and remedicals for 491 visa applicants. One offshore applicant from Pakistan lodged in May 2024 received a medical request. A South Australian 491 case from June 2023 received remedicals in August 2025 before grant. A Queensland 491 applicant received requests for both AFP and medicals in November 2025.

Priority occupations (Health and Teaching) continue to demonstrate significantly faster processing times. Early Childhood Teachers and Registered Nurses received grants within 3-7 months of lodgement, with most being direct grants. Non-priority occupations showed more varied processing times, ranging from approximately 7 months to over 29 months for the SA Mechanical Engineer case.

Several applicants proactively uploaded AFP checks and PCCs, which may have contributed to direct grants without S56 requests. Tasmania appears particularly active in processing 190 visas for both priority and non-priority occupations.

News and Updates

No specific news or announcements were included in today's comments.

⚠️ 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 represents crowdsourced data and is therefore a subset of total 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 06 Dec 2025

💾 FOI Data 🧮 Calculator 👨🏻‍🏫 Book IELTS 👨🏻‍💻 Data entered into our database at end of day. Older posts here. 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Permanent Residency

🏢 Our Services 📞 General Consultation 🗂️ Skill Assessment Application Review 📋 EOI and ROI Review 📝 Visa Application Review 📦 Our Migration Package

ℹ️ Useful Resources: 🔖 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

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💾 Latest Dec 2025 WA Round PDF ↓

📙 Daily Activity Report: 05 December 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

Invitation Activity

WA Invitation Round - 05 December 2025

A WA invitation round was conducted on 05 December 2025. The complete round details are available in the official PDF document.

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

The most common S56 requests on 05 December 2025 involved:

Remedicals: The majority of S56 requests were for remedical examinations, affecting applicants across all three visa subclasses (189, 190, 491) and multiple states (VIC, NSW, SA, NT, ACT, WA). This pattern suggests routine health assessment updates for applications lodged 12-24 months ago.

Police Clearance Certificates (PCC): Multiple applicants received requests for updated PCCs, particularly for offshore applicants from NSW, NT, and ACT. Some requests included specific requirements such as translation of Netherlands PCC.

Employment Evidence: Several applicants, particularly in ICT occupations (Software Engineer, ICT BA, ICT QA Engineer), received requests for additional employment documentation.

Partner/Spouse Documentation: A smaller subset of requests involved partner-related documentation, including English proficiency evidence, relationship proof, and Form 80.

Specialised Requests: One unique request involved a Polio Certificate for all family members (WA 491), and another involved a Health Undertaking (190 Offshore).

The S56 requests predominantly affected applications lodged between late 2023 and mid-2024, with most requests issued between September and November 2025. Priority occupation applicants (Retail Pharmacist) demonstrated faster processing times despite S56 requests.

Useful Resources

• WA Invitation Round Details (05 December 2025): https://smartvisaguide.com/static/dist/library/WA_05_DEC_2025.pdf

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI-generated 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 and verified against official sources.

📊 This report represents crowdsourced data and is a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) 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

SA Invitations issued in Dec 2025 Round

Skilled and Business Migration have commenced inviting clients across the four streams of the 2025-26 General Skilled Migration program. Below you will find the relevant data for both interim invitations, and the invitations issued this week.

TAS Processing Times and Invitations Issued

Updated 04 Dec 2025

Over the Christmas/New Year period, Migration Tasmania does not plan to send out ROI invitations. These will begin again early in 2026.

ROIs invited to apply for nomination on 4/12/2025:

• Subclass 190 - 20 ROIs invited
• Subclass 491 - 33 ROIs invited

The lowest scores invited:

• Subclass 190 - 49 points (Orange pass)
• Subclass 491 - 40 points (Orange pass)

Number of ROIs on hand (ROIs with a status of Submitted after the invitation round has taken place):

• Subclass 190 - 328 ROIs
• Subclass 491 - 232 ROIs

Nomination places available:

• Subclass 190 - 962 places
• Subclass 491 - 572 places

Nomination applications lodged but not yet decided:

• Subclass 190 - 197 applications
• Subclass 491 - 60 applications

Invitations issued but application not yet lodged:

• Subclass 190 - 128 invitations
• Subclass 491 - 90 invitations

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

📋 189 Invitation Round Cutoffs for 13 Nov 2025 Round

Total 10,000 invitations for 189 and 300 invitations for 491 (family sponsored) were issued.

Invitation Process: The highest ranked EOI, by points score, will be invited to apply for their visa before an EOI with a lower points score. For EOIs who have equal points scores, we will determine the time and date at which the EOI reached its score for that subclass. We call this a ‘tie break’ or the ‘date of effect’. The EOI with an earlier date of effect will be invited before EOIs with a later date of effect.

Points Cutoffs: Actuary - 189: 85 Agricultural Consultant - 189: 85 Agricultural Scientist - 189: 85 Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber - 189: 65 | 491: 70 Architect - 189: 85 Artistic Director - 189: 85 Arts Administrator or Manager - 189: 85 Audiologist - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Automotive Electrician - 189: 85 Barrister - 189: 90 Biochemist - 189: 85 Biotechnologist - 189: 85 Boat Builder and Repairer - 189: 85 Botanist - 189: 85 Bricklayer - 189: 65 | 491: 70 Cabinetmaker - 189: 85 Cardiologist - 189: 80 | 491: 80 Carpenter - 189: 65 | 491: 65 Carpenter and Joiner - 189: 65 | 491: 95 Cartographer - 189: 90 Chemical Engineer - 189: 85 Chemist - 189: 85 Child Care Centre Manager - 189: 75 Chiropractor - 189: 85 Civil Engineering Draftsperson - 189: 85 Civil Engineering Technician - 189: 85 Clinical Psychologist - 189: 80 Construction Project Manager - 189: 85 Dermatologist - 189: 100 Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist - 189: 80 Drainer - 189: 70 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher - 189: 85 | 491: 90 Economist - 189: 85 Electrical Engineering Draftsperson - 189: 85 Electrical Engineering Technician - 189: 85 Electrician (General) - 189: 65 | 491: 65 Electrician (Special Class) - 189: 70 Electronic Equipment Trades Worker - 189: 85 Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (General) - 189: 95 Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (Special Class) - 189: 95 Emergency Medicine Specialist - 189: 75 Engineering Manager - 189: 85 Environmental Consultant - 189: 85 Environmental Manager - 189: 85 Environmental Research Scientist - 189: 85 Environmental Scientists nec - 189: 85 Fibrous Plasterer - 189: 65 | 491: 65 Fitter (General) - 189: 85 Food Technologist - 189: 85 Forester - 189: 85 Gasfitter - 189: 65 | 491: 80 General Practitioner - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Geophysicist - 189: 85 Glazier - 189: 65 Hydrogeologist - 189: 90 Intensive Care Specialist - 189: 80 Joiner - 189: 65 Land Economist - 189: 85 Landscape Architect - 189: 85 Life Scientist (General) - 189: 85 Life Scientists nec - 189: 85 Management Consultant - 189: 85 Marine Biologist - 189: 85 Materials Engineer - 189: 85 Medical Diagnostic Radiographer - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Medical Laboratory Scientist - 189: 85 Medical Oncologist - 189: 80 Medical Practitioners nec - 189: 75 | 491: 90 Medical Radiation Therapist - 189: 75 Metal Fabricator - 189: 85 Metal Machinist (First Class) - 189: 95 Metallurgist - 189: 85 Microbiologist - 189: 85 Midwife - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum) - 189: 85 Motorcycle Mechanic - 189: 85 Multimedia Specialist - 189: 90 Musician (Instrumental) - 189: 90 Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec - 189: 85 Neurologist - 189: 80 Nurse Practitioner - 189: 80 Obstetrician and Gynaecologist - 189: 75 Occupational Therapist - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Ophthalmologist - 189: 80 Optometrist - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Organisational Psychologist - 189: 80 Orthopaedic Surgeon - 189: 85 Osteopath - 189: 100 Other Spatial Scientist - 189: 85 Paediatrician - 189: 75 Painting Trades Worker - 189: 70 | 491: 70 Pathologist - 189: 75 Petroleum Engineer - 189: 85 Physicist - 189: 85 Physiotherapist - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Plumber (General) - 189: 65 | 491: 70 Podiatrist - 189: 75 Primary Health Organisation Manager - 189: 85 Psychiatrist - 189: 75 Psychologists nec - 189: 75 Radiation Oncologist - 491: 85 Registered Nurse (Aged Care) - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) - 189: 75 Registered Nurse (Community Health) - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) - 189: 80 | 491: 80 Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) - 189: 75 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Registered Nurse (Medical) - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Registered Nurse (Mental Health) - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Registered Nurse (Paediatrics) - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Registered Nurse (Perioperative) - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Registered Nurse (Surgical) - 189: 75 | 491: 80 Registered Nurses nec - 189: 75 | 491: 75 Roof Plumber - 189: 70 Secondary School Teacher - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Social Worker - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Solicitor - 189: 85 Solid Plasterer - 189: 65 | 491: 65 Sonographer - 189: 75 Special Education Teachers nec - 189: 75 Special Needs Teacher - 189: 75 | 491: 90 Specialist Physician (General Medicine) - 189: 80 Specialist Physicians nec - 189: 85 Speech Pathologist - 189: 75 | 491: 85 Statistician - 189: 85 Stonemason - 189: 65 Surgeon (General) - 189: 80 Surveyor - 189: 85 Telecommunications Engineer - 189: 90 Telecommunications Field Engineer - 189: 90 Telecommunications Network Engineer - 189: 90 Telecommunications Network Planner - 189: 90 Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist - 189: 90 Tennis Coach - 189: 85 Thoracic Medicine Specialist - 189: 80 Urologist - 189: 80 Valuer - 189: 85 Vascular Surgeon - 189: 75 Veterinarian - 189: 85 Wall and Floor Tiler - 189: 65 | 491: 75 Welder (First Class) - 189: 85 Welfare Centre Manager - 189: 85 Zoologist - 189: 85

Source: DHA Website

📙 Daily Activity Report: 04 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

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

The majority of S56 requests issued on or around 30 September to 04 October 2025 involved remedicals and PCC updates, particularly for applications lodged between February and April 2024. This suggests a systematic review of applications approaching the 12-month medical validity period. Health Undertakings were requested as follow-up S56s for offshore applicants, indicating additional health-related scrutiny. Several cases involved newborn additions requiring passport and medical documentation. One case specifically requested spouse functional English evidence, highlighting the importance of maintaining accurate partner claims.

News and Updates

State allocation usage data has been updated by DHA through 30 November 2025.

Useful Resources

• State Allocation Usage: https://smartvisaguide.com/states/
• S56 Health Undertaking Example: https://smartvisaguide.com/mad_max_fury

⚠️ 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 activity. Only DHA and individual states possess complete grant and invitation data. For invitation rounds, this summary reflects community-reported outcomes only.

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

Subclass 190 and 491: Moving states after visa lodgment but before visa grant

The state/territory sponsorship points are not locked at time of Full Invite (unlike age, education, experience etc.)

The reason is that state/territory sponsorship points are a time of decision criteria, meaning the visa case officer has to make a decision on the allocation of these points when your file is being assessed.

So if you committed to the state to stay for a certain duration, but you move before the visa is granted, technically, the state has the power to withdraw these nomination points till the day of visa decision.

If these points are withdrawn, your points score will fall lower than what the invitation was issued at, and your visa will be refused.

After visa grant: The state can not withdraw nomination points, therefore: - On 190, you can move anywhere in Australia - On 491, you can move to any DRA in Australia

📣 Latest VIC Invitation Round 03 Dec 2025

List of preinvites below based on crowdsourced data. Points are inclusive of state points.

• 190 ONSHORE Architectural Draftsperson 70+5, working in nominated occupation, EOI - Nov 17th 2024
• 190 OFFSHORE Bricklayer 80 pts, Age 30 pts, Work Exp 10 pts
• 190 ONSHORE Carpenter 65+5 pts, 73K salary
• 491 ONSHORE Carpenter 60+15 pts, 49K salary
• 491 ONSHORE Chef 100 pts
• 190 ONSHORE Community Worker 85+5 pts, Age 30, English 20, Au Exp 5, Study 15+5, Single, 81K salary working in nominated occupation. ROI submitted 2nd October 2025
• 491 OFFSHORE Counsellors Nec 75 pts
• 190 ONSHORE CPM 70+5, onshore, ROI submitted last week, Working in occupation 110K salary
• 491 ONSHORE ECT 80+15 pts, Working in Regional since Aug 2025
• 491 ONSHORE ECT 70+15 pts, Working as ECT
• 190 ONSHORE ECT 75+5 pts, Superior English, Non-skilled partner, Working as ECT since Mar 2025, 83K salary
• 190 ONSHORE Electrical Engineer 90+5 pts (Age 30 English 20 Exp Overseas 10 Exp AU 5 Education 15 AU Edu 5 Partner English 5)
• 190 ONSHORE Engineering Technologist 75 pts (Age: 15 English : 20 Off Exp: 10 Partner : 10 Edu: 15 and Salary 195K + super)
• 190 ONSHORE General Practitioner 75+5 pts, Workin in regional VIC, Superior English, Skilled Partner, Age 25 pts, ROI 18 Nov 2025, 98K salary
• 190 ONSHORE Geotechnical Engineer 75+5 pts, 66K salary
• 491 ONSHORE Hotel and Motel Manager 50+15 pts, Competent English, Partner 5 pts
• 491 ONSHORE Motor Mechanic 105 points, study bachelor + trade, Naati, Superior English
• 190 ONSHORE Occupational Therapist 80+5 pts, Working in VIC 75K Salary, Single
• 491 OFFSHORE Primary School Teacher 85 pts
• 190 ONSHORE RN Aged Care 75 pts, Proficient English, 80K skilled salary, Skilled Partner
• 190 OFFSHORE RN Medical 75+5 pts, Age 30 Degree 15 Exp offshore 10 English 10 Skilled partner 10
• 190 ONSHORE RN Nec 70+5, Working in occupation with skilled salary 110K, skilled partner, ROI Nov 2025
• 491 ONSHORE RN Nec 60+15 pts, 14K salary
• 190 ONSHORE RN Nec 80+5 pts. ROI submitted 2 days ago.
• 190 ONSHORE RN Nec 75+5 Superior English, No partner, No salary claimed
• 190 OFFSHORE RN Paediatric 75 pts
• 190 ONSHORE Social Worker 75+5 pts, Age 30, Proficient English 10, Study 15, Au study 5, Work exp 5, Single 10, Salary 100+
• 190 ONSHORE Secondary School Teacher 75+5 pts, 57K salary claimed, Casual work (18 hrs/week). Age 25, Edu 15, English 20, Skilled Partner 10, Au Study 5
• 190 ONSHORE Secondary School Teacher 65+5 pts, Working in Field, 79K skilled salary, ROI mid Nov 2025
• 190 OFFSHORE Secondary School Teacher 75 pts, Proficient English
• 491 OFFSHORE Secondary School Teacher 70+15
• 190 ONSHORE Telecommunications Technical Officer 80 points, superior english, working in Melbourne for almost one year. Overseas experience- 3 years. Salary $90K
• 190 OFFSHORE Urban and Regional Planner 75+5 pts

📙 Daily Activity Report: 03 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 03 December 2025, based on crowdsourced data from the Australian skilled migration community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

No invitation round data was reported for 03 December 2025. One comment referenced VIC preinvites observed on this date.

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests observed today primarily involved medicals for both onshore and offshore applicants. One offshore applicant from Pakistan received an S56 requesting Form 80, employment evidence, and polio vaccination documentation. An offshore Electrical Engineer with a family of 5 received a medical request for a 491 visa lodged in May 2024.

The Engineering Technologist case demonstrates rapid processing following medical clearance, with grant issued within one day of medicals being cleared. The ACT 491 case shows a lengthy processing time of over 2 years, with S56 issued approximately 13 months after lodgement.

Several direct grants were issued without S56 requests, particularly for onshore applicants across 189, 190, and 491 subclasses. .

Useful Resources

• VIC preinvites seen today: https://smartvisaguide.com/posts/11198

📊 This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only DHA has complete grant statistics. State governments hold complete invitation round data.

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

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

Important Updates on the NSW Skilled Migration Program

State Nominated Visa Allocations New South Wales has been allocated the following nominations for skilled migration for the 2025-26 program: - 2,100 Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) - 1,500 Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491)

Here are the latest updates for the skilled migration program.

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) To date, we have completed three invitation rounds for this program year. Monthly invitation rounds will recommence from January 2026 until the annual allocation has been met. As of December 2025, we have nominated approximately 25% of the annual allocation.

Please be reminded that only occupations that appear on the NSW Skills List will considered for an invitation.

Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) We are pleased to announce Pathway 1 – Work in Regional NSW and Pathway 3 – Regional NSW Graduate will open on 19 January 2026.

Please be advised that applications will be processed in chronological order. However, only valid applications will be placed in the queue for processing.

Valid Applications A valid application is one that satisfies all NSW eligibility requirements as of the date of application, with valid key supporting documents including the skills assessment and English language test. All supporting documents should not only be valid at the time of application but should remain so for at least five days thereafter.

Expedited Assessment Requests Application assessments typically take up to six weeks; however this could be longer subject to the volume we receive. Applicants may request priority processing if any of the following will occur within ten working days: - The applicant’s current visa or their partner's current visa will expire. - The applicant’s English language test, skills assessment, or passport, or their partner's, will expire. - The applicant will lose points for age, and this will bring the applicant’s total points below the minimum required for the visa.

Subclass 491 visa Pathway 1 - Work in Regional NSW Provided applicants meet the minimum income threshold and have been employed for at least six months, all occupations that are eligible for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) can apply under Pathway 1.

Detailed eligibility criteria for Pathway 1 is available on our website. Please review these before applying.

Subclass 491 visa Pathway 3 - Regional NSW Graduate To apply under this pathway, you must have completed a bachelor's degree or higher degree from an education institution located in a designated regional area of NSW. Only occupations that appear on the NSW Regional Skills List are eligible to apply. Please visit our website for a full list of eligibility requirements for Pathway 3.  

Subclass 491 visa Pathway 2 - Invitation by NSW 🚨 The need to conduct an invitation round under Pathway 2 will be determined following the demand for nominations under Pathways 1 and 3. At the earliest, if required, an invitation round for Pathway 2 will occur in April 2026. Further updates will be provided prior to conducting an invitation round as required.

Christmas Closedown Notice Our office will be closed for the Christmas and New Year period from 24 December 2025 to 9 January 2026. Normal operations will resume on Monday, 12 January 2026. During this time, we will not be processing applications or responding to enquiries. If your (or your partner’s) visa, English language test, skills assessment, or passport are due to expire during the closure period and you need to request an expedited assessment, please contact our team by Friday, 12 December 2025 to allow sufficient time to address any urgent matters before the closure.

NSW Christmas Closedown Notice 2025

NSW office will be closed for the Christmas and New Year period from 24 December 2025 to 9 January 2026. Normal operations will resume on Monday, 12 January 2026. During this time, NSW will not be processing applications or responding to enquiries.

If your visa, your partner's visa or English test report, skills assessment, or passport are due to expire during the closure period and you need to request an expedited assessment, please contact NSW office by Friday, 12 December 2025 to allow sufficient time to address any urgent matters before the closure.

Latest SkillSelect Backlog 30 Nov 2025

Skillselect backlog has been updated as at 30 Nov 2025 on all SmartVisaGuide occupation pages. How to check: - Click occupations on left navbar - Select your occupation - Click on SkillSelect tab

Learn how to interpret Skillselect data here.

📙 Daily Activity Report: 02 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 02 December 2025, based on crowdsourced data from the skilled migration community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns

Priority Occupations: Health and teaching occupations continue to receive expedited processing. The RN NEC case (lodged 28 Aug 2025) and ECT case (lodged 27 Aug 2025) both received grants within approximately 3 months, demonstrating the impact of Ministerial Direction 105.

Non-Priority Occupations: Processing times for non-priority occupations vary significantly. Recent lodgements (Oct-Nov 2024) for IT and engineering occupations are receiving grants within 12-14 months. However, older applications from 2023 are still being finalised, with processing times extending to 24-29 months for some 491 cases.

S56 Patterns: Remedical requests remain common for applications approaching or exceeding 12 months processing time. Multiple S56 requests are observed in longer-processing cases, particularly for offshore applicants. PCC and employment evidence requests continue to feature prominently.

Direct Grants: Several VIC 190 and NSW 190 cases received direct grants without S56 requests, particularly for onshore applicants in IT occupations with recent lodgements.

⚠️ 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 crowdsourced information and is a subset of total visa activity. Only DHA and individual states possess complete data on grants and invitations. For invitation rounds, this summary reflects reported comments only; complete round data is held by the respective states.

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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 01 Dec 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity observed on 01 December 2025 based on community-shared data.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

No new S56 requests were observed on 01 December 2025.

Invitation Activity

South Australia issued preinvites on 01 December 2025, marking their first round of invitations. No specific occupation or points data was shared for this round.

Trends and Patterns

Priority Occupations: Health and teaching occupations continue to demonstrate expedited processing. University Lecturers and Registered Nurses (Critical Care) lodging in late August 2025 received grants within approximately 3 months.

Non-Priority Occupations: Processing times for non-priority occupations remain significantly longer. Grants observed today include applications lodged between September 2023 and October 2024, indicating processing times ranging from 13 to 26 months. The 491 ACT Laboratory Technician application took over 2 years to process.

S56 Patterns: Remedical requests continue to be the most common S56 type, particularly for applications approaching or exceeding 12 months from initial medical examinations. One case involved remedicals for all 4 family members. PCC requests were also observed in longer-processing applications.

State Activity: Tasmania and South Australia showed notable activity today. Multiple TAS 190 Chef grants were issued for October 2024 lodgements. SA commenced their invitation round with preinvites issued.

Family Size: One Electrical Engineer case involved a family of 4, demonstrating that larger family applications are being processed alongside individual applications.

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

📊 This report represents crowdsourced data and is therefore a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs and individual states possess complete data on all grants and invitations issued.

Useful Links

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📗 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

WA residency evidence

Applicants receiving a prioritised invitation based on residing in Western Australia must be able to substantiate this claim by providing evidence that they:

• were residing in Western Australia for a continuous period of at least three months immediately prior to the date of their Western Australian State nomination invitation.; and
• are still residing in Western Australia at the date of State nomination application.

Acceptable evidence includes:

• A signed WA residential property lease agreement (Form 1aa) with proof of rental payments and record of bond lodgement with Bonds Administration;
• bank statements showing daily transactions, income and expenses in WA;
• mortgage account statements; and
• Government or Federal Identity checks such as a Federal police check showing the applicant's name and WA address;

Or two or more of the following secondary evidence:

• insurance policy renewal documents showing the applicant's name and WA address;
• renewal notices for driver's licence or vehicle registration;
• employment contracts or payslips from a WA-based employer; and
• enrolment confirmation or transcripts from a WA educational institution.

📙 Daily Activity Report: 29 Nov 2025

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Migration Symposium 25 Nov - 28 Nov 2025

Symposium was hosted by Migration Institute of Australia and included sessions by Australian States/Territories on their State Nomination Program

ACT - There will be one round before 31 Dec 2025 - 
ACT plans to issue one invitation round per month until May 2026 - New portal to be launched in 2026 to allow applicants to be able to withdraw/edit matrix - ACT may in future give preference to higher paid applications (only occupation + matrix score for now) - From nomination approval to visa approval, applicants need to live in ACT, But not required to work, can change jobs or work in unrelated occupations - Short overseas trips are okay, but extended absence may affect nomination - Applicant can submit multiple matrices with different occupations but will not receive multiple invitations. Once you receive one invite, all others get marked as duplicate

SA - Priority sectors will be given preference for 190, non-p will mostly get 491, for both on/offshore - Both onshore and offshore rounds will be held monthly, but separately - SA will publish data each round after round - SA confirms that social workers are considered under Health sector - Each applicant can only submit one ROI. If you select 190, you can may still be invited for 491 - If visa expiring soon, recommend applying at least one month before expiry - Occupations removed from SA list will not be added back this FY - Occupations like Chefs and Motor Mechanics may still have a chance for invites but working experience will be crucial

WA - WA plans to continue to do 1 round per month with next round in Dec 2025 - Last round expected in April 2026, but additional rounds may occur depending on allocations availability - Dec 2025 and Jan 2026 round will be WA priority occupations, from Feb onwards non-priority will be issued invites - 3 month residency required to claim WA residency and it should be continuous. Temporary absence like holidays, work travel is ok but extended absence may affect eligibility - WA does not allocate specific places to any occupation - WA graduates not residing in WA are still eligible for Graduate stream, but they are lower priority than WA resident graduates

⭕️ To be updated

📙 Daily Activity Report: 28 Nov 2025

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 28 November 2025, based on crowdsourced data from the skilled migration community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

The most common S56 requests on 28 November 2025 involved medical-related documentation, particularly remedicals. Multiple offshore applicants who lodged visas in early 2024 (January-February) received S56 requests for medicals in mid-October 2025, with grants following approximately 6 weeks later. This pattern was particularly evident among NSW 491 applicants in Marketing Specialist and Surveyor occupations.

Partner-related documentation requests also featured prominently, including partner functional English evidence, partner points verification, and partner AFP checks. One notable case involved a second S56 request for an applicant who lodged in October 2023, highlighting extended processing times for some cases.

Priority occupation holders (Social Worker, Physiotherapist, Secondary School Teacher) demonstrated faster processing times, with grants occurring within 6-9 months of lodgement. Non-priority occupations showed significantly longer processing times, with some cases exceeding 20 months from lodgement to grant.

News and Updates

Northern Territory has commenced issuing onshore 190 preinvites (declarations) in recent days, indicating active state nomination activity.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of crowdsourced comments and may be refreshed as more data arrives. 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 and individual states possess complete data on grants and invitations.

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