Gregor Mendel @gregormendel

📙 Daily Activity Report: 25 May 2026

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SA Invitations issued - Late May 2026

Skilled and Business Migration continues to invite clients across the four streams of the 2025-26 General Skilled Migration program.

Below you will find the relevant data for the invitations issued on 21 May 2026:

📙 Daily Activity Report: 22 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 22 May 2026 based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests observed today primarily involved health-related documentation and Police Clearance Certificates. One case involved a health undertaking for a Telecommunications Network Engineer (189 offshore), while another required PCC submission for an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (491 NT offshore). The health-related S56 was issued approximately 4 months after lodgement, while the PCC request came about 8 months post-lodgement.

NSW appears to have issued select 190 preinvites to onshore Medical Lab Technicians with 95 points. NT issued a declaration for a 491 offshore Mechanical Engineer application that was submitted in November 2025.

The visa processing times varied significantly across subclasses. The 189 offshore grant took approximately 5 months, while the 491 NT offshore grant took about 9 months. The 190 VIC onshore grant had the longest processing time at approximately 15 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 is crowdsourced and represents only a subset of total activity. Only DHA and individual states have complete data. For invitation rounds, this post summarises community comments; only the relevant state has complete round 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

Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program Update

Registrations of Interest closing 3 June 2026 for the 2025-26 program year

Registrations of Interest for all pathways and passes of the Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program will close 5pm Wednesday, 3 June, 2026, following strong demand for nomination.

The last invitation round for the 2025-26 program year will take place on Thursday 4 June 2026.

Migration Tasmania will resume accepting ROIs from all eligible candidates when the 2026-27 program commences.

Further information regarding the 2026-27 program will be published on the Migration Tasmania website and in our newsletter when it becomes available.

Migration Tasmania will continue to assess applications for nomination and new applications will be able to be lodged. However, with few nomination places remaining, not all applicants will be nominated this program year.

Once all nomination places are used, any applications approved will be nominated after Tasmania receives its nomination allocation for the 2026-27 program year.

ROIs that are not invited to apply for nomination before the end of the program will continue to be held in the Application Gateway for six months and considered for an invitation to apply for nomination when the 2026-27 program opens.

If you have questions regarding this or any other Tasmanian nomination issue, please contact Migration Tasmania at skilled@migration.tas.gov.au.

Updated on 21 May 2026

📙 Daily Activity Report: 21 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 21 May 2026 based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 activity remains minimal for the day, with only three documented requests. One offshore Subclass 190 applicant received a request for stepchild birth certificate documentation. A Subclass 189 Microbiologist received an S56 request approximately five months after lodgement, though the specific content was not disclosed. A Subclass 491 QLD Chef applicant received a PCC request approximately three months after lodgement. The low volume of S56 requests suggests most grants are being processed as direct grants, particularly for priority occupations.

Visa Processing Observations

Priority occupations (Health and Teaching) continue to demonstrate faster processing times. The Subclass 189 Physiotherapist received a direct grant in approximately 6 months, while the non-priority Microbiologist took the same timeframe but required an S56. For Subclass 190, TAS grants ranged from 12-14 months across various occupations including Engineering Technologist, Chef, and Cyber Security Analyst. SA Mechanical Engineer took approximately 14 months. For Subclass 491, processing times varied from 6 months (NSW Accountant) to 18 months (QLD Chef), with NT Electronics Engineer processed in approximately 15 months.

State Invitation Round Activity

Multiple states conducted invitation rounds on 21 May 2026. QLD issued both Subclass 190 and 491 invitations across diverse occupations including Engineering, Health, Teaching, and Trades. Points ranged from 65 (Secondary School Teacher) to 105 (Civil Engineer, Electronics Engineer). SA invited candidates in Health and Trades occupations at 70-85 points. NSW conducted a Subclass 491 Pathway 2 round, with Early Childhood Teachers invited at 100 points and Health/Social Work occupations at 85-95 points. QLD also approved a Subclass 491 nomination for Construction Estimator at 95 points.

⚠️ 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 activity. Only DHA and individual states have complete data. For invitation rounds, this summary reflects shared experiences, and only the respective 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 20 May 2026

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

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

No additional S56 requests were reported for 20 May 2026 beyond those already captured in the visa grants table above.

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests continue to focus on standard documentation requirements. Common requests include: - Medical-related: Remedicals and Polio vaccination certificates (3 cases) - Police clearances: Various forms of police checks including NZ PCC consent forms and international police checks (3 cases) - Employment verification: Reference letters, payslips, and employment evidence (2 cases) - Dependent verification: Proof of dependency for adult children (1 case) - Partner-related: Spouse refusal visa documentation (1 case)

Priority occupation grants (Enrolled Nurse, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Laboratory Technician) showed processing times ranging from 5 to 15 months. Non-priority occupations demonstrated longer processing times, with several cases exceeding 12 months from lodgement to grant.

The majority of S56 requests occurred between March and May 2026, suggesting active case processing during this period. Response times to S56 requests varied from 1 day to 20 days, with grants typically following within weeks of S56 compliance.

Useful Resources

• WA Round Data: https://smartvisaguide.com/database
• WA Round PDF: https://smartvisaguide.com/library

🔵 This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only DHA and individual states possess complete grant and invitation data. For WA invitation rounds, this summary reflects crowdsourced comments only; complete round data is held by the state.

🔴 DISCLAIMER: This blog post is an AI summary of community comments and may be refreshed as additional data arrives. Due to the crowdsourced and AI-generated nature of this content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. Please consume this information with appropriate 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 19 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 19 May 2026, based on crowdsourced data from the Australian skilled migration community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

The S56 requests observed today primarily involved health assessments (medicals and remedicals) and supporting documentation. The NT case required multiple S56s including police checks, polio vaccination evidence, and Form 80. Document translation requirements were noted for the QLD 491 case. Priority occupation grants (Registered Nurse) demonstrated significantly faster processing times compared to non-priority occupations, with the QLD Registered Nurse receiving a grant in just 11 days from lodgement.

News and Updates

Victoria (VIC) conducted a Subclass 190 invitation round on 19 May 2026, issuing pre-invites across multiple occupations including ICT, Engineering, Healthcare, and Manufacturing sectors. Points ranged from 75 to 105 (inclusive of state nomination points).

📊 This report represents crowdsourced data and is therefore a subset of total visa and invitation activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and individual states possess complete data. For invitation rounds, this summary reflects reported invitations only; states hold comprehensive round information.

🔴 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. Please consume this information with appropriate 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 18 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity based on community-shared data for 18 May 2026.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

AFP checks remain the most common S56 request across all visa subclasses, appearing in multiple cases for both 189 and 491 visas. The timing of AFP requests varies significantly, ranging from February to April 2026 for applications lodged between November 2025 and March 2025.

Medical requests (remedicals) were observed in one 491 case, issued in May 2026 for a December 2024 lodgement. One notable case involved an S57 request regarding relationship genuineness for a 189 applicant with a partner, demonstrating additional scrutiny for de facto relationships.

Several applicants reported direct grants without S56 requests, particularly for 190 TAS, 491 NT, and one 491 case where PCC was updated proactively. One WA 190 applicant proactively updated security clearance in March 2026, which may have contributed to smoother processing.

Priority occupations (Registered Nurse, Agriculture Consultant) showed faster processing times of approximately 5-6 months compared to non-priority occupations which ranged from 12-17 months. Health occupations continue to receive expedited processing under Ministerial Direction 105.

⚠️ 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 is crowdsourced and represents a subset of total activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs has complete visa 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

FY2026-27 Migration Planning Level Announcement

On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places, with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs. The overall planning level and the Skill and Family split of the program are unchanged from 2025-26.

Across both the Skill and Family streams of the permanent Migration Program, the government will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migrants already living in Australia, with an additional 300 places allocated to Special Eligibility. The remaining 55,110 offshore places will prioritise high‑skilled migrants that help boost productivity and address Australia’s long‑term skill needs, complementing Australia’s working-age population.

An onshore-focused program will support timely transitions to permanent residency for migrants already living, working and contributing to Australia, and further reduces the program’s impact on Net Overseas Migration (NOM).

The 2026–27 Migration Program is comprised of:

• Skilled Migration Program (132,240 places, approximately 71 per cent of the program) – this program is designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market.
• Australian Family Program (52,460 places, approximately 28 per cent of the program) – this program is predominantly made up of Partner visas. It enables Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provide them with pathways to citizenship.
• Special Eligibility (300 places) – this stream covers visas for those in special circumstances. It includes permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.

Migration Program planning levels by financial year

📙 Daily Activity Report: 15 May 2026

This report summarises visa grant activity and S56 requests reported by the community on 15 May 2026, providing insights into processing times and trends across different visa subclasses and states.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

Two S56 requests were reported today. One case involved remedicals requested on 11 May 2026 for a Social Worker application lodged in March 2025, where a baby was added to the application in November 2025. The second case involved an S56 issued on 18 March 2026 for a Civil Engineer application lodged in January 2025, though the specific content of the request was not disclosed.

The Social Worker case demonstrates that family composition changes during visa processing can trigger additional medical requirements. The Civil Engineer case shows S56 requests can occur over a year after lodgement.

Additional Observations

NSW 190 Processing: Two NSW 190 grants were reported with processing times of approximately 3.5 months. Both were direct grants with no S56 requests. One applicant (Mechanical Engineer, 100 points) had lodged a concurrent 186 Direct Entry visa but received the 190 grant first. The other applicant (Architectural Draftsperson, 80 points) received their grant in 3 months and 13 days.

WA 190 Processing: One WA 190 grant for a Civil Engineer (90 points total) took approximately 16 months from lodgement to grant, with an S56 issued 14 months after lodgement.

TAS 190 Processing: One TAS 190 grant for a Scientist, nec was processed in approximately 14.5 months as a direct grant.

Offshore Social Worker: An offshore Social Worker who studied in Australia received their grant after approximately 13.5 months, with remedicals requested shortly before grant.

⚠️ 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 is crowdsourced and represents only 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 14 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and related activity for 14 May 2026 based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests observed today include standard documentation requirements such as AFP checks, PCC, and employment verification documents. One case involved a Child Form 815 request for an offshore applicant who lodged their visa approximately one year ago. The WA ICT Security Specialist case received an S56 for PCC and Polio certificate, with grant issued just 2 days after responding to the request. The VIC Community Worker cases received S56s for AFP and employment-related documents, with grants following within 1-2 months of response submission.

Priority occupation applicants (Community Workers) continue to demonstrate faster processing times compared to non-priority occupations, with grants issued within 4-5 months of lodgement despite S56 requests. The 189 Biotechnologist case achieved a direct grant in approximately 5 months with no S56 requests.

🔵 Note: This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs has complete grant and processing data.

🔴 Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of community comments and may be refreshed as more information becomes available. Due to the crowdsourced and AI-generated nature of this content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. Please consume this information with appropriate 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 13 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for skilled migration visas (subclasses 189, 190, and 491) based on community-shared data for 13 May 2026.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests continue to focus on standard documentation verification. Common requests include:

Employment Evidence: Multiple cases required employment verification through contracts, references, and tax returns, particularly for Australian work experience claims (SA190 Software Engineer, NSW190 Developer Programmer).

Police Clearance Certificates: PCC requests remain frequent across all visa subclasses, with some applicants needing to renew expired certificates (VIC190, NSW190, NT491).

Medical Documentation: Remedicals and polio certificates were requested in several cases (NSW491, NT491, QLD190), with one case noting medicals were delayed due to peak season.

Forms 80 and 1221: These detailed personal history forms continue to be requested, particularly for offshore applicants (NSW190 Architectural Draftsperson, 491 Aerospace Engineer).

Priority Occupation Processing: The WA491 Retail Pharmacist (priority occupation) received a grant despite expired PCC and medicals, demonstrating expedited processing for health-related occupations under Ministerial Direction 105.

Processing Times by Category: - Priority Occupations (Health): WA491 Retail Pharmacist processed in approximately 13 months - Non-Priority Occupations: Processing times varied significantly from 1 month (QLD190 General Fitter) to 17 months (SA190 Software Engineer, VIC190 Information Professionals) - Subclass 189: Both grants showed processing times of 5-7 months

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

🔴 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.

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

Canberra Matrix Invitation Round: 6 May 2026

Matrix nominating Doctorate Streamlined Pathway 190 nominations: 22 invitations 491 nominations: 8 invitations

Canberra residents Matrix nominating Small Business Owners 190 nominations: 3 invitations 190 minimum matrix score: 105 491 nominations: 14 invitations 491 minimum matrix score: 100

Matrix nominating 457 / 482 visa holders 190 nominations: 1 invitation 491 nominations: 0 invitations

Matrix nominating Critical Skill Occupations 190 nominations: 130 invitations 491 nominations: 87 invitations

Overseas applicants Matrix nominating Critical Skill Occupations: 190 nominations: 38 invitations 491 nominations: 33 invitations

Application Count @ 7 May 2026 Total approvals: 1288 approvals 190 Nominations: 615 approvals 491 Nominations: 673 approvals

Total refusals: 195 applications 190 Nominations: 91 refusals (12.9%) 491 Nominations: 104 refusals (13.4%)

Approvals by residency status since the last invitation round ACT Resident: 1131 approvals (87.8%) Overseas Resident: 157 approvals (12.2%)

Remaining Allocation 2025-2026 Total allocation remaining: 312 nomination places 190 Nominations: 185 491 Nominations: 127

Full Round Data PDF available here

📙 Daily Activity Report: 12 May 2026

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

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

No invitation round data was reported for 12 May 2026.

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

Only one S56 request was reported today for a 491 NSW Pharmacy Technician applicant. The request was for additional medicals for a dependent child who turned 2 years old in January 2026. The medicals were completed and cleared within approximately 2 weeks of the S56 request. This highlights the importance of ensuring all family members, including young children, have up-to-date medical examinations.

The majority of grants reported today were direct grants with no S56 requests, particularly for subclass 189 and 190 visas. Priority occupation applicants (Registered Nurse and Pharmacy Technician) showed processing times ranging from 1 month (190 QLD) to 9.5 months (491 NSW), with the longer processing time involving an S56 for remedicals.

Non-priority occupations showed processing times between 3.5 to 5.5 months for subclass 189 and 190 visas, with most being direct grants.

News and Updates

The FY2026-27 Budget was released on 12 May 2026. Updates and analysis are available in the community.

Useful Resources

• FY2026-27 Budget Updates: https://smartvisaguide.com/posts/15526

⚠️ 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 is crowdsourced and represents only a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and individual states have access to complete 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

FY2026–27 Federal Budget Updates and Skilled Migration Points Test Changes

Budget is released on 12 May 2026 7:30pm AEST. You can download key budget documents here.

1. FY2026-27 Planning Level Announcement

The Government will set the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program planning level at 185,000 places (unchanged from last FY) and allocate 132,240 places (over 70 per cent) to the Skill stream.

Across both the Skill and Family streams of the permanent Migration Program, the Government will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migrants already living in Australia, with an additional 300 places allocated to Special Eligibility.

The remaining 55,110 offshore places will predominately be allocated to high‑skilled migrants that help address Australia’s long‑term skill needs. This measure will place downward pressure on net overseas migration. This is roughly 30% of the total planning level of 185000. This is not a dramatic change as offshore is usually between 30% and 40% of overall planning level

What does this planning level means? Planning level of 185000 (and 132K for Skilled visa) remains unchanged from last FY. This is good news as this refers to the total amount of visas that will be granted in the FY, and there are no cuts. Now we have to wait for Subclass planning levels as well as State nomination allocation quota to get an idea as to the impact on visa processing times, as well how many new invitations one can expect in FY2026-27.

The 30% limit for offshore is not too worrying as historically offshore grants account for roughly 30% to 40% of total planning level anyways.

Read more on Planning Level and State Allocation here 👉

2. New Points Test System

The Government will reform the permanent migration points test to better identify migrants who drive productivity and Australia’s long‑term prosperity. Almost two‑thirds of permanent skilled migrants are currently selected through points tested visas. The points test will be optimised to select better educated, higher‑skilled and younger migrants overall. No further detail has been released by the government.

3. Net overseas migration

Net overseas migration (NOM) has declined by around 45 per cent from its peak in 2022–23 and is forecast to continue declining through to 2027–28. NOM is forecast to be moderately higher than previously expected in 2025–26 and 2026–27, which reflects that migrants on temporary visas are departing Australia at lower rates than in the past. Arrivals of New Zealand citizens are also expected to remain strong, reflecting Australia’s relatively favourable labour market conditions. Migration policy changes in this Budget will place downward pressure on NOM.

Useful Resources

• FY2026-27 Budget Official Website
• ABC News on 11 May 2026
• Grattan Institute Points System Proposal (June 2024)
• Grattan Institute Points Calculator (June 2024)

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📙 Daily Activity Report: 11 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 11 May 2026, based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests observed today included medicals/remedicals, police clearance certificates (both primary and partner), Form 80, and debt clearance to the Australian Taxation Office. The most common S56 request was for medicals. Several grants were direct grants with no S56 requests reported. For priority occupations (Registered Nurse), visa processing time was approximately 7.5 months from lodgement to grant. For non-priority occupations, processing times varied significantly, ranging from approximately 2 months (QLD 491 Estimator) to 17 months (SA 190 Software Engineer). VIC 190 grants showed processing times between 3 to 15 months. Subclass 189 grants ranged from 5 to 7.5 months. Subclass 491 grants ranged from 2 to 15.5 months.

News and Updates

The FY2026-27 Budget will be released on 12 May 2026.

Useful Resources

• FY2026-27 Budget Updates: https://smartvisaguide.com/posts/15526

⚠️ 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 is crowdsourced and represents only a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and individual states possess complete data on visa grants and invitation rounds.

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

Feb 2026 FOI Data Available

Download here →

📙 Daily Activity Report: 08 May 2026

This report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for 08 May 2026, based on crowdsourced data from the community.

Visa Grants

S56 Trends

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests remain minimal in today's report. Only two cases reported S56 activity: one for a Polio certificate for a partner (NSW 491 Accountant) and another for NZ police clearance consent (NSW 190 Medical Diagnostic Radiographer). The majority of grants were direct grants with no S56 requests, suggesting streamlined processing for most applicants who submitted complete documentation upfront.

Priority occupations (Medical Diagnostic Radiographer, RN Medical, RN NEC, Secondary School Teacher) continue to demonstrate faster processing times compared to non-priority occupations. The Medical Diagnostic Radiographer received a grant in approximately 12 months, while the Secondary School Teacher and RN NEC received grants in approximately 6 months from lodgement. Non-priority occupations such as Chef (15 months), Accountant (16 months), and Engineering Technologist (15 months) experienced longer processing times.

South Australia's RN Medical grant was notably fast at approximately 1.5 months from lodgement, demonstrating expedited processing for priority health occupations. Victoria also showed efficient processing for Civil Engineer (5 months) and Engineering Technologist in Queensland (14 months).

🔵 This is crowdsourced data and represents a subset of total activity. Only DHA and individual states have complete data on all grants and invitations issued.

🔴 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.

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

TAS Processing Times and Invitations 07 May 2026

ROIs invited to apply for nomination on 07/05/2026: Subclass 190 - 31 ROIs invited Subclass 491 - 31 ROIs invited

The lowest scores invited: Subclass 190 - 330 (Green pass) Subclass 491 - 54 points (Orange-plus pass)

Number of ROIs on hand (ROIs with a status of Submitted after the invitation round has taken place): Subclass 190 - 497 ROIs Subclass 491 - 436 ROIs

Nomination places available: Subclass 190 - 181 places Subclass 491 - 268 places

Nomination applications lodged but not yet decided: Subclass 190 - 207 applications Subclass 491 - 191 applications

Invitations issued but application not yet lodged: Subclass 190 - 45 invitations Subclass 491 - 73 invitations

Oldest nomination application lodged and not yet allocated to a case officer - 20/02/2026

NSW skilled migration program update 07 May 2026

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

NSW has now invited sufficient Expressions of Interests (EOIs) to fill the nomination allocation for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) for the current program year.

As a result, no further invitations will be issued for this visa subclass until a new allocation is provided by the Australian Government at the start of the 2026-27 program year.

We wish to welcome and congratulate all applicants that have been invited by NSW for a subclass 190 visa.

Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) - Pathway 2

An invitation round for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) Pathway 2 was conducted last week. NSW will continue to invite EOIs for the subclass 491 visa until the nomination allocation is reached.

If you have any questions, please contact skilled.migration@investment.nsw.gov.au

📙 Daily Activity Report: 07 May 2026

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

Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

S56 requests continue to be a standard part of visa processing, with medical examinations being the most common requirement. The ACT 190 case shows medicals requested for both primary applicant and partner. The WA 491 case demonstrates a comprehensive S56 request including medicals, PCC, and employment evidence, particularly relevant given the addition of a newborn to the application. The NSW 491 case received a medical request approximately 3 months after lodgement. Medical requests appear to be issued at various stages of processing, ranging from 1 month to over 1 year after visa lodgement.

Visa processing times vary significantly. The ACT 190 grant was processed in approximately 15 months, while the NT 491 was processed in under 4 months. The WA 491 case, which included the addition of a newborn applicant, took approximately 12 months. Non-priority occupations (Civil Technician, Computer Network and Systems Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, CPM, Industrial Pharmacist) show processing times ranging from 4 to 15 months.

The VIC 190 invitation activity shows rapid processing from preinvite to full invite (6 days) for a Developer Programmer with 100 points, indicating strong demand for this occupation in Victoria.

🔴 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 is crowdsourced and represents only a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and individual states possess complete data on all grants and invitations issued.

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 May 2026

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

No new S56 requests were reported for 06 May 2026. All S56 data shown above relates to previously issued requests that led to visa grants today.

Invitation Activity

Trends and Patterns

Visa Processing Times: Priority occupations (Health and Teaching) continue to show varied processing times. Registered Nurses experienced processing times ranging from approximately 11 months (offshore NSW) to 12 months (offshore QLD 491). Hospital Pharmacist (VIC 491) processed in approximately 13 months, while Retail Pharmacist (WA 491) took approximately 12 months. Non-priority occupations showed longer processing times: Software Engineer (NSW 190) at approximately 12 months, Civil Engineer (NSW 190) at approximately 13 months, and Chef occupations ranging from 15-19 months across different states.

S56 Request Patterns: Common S56 requests included Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), remedicals, Form 80, and Polio certificates. Multiple applicants received requests for partner-related documents. Employment evidence requests included bank statements, provident fund statements, payslips, and tax returns. One Registered Nurse received three separate S56 requests during processing, including duplicate medical requests despite valid existing medicals.

State Activity: NSW, WA, and VIC were the most active states for grants today. ACT conducted an invitation round for 190 onshore applicants across Construction Project Manager, Primary School Teacher, and Secondary School Teacher occupations. VIC approved a 190 nomination for Geotechnical Engineer.

Family Composition: Grants included various family sizes, with Family of 3 and Family of 4 applications successfully processed across multiple states and occupations.

📊 This data represents a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs and individual states possess complete data. For invitation rounds, this summary reflects reported invitations only; complete round data is held by the respective states.

🔴 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. Please consume this information with appropriate 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

📙 Daily Activity Report: 05 May 2026

Today's report summarises visa grants, S56 requests, and invitation activity for Australian skilled migration pathways. This crowdsourced data provides insights into processing trends across subclasses 189, 190, and 491.

1. Visa Grants

2. S56 Trends

3. Invitation Activity

4. Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests

Priority Occupations (Health): The single 189 grant for a Registered Nurse (Perioperative) processed in approximately 5.5 months with no S56 requests, demonstrating expedited processing for priority health occupations under Ministerial Direction 105.

Non-Priority Occupations: Processing times for non-priority occupations varied significantly: - Offshore 190 applications: Ranged from 11.8 months (SA Civil Engineer) to 17.5 months (VIC Software Engineer) - Onshore 190 applications: Ranged from 2.8 months (ACT Economist via PhD stream) to 15.3 months (VIC ICT Security Specialist)

S56 Request Patterns: - Police Clearance Certificates (PCC): Most common S56 request, appearing in 4 cases. One applicant faced additional scrutiny regarding PCC terminology and translation requirements. - Remedicals: Requested in 3 cases, typically for applications lodged 12+ months prior - AFP Checks: One request for updated Australian Federal Police check to include all names - Form 80: One request for additional documentation

News and Updates

QLD Nomination Approval: One applicant reported QLD requesting additional documentation (March 2025 payslip and utility bill/statutory document) during the nomination stage before final approval. The nomination was approved within 5 days of providing the requested documents.

Useful Resources

• QLD Invitation Round Database: https://smartvisaguide.com/database
• S56 Request Details: https://smartvisaguide.com/billy

⚠️ 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 QLD invitation rounds, this summary reflects shared comments only—the complete round data is held by the state.

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 - May 2026

Skilled and Business Migration continues to invite clients across the four streams of the 2025-26 General Skilled Migration program. Below you will find the relevant data for the invitations issued in May 2026. Skilled and Business Migration will conduct an invitation round in mid to late May 2026.