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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.

More updates here

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