NSW no longer issuing Subclass 190 visa invitations for 2025-26 but continuing with Subclass 491 visa invitation rounds
The New South Wales (NSW) Government has now reached its nomination allocation for Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa nominations in its 2025-26 NSW Skilled Migration Program, which means that no further Subclass 190 visa invitations will be issued until the 2026-27 program year.
NSW will continue to issue invitations for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) visa under Pathway 2 until the nomination allocation for the Subclass 491 visa is reached.
What are the requirements under Pathway 2?
To apply for nomination under Pathway 2, you must be invited to apply for Subclass 491 nomination by Investment NSW, and:
Be skilled in an occupation that is:
within an ANZSCO unit group identified on the NSW Regional Skills List; and
is eligible for this visa.
Residency - You must meet one of following criteria:
Working in NSW in your nominated occupation; or
Residing in NSW and have continuously resided in NSW for a minimum period of three months; or
Residing offshore and have continuously resided offshore for a minimum period of three months.
The most recent invitation round for the Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa Pathway 2 was conducted last week.
When will NSW start Subclass 190 visa invitation rounds for the 2026–27 NSW Skilled Migration Program?
The reopening of NSW’s Skilled Migration Program will happen sometime in the new financial year, although it is unlikely to occur immediately on 1 July 2026.
There is usually a sequence of steps that occurs at the beginning of each new financial year, prior to the reopening of each state and territory’s skilled nomination program:
Firstly, the Federal Government will determine the nomination allocations for each state and territory for both the Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) visa.
Secondly, once allocations are announced, each state and territory, including Victoria, will:
review their allocation numbers;
finalise nomination criteria, occupation priorities and program settings for the new financial year; and
formally reopen their programs for new EOIs/ROIs with the relevant nomination criteria.
This means that there is often a waiting period between the end of one program year and the reopening of the next, which can be longer in certain years.
For instance, since the NSW Government only received full allocation of nomination places for the 2025-26 program in late November 2025, small invitation rounds were issued between October 2025 and December 2025 based on interim allocations, before recommencing and really kicking off on a monthly basis in January 2026 in accordance with the full allocations. In contrast, NSW had previously opened its skilled visa nomination program for the 2024-25 program year in October 2024, and began issuing invitations shortly thereafter.
Need help with working out your immigration options in Australia?
Our immigration lawyers at Inclusive Migration have extensive experience in advising prospective migrants to Australia about their employer-sponsored, skilled migration and family migration options in Australia.
Should you wish to discuss your eligibility for a Skilled Visa in Australia, please do not hesitate to email info@inclusivemigration.com.au, submit an enquiry using the contact form on our website or send us a message on WhatsApp.
