Australia Announces 20,350 Skilled Migration Visa Places for 2025–26 Across Subclass 190 and 491 Pathways

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has announced the final nomination allocations for the 2025–26 skilled migration program, confirming a total of 20,350 visa places across two primary pathways: the Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491).

The Subclass 190 visa provides permanent residency for skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian state or territory, allowing holders to live and work anywhere in Australia. Eligibility requires having an occupation listed on the skilled occupation list, a positive skills assessment, meeting the points requirement, and securing a state or territory nomination.

The Subclass 491 visa is a temporary regional visa valid for up to five years and can lead to permanent residency. Applicants must hold a skilled occupation, meet points eligibility, and obtain nomination from a regional state, territory, or an eligible family member residing in a designated regional area.

For the 2025–26 program year, the government has allocated 12,850 places to Subclass 190 and 7,500 to Subclass 491. The distribution across states and territories is as follows: New South Wales: 3,000 (190) and 1,000 (491); Victoria: 2,700 and 700; Queensland: 1,850 and 750; Western Australia: 2,000 and 1,400; South Australia: 1,350 and 900; Tasmania: 1,200 and 650; Northern Territory: 850 and 800; and ACT: 900 and 300.

These allocations are crucial for skilled migrants because they determine how many applicants each state or territory can nominate. With the overall numbers slightly reduced, competition for Subclass 190 nominations is expected to increase, making it essential for prospective migrants to carefully monitor changes to occupation lists, state nomination requirements, and eligibility criteria. Understanding these updates will help applicants plan effectively and improve their chances of securing a nomination in the 2025–26 program year.