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Sunil Choudhary, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418425), advises skilled migrants on state nomination at A2MS in Adelaide.
Official information checked:
If you already have an expression of interest in SkillSelect, should you submit another form or wait for a state to contact you? That depends on where you live and which visa you want. For an eligible applicant overseas, South Australia can issue an invitation from SkillSelect. Queensland asks that applicant to take a second step and register with the state.
The subclass 190 offers permanent residence. The subclass 491 is a five-year provisional visa for designated regional areas, with a pathway to permanent residence for people who meet the later requirements. Use the comparison below to find the route that fits where you can live and work.
Which states are accepting interest now?
| State or territory | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 | Your next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | Subclass 190Limited onshore intake. Offshore candidates can be selected through SkillSelect. | Subclass 491Limited onshore intake. Check that your occupation and stream allow the 491. | Your next stepIf you live and work in SA, check whether your visa expires by 31 January 2027 before registering. Offshore applicants should keep their SkillSelect EOI current. |
| Victoria | Subclass 190Open for registrations. Submit a fresh Victorian ROI. | Subclass 491Registrations closed. Victoria is awaiting its 491 allocation. | Your next stepFor the 190, update your EOI and submit a fresh Victorian ROI. For the 491, watch for an opening announcement. |
| Queensland | Subclass 190Open for registrations. Choose an eligible 190 pathway. | Subclass 491Open for registrations. Choose an eligible regional pathway. | Your next stepChoose one subclass and check the matching occupation list. Onshore applicants need their 2025–26 ATO Notice of Assessment before registering. |
| New South Wales | Subclass 190Invitation only. NSW selects candidates through SkillSelect. | Subclass 491Applications closed. NSW has not announced a reopening date. | Your next stepFor the 190, check the NSW Skills List and prepare evidence for the 14-day invitation window. For the 491, check the closure notice before applying. |
| Western Australia | Subclass 190Awaiting confirmation. WA’s linked criteria still refer to 2025–26. | Subclass 491Awaiting confirmation. New 491 intake terms are unconfirmed. | Your next stepCheck your occupation and stream on Migration WA and look for dated 2026–27 criteria or an invitation notice before relying on last year’s rules. |
| Tasmania | Subclass 190Open for registrations. Invitations issued on 5 November. | Subclass 491Open for eligible pathways. No invitations planned under the Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles pathway. | Your next stepCheck the pathway for your circumstances and gather evidence for every priority attribute you claim in your ROI. |
| Australian Capital Territory | Subclass 190Matrix selection. A 190 round took place on 12 October. | Subclass 491Matrix pathway. The October round covered the 190 only. | Your next stepCheck the Matrix guidelines for Canberra residents or overseas applicants. The next round is tentatively scheduled for the week of 25 January 2027. |
| Northern Territory | Subclass 190Closed to new applications. | Subclass 491Onshore exceptions only. Offshore applications are closed. | Your next stepCheck the three visa-expiry or age exceptions below and whether the relevant event falls on or before 30 September 2027. |
Which state nomination pathway fits your circumstances?
If you’re weighing a 190 against a 491, bring your occupation, work history, current location and visa expiry date to a consultation with Sunil. Together you can identify the pathways worth pursuing and the evidence you’ll need next.
Personal migration advice · 45 minutes · $250 · online or in person
South Australia: Check your visa expiry first
If you live and work in South Australia, the October intake is for eligible people whose current visa expires on or before 31 January 2027. That date refers to your visa expiry. Someone working in Adelaide whose visa expires in February falls outside this particular intake, even if their occupation is listed.
Your next step. Check your occupation and stream, then your visa expiry before lodging a state registration of interest (ROI). If you live overseas, maintain your SkillSelect expression of interest (EOI). South Australia can invite you directly from it.
SA intake notice · Detailed SA guide
Victoria: 190 registrations are open
Victoria has announced 900 subclass 190 places. Its 491 allocation is still to be finalised, and the state is not accepting 491 registrations. A registration from an earlier program year does not carry over.
Your next step. For the 190, update your SkillSelect EOI and submit a fresh ROI through Live in Melbourne. Budget for the two stages. The ROI costs $60 before GST ($66 including GST). If invited, submitting a nomination application costs $180 before GST ($198 including GST). Victoria ranks candidates using its own selection criteria. If you are pursuing the 491, watch the program page for an opening.
Victorian program status · Fees and ranking changes · Detailed Victoria guide · Victorian points calculator
Queensland: Choose one subclass before you register
Queensland announced a 6 November opening and now directs applicants to pathway-specific ROI forms. Submit a new ROI even if you registered last year. You can hold one valid ROI for one subclass. If you need to correct it, submit a replacement. Queensland considers the most recent one.
Your next step. Choose the pathway matching your circumstances, check its occupation list and make sure your EOI and evidence agree. Onshore applicants must have lodged their 2025–26 tax return and received their ATO Notice of Assessment before submitting.
Queensland ROI forms · Program announcement · Detailed Queensland guide
New South Wales: Prepare for an invitation
For the 190, NSW selects eligible EOIs from SkillSelect. You cannot lodge a direct nomination application. The 491 page says available places have been allocated and identifies the direct application pathways as closed. It gives no reopening date in that notice.
Your next step. For the 190, check the NSW Skills List and residence requirements, then gather evidence for each EOI claim. An invitation gives you 14 days to apply. For the 491, check the closure notice before making plans around a direct application.
NSW 190 selection · NSW 491 status
Western Australia: Check the year on the criteria
Home Affairs recorded 17 WA subclass 190 nominations and 120 subclass 491 nominations between July and September 2026. That tells us applicants were nominated. It does not establish when WA will invite new candidates. The criteria PDF linked on WA’s program page still carries the 2025–26 label.
Your next step. Use the WA program page to identify your occupation list and General or Graduate stream. Keep your EOI current and check the invitation-round section and the year on the criteria before relying on a work or study requirement.
WA program and invitation rounds · Home Affairs nomination figures
Tasmania: Both subclasses are issuing invitations
Tasmania opened registrations on 17 August with annual allocations of 1,250 places for the 190 and 800 for the 491. On 5 November it invited 68 candidates for the 190 and 28 for the 491. These are invitations to apply for nomination in one round.
Your next step. Identify your pathway and collect proof for every priority attribute before registering. If you live overseas, check the specific route: Tasmania says it plans no invitations this year under the 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles invitation-only pathway.
Tasmanian program and pathway changes · Weekly invitation results
Australian Capital Territory: Use the Canberra Matrix
The ACT held a subclass 190 round on 12 October. Its published schedule lists the week starting 25 January 2027 for the next round, subject to change. The ACT says its annual allocation is still awaiting confirmation.
Your next step. Read the guidelines for Canberra residents or overseas applicants, check your occupation and calculate only the Matrix points you can document. Use recent rankings to understand competition in your occupation. A past score does not guarantee an invitation.
ACT guidelines and rankings · Invitation results and schedule · Allocation status
Northern Territory: Check the narrow onshore exception
The NT says it has received enough applications for 2026–27. To seek an exception, you must meet the onshore NT Graduate or NT Resident criteria for the 491 and have a qualifying deadline on or before 30 September 2027.
Your next step. Identify which of these circumstances applies and document the date.
- Your substantive visa expires and you are ineligible for the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa.
- You turn 45 and lose skilled migration eligibility.
- A birthday reduces your subclass 491 points below 65.
If your visa is about to expire, seek advice about staying lawfully in Australia while you wait. MigrationNT says it cannot guarantee nomination before your deadline.
NT exceptions and application instructions
What should you do with your shortlist?
If you live overseas, start with the offshore instructions for your occupation. South Australia may select you directly from SkillSelect. Queensland has a separate offshore ROI. Tasmania’s offshore restriction applies to a specifically named 491 pathway, and the NT has closed all new offshore streams.
If you already live and work in Australia, write down three dates before you register: when you moved to the state, when your qualifying employment began and when your visa expires. Have the evidence beside you as you complete the form. A lease, an employment reference and a visa grant notice each establish a different part of your history.
If you are waiting for an invitation, check when your English results, skills assessment and EOI expire. Have your employment evidence ready. In NSW, for example, the 14-day window starts when the state invites you. Review your points claims against the documents you would submit today.
How to read the numbers: an annual allocation is the number of people a jurisdiction can nominate during the program year. A weekly invitation count measures an earlier step. Home Affairs’ national table still displays 2025–26 figures as at this review. Home Affairs allocation figures.
How A2MS can help
A2MS can assess your occupation, evidence, location and visa history against potentially relevant state pathways, explain gaps and help plan the next steps.
Migration advice is provided by Sunil Choudhary, Founder & Director and Principal Registered Migration Consultant | MARN 2418425.
General information only. Program access, occupations, allocations and selection criteria can change. State nomination and visa approval are not guaranteed.
