1. NSW issues first 190 invitation round for FY 25-26, many construction/engineering occupations invited

NSW has so far only confirmed 200+180 interim places. On Tuesday this week NSW issued the first 190 pre-invitation round — the volume was very small, and the vast majority went to construction/engineering and blue-collar trade occupations. Construction/engineering pointscores were very high, and blue-collar trade scores were comparatively lower, with most invitations going to in-state applicants. Our collected invitation data is below:

NSW has prioritised construction occupations in recent years, but to secure an NSW invitation you still need to push hard — even the priority stream demands genuine strength.

2. WA updates policy — minimum three months of in-state residence required

On 23 October WA updated its FY 2025-26 state nomination policy on the official website. The core requirements and occupation list are unchanged, but there are two notable detail adjustments

Main changes:

– The FAQ section has been materially updated on evidence of in-state residence — for in-state invitees, applicants must now prove they have been continuously resident in WA for at least three months before the invitation

Previously applicants still had to submit residency evidence after invitation, but there was no enforced three-month minimum. As a result quite a few clients had moved across from overseas or interstate, landed just as a new round was issued, got picked up, and could lodge straight away.

–Graduate stream can only select Higher Education OR VET — based on the highest qualification

Previously, if an applicant had two WA qualifications — for example a Higher Education Masters and a VET Advanced Diploma — they could apply under both VET and Higher Education streams. The state government has now clarified that only the highest-level qualification claimed on the EOI counts: a Masters plus an AD means only the Masters is counted, and the applicant goes through the Higher Education stream

–Reinstatement of the A$200 lodgement fee, payable after the pre-invitation is received

– Within the priority industries, construction blue-collar trades are now listed separately — construction occupations are now split into blue-collar trades and other occupations

What stays the same:

– Construction-industry occupations applying for 190 are exempt from the job offer requirement — whether the applicant is a local graduate or lodging from interstate or offshore via the WA general stream, no job offer is required

– Occupation list and core application requirements are unchanged

–The other priority industries remain health / social work / tourism services / education

– Applicants settled interstate or offshore can, in principle, still lodge

Occupations classified under building and construction that can go via the general sch2 stream include:

WA has not yet announced when invitations will be issued, nor how many interim places it has received. Applicants should get their skills assessment and English results ready in advance — if you need a consultation on assessment or on this year’s WA state nomination, please contact us

3. JSA recently updated 2025 national and state-by-state occupation shortage data

Compared with 2024, the usual suspects on the shortage/no-shortage lists have shifted:

– Taxation Accountant: in shortage across every Australian state

– Civil and construction-related engineers: in shortage nationwide. Other engineering categories are not necessarily short

– In 2024 Australia was broadly short on architects; in 2025 nowhere in the country reports a shortage

– Registered Nurses with no specified specialisation (RN nec) are only in shortage in the NT; other RN specialisations remain in shortage nationwide

– Social workers are no longer in national shortage. By 2025, only regional VIC + NT + SA report shortages

–Aged Care Workers are in shortage nationwide

–Solicitors are in shortage nationwide

– SA and WA are short on Contract Administrators

For more occupations and the new JSA data analysis:2025: most states no longer short on social work or nursing? Architects sn\ubbed too? Secondary/early-childhood teaching and civil/construction engineering still rock solid