EOI Points CalculatorEOI Points 8558 Stay Calculator8558 Days Portal

Congratulations to our NT 491 applicants — wishing you an early invitation 🙏

Key points

As at 24 November 2025, how are NT491 applications lodged before an occupation’s removal assessed?

NT applications lodged before an occupation was removed will still be assessed against the old list. Applicants whose occupations remain on the updated list can continue to lodge applications, and NT has not ruled out further changes to the occupation list.

Many applicants had been refreshing the NT system from midnight; applications finally opened at 11 am. Compared with last year, when the program took almost a week to close, this year it was open for less than three hours before the occupation list was updated.

Cover image

A large number of popular occupations were removed from the list (see image 2) — around 15 occupations were deleted. Popular occupations still on the list include:

Cafe or Restaurant Manager, Hotel or Motel Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Industrial Engineer, 263111, Chef and Cook, and others.

We have confirmed with NT that applications submitted before the list was updated will still be assessed against the old list (image 2). It truly is an age of racing the clock, and you can imagine how fierce the competition was.

NT occupation removals and confirmation of assessment against the old list

For applicants whose occupations are still on the list (see images 3 and 4 for the complete new list), please submit as soon as possible. Based on previous years, it is likely that the entire channel will close before long.

First part of NT’s complete updated occupation list
Image 3
Second part of NT’s complete updated occupation list
Image 4

Some applicants may not have successfully uploaded all of their documents. NT has also advised that if any additional documents are required, the state officer will contact the applicant and provide a link for the upload, after which the applicant can submit the additional documents. NT has also noted that applicants should not send supplementary documents on their own initiative (image 5).

NT correspondence on document uploads and further document requests
Image 5

NT has not ruled out further changes to the list, so applicants whose occupations are still on it should submit promptly. Congratulations to everyone who has successfully submitted — the next step is to wait patiently for NT’s assessment. We wish you all good news soon.

Related Articles

Questions About Your Visa Situation?

Get in touch for a free consultation — we'll help you analyse your situation from every angle.

Book Consultation