March Visa & State-Nomination Processing Round-Up | Skilled Categories Accelerate Across the Board, Multiple States Ramp Up Formal Nominations! NSW 491, Canberra, WA and More Still Have Plenty of Places!
With Easter behind us, the final quarter of the 2022–23 financial year is officially underway. In previous years, over the final three months state-nomination programmes would usually wind down, as most quotas had already been used up. This financial year is different, however: with the generous Subclass 189 rounds in the first half of the year and an unprecedented number of places across the states, many state-nomination pathways are still busy even in these final three monthsmany state-nomination pathways are still busy!
Department case officers were anything but idle in March either — grant speeds kept picking up, especially for several of the popular skilled-migration categories.
So today we bring you a full round-up.
1. March visa-processing progress
2. Quota usage by state
3. State-nomination formal nomination approvals
March visa processing
progress speed
Processing in March was a little faster than February, with the main progress in Subclass 189, 190, 491 and employer-sponsored visas, while the other categories saw no major change.
Skilled migration:
189: The bulk of grants are still going to applications lodged in October and December 2022. The good news is that, alongside the ongoing priority occupations, some grants are also coming through for other fields such as accounting, engineering and IT.
190: The main batch has reached October 2022.491: Most applications have basically reached June and July 2022.These three most popular visas are now processing at broadly similar speeds — the only real difference is a few months either way, and on the odd day they will also go back to clear older 2021 applications still awaiting a grant 887: Clearance slowed somewhat heading into March, but the vast majority of applications lodged in 2021, 2022 and early 2022 have now been granted. Most of the backlog has been cleared, and processing has now reached the second half of 2022.191: Still no news of any grants — unfortunately.Employer-sponsored:482All occupations are moving fairly quickly; applications lodged in early 2023 are being approved, with sponsorship plus nomination taking around three months.186Relatively slower, but still at an acceptable pace. TRT is hovering around the middle of last year; DE has reached late last year, with accounting slower and IT faster. GTI: The wait for an invitation is at least a year or more, and visa processing has also become very slow — it is quite normal to hear nothing for the past three months or more.188 and 888: still slow. There is no news on Subclass 888 applications lodged in early 2021, and little progress overall. Family visasParent migration: 143/864 has reached applications lodged around 8 May 2017; 103/804 grants have reached a queue date (QD) of late February 2011, with QD 11 October 2011 receiving a request for further information. Fewer requests for further information have gone out for 143 recently, and many applicants who completed their documents between January and March are still awaiting the second instalment of the contribution fee and the grant.870: Sponsorship takes one to two months and the visa itself two to three months each; remember that onshore lodgements must first apply for sponsorship Permission.Partner visas: Subclass 820 and 309 remain relatively fast, with a six- to nine-month turnaround; 100 and 801 are slower, with many waits of a year or more.
Temporary visasVisitor visa: mainly offshore, with an outcome within a month.485 and 500: both around two to three weeks.408: granted almost instantly.
State-nomination quotas
usage as at the end of March
The Department’s website has published the quota-usage rates for each state-nomination programme as at the end of March.With three months to go, it is now clearer which state-nomination programmes still offer opportunities and which are entering their closing stage.With nine months of the financial year gone, we will use 75% (9/12) as our benchmark to look at each state.
New South Wales — the clear opportunity is in 491:190 is already 88.65% used, and that is without the round on 5 April having been released, so hopefully there will be another round in May.491 is 33.3% used.Unlike Victoria, NSW has not asked for 491 places to be converted into 190, which means NSW intends to open up 491 generously in the final quarter.There were two waves of invitations on the 29th and on 12 April, with popular occupations such as IT and engineering able to be invited on as little as 50–65 points before any state bonus — very low — and invitations also issued for fields such as marketing and finance, again at very low scores. For details, see:State nomination opens up for IT occupations! Multiple invitations on 55–65 raw points, both onshore and offshore — plus very low scores for marketing, organisation, finance and more!You are welcome to have us assess your NSW 491 eligibility — at the very least it is a safety net! Victoria — 190 is just enough; hopefully other occupations still get a look-in: After converting 491 places into 190, Victoria’s total quota reached 12,900, but with usage also at 75% it is only just enough. Victoria has been heavily favouring Fast track occupations lately. New ROIs close on 5 May, and May should be the final round — hopefully other occupations get some opportunities before then.491 has lowered its requirements but also moved places away — the attitude seems to be take it if it comes. Western Australia — both 190 and 491 are at least sufficient:WA’s monthly invitation round is steady, with the latest round focused on 491 invitations. For details, see:WA keeps inviting accounting/IT/engineering and common occupations at very low scores! Just 70 raw points — and this time no job offer required!But because nomination processing is still too slow, the actual number of places that can be issued may differ considerably from the published figures. That said, both 491 and 190 are around 50% used, so there should be enough to last through to the end of the financial year. Canberra — ample quota, awaiting reform:Both 190 and 491 places remain plentiful. To use up the quota, the territory government is about to lower the upfront eligibility requirements — something we are eagerly awaiting. Northern Territory — 491 requirements already lowered:190 is also 83% used.491 is only around 41% used. The NT has lowered the requirements for offshore 491 applications and broadened the occupation list, and is waiting for applicants to apply..Queensland has used 50% of its quota,and as the third-largest state its requirements are among the strictest — unless it makes a bold move to lower the thresholds, it may genuinely end up wasting places.Tasmania has used both 190 and 491 just about right,a model of steady progress with a little surplus to spare.South Australia has topped up its quota by 800 places,so it can at least keep running for the remaining three months.
State-nomination formal nomination
how far have approvals reached?
NSW 190 and 491 formal nomination processing is very fast.Victoria has been dominated by fast track occupations lately, with other occupations rarely getting a look-in.Canberra, WA, Queensland and Tasmania have all sped up.
Quota remains,processing continues
the opportunity is still there —get in touch for an assessment
Catch up on past articles
When does a bridging visa cease? A quick look at bridging-visa validity
NSW 190 latest round: invitations from as low as 65 points! These occupations are so easy to be invited
Victoria adds another 1,400 190 state-nomination places! ICT invited at 65–80 points in NSW!
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