Key This Week
Australian Migration News
1. QLD lifts allocation + first invitation round, keyword: working in state
2. NT offshore 491 list released, race opens on the 24th
3. VIC issues another ROI invitation round, priority occupations only
5. 2025–26 state-nomination allocations finally revealed — VIC and SA also cut
4. Grants, invitations and skills-assessment success stories this week
1. QLD lifts allocation + first round issued, keyword: working in state
QLD’s allocation this year is1,850 Subclass 190 and 750 Subclass 491 places — an increase of 1,250 and 150 respectively,making it one of only two states to increase allocations this year. The other is the Northern Territory, which has added 50 Subclass 190 places — an increase neither the magnitude nor the scale of QLD can compare to,so QLD is the only real winner among state-nomination programs this year.Admittedly, QLD’s 600 + 600 places last year were also out of step with its status as the third-largest state;its current total of 2,600 places now ranks fourth across all states, behind WA.
Another advantage of QLD’s allocation this year is thatas at the end of October 2025 only 24 Subclass 491 places had been used, so you could say those 2,600 are virtually untouched,, whereas WA, NSW and VIC have already issued some nominations and pre-invitations.
QLD is using a ROI system similar to VIC’s this year: beyond the priority level of the occupation itself, it looks at whether the applicant has a current job, annual salary for onshore applicants, and then English and partner points, and so on.
On the evening the allocations were announced, QLD issued a small initial ROI round.Below is the data from our clients and what we have gathered — the number issued is not large, with construction and engineering the focus of this round,, and because no invitations have been issued for a long time, it is reasonable to first pull up the small top-salary group of applicants.
With 2,600 places in hand, we hope QLD will issue invitations more steadily over the next six months. We expect invitation thresholds to come down gradually and more occupations outside construction to be invited.
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2. NT offshore 491 list released, race opens on the 24th
The NT offshore 491 pathway was last year’s biggest surprise, possibly the single biggest.It gave applicants with lower scores, or in humanities and business occupations, a genuine chance of invitation — of the dozens of clients we lodged late last year, all ultimately received their 491 grants.With migration in Australia heavily clustered around priority occupations and popular occupations needing sky-high point scores, the NT pathway is a rare opportunity for many offshore applicants.
This year’s lodgement requirements remain very basic:
– IELTS 6 across all four bands
– A skills assessment
– At least 2 years of relevant experience in the past 5 years (first four digits of the ANZSCO code must match)）
– Reach at least 50 points on your own
Our MARA-registered migration team had everything prepared over the weekend for signed-on clients, ready to lodge the moment applications open on the 24th — we look forward to the good news rolling in from early 2026.
The NT has once again removed popular occupations such as FIA, 261313 and vocational teacher. These occupations are also unlikely to receive low-score invitations in other states,so a small group of clients who hesitated and missed last year’s lodgement, or who came to us this year after a DIY refusal, will now have to wait another year,。again proving the value of preparing your skills assessment early and being cautious with DIY.
3. VIC issues another ROI invitation round, priority occupations only
On the 18th, VIC issued another ROI invitation round — not a large number,still predominantly onshore priority occupations
This VIC round most favoured teaching and health-care occupations: early childhood teachers, secondary teachers, nurses and broader health occupations likely accounted for well over half,followed by engineering and construction occupations. In VIC, holding a job in your occupation is standard — salaries were not particularly high.This round saw construction project managers invited at scores as low as 65, a profession that has also been seeing 70 + 5 scores in NSW and QLD.As long as you have 1 year of work experience and can complete your skills assessment, and stay employed, this occupation currently has clear invitation prospects across all parts of Australia.
VIC’s Subclass 190 allocation hasn’t been cut by much this year, but with 491 sharply reduced, 190 competition is bound to become fiercer. Those onshore still need to work hard to find a job in their profession — occupations outside the priority areas should lower their expectations this year.
5. 2025–26 state-nomination allocations finally revealed, SA and VIC also cut
After long anticipation, total state-nomination allocations this year come to just 20,350 — consistent with the earliest reporting — made up of 12,850 Subclass 190 and 7,500 Subclass 491 places. That is 3,650 fewer 190s and 2,260 fewer 491s than the previous financial year.
TAS, NSW and the ACT were the first to have their allocations confirmed as cut. The NT then confirmed an increase of 50 Subclass 190 places, leaving VIC, SA, WA and QLD.
WA and VICeach had an overall cut of 32%, bringing the totals to 3,400 each — 200 below NSW in first place. The difference: WA cut more 190s, while VIC’s cut fell mostly on 491, down 1,300 places.SAsaw a cut of nearly 41%, the largest proportional cut of any state, mainly with 1,650 fewer 190 places.
State-by-state summary:
NSW: 190 has had two rounds issued; 491 is not yet open for applications and no invitations have been issued
VIC: 190 and 491 have each had two rounds issued;this week is the second round
ACT: 190 and 491 have each had one round issued, after which the occupation list was substantially adjusted
SA: policy has not yet been announced and ROI lodgement is not yet open
TAS: 190 and 491 have both entered the stable phase of weekly invitations and rolling formal-nomination processing(also issued invitations this Thursday, andSubclass 190 scores continue to drop, with ROI at 40 points being invited
QLD: the ROI pathway has long been open for applications,with the first round issued on the 18th
WA: 190 and 491 had their first round issued, focused on construction trades. The official website says another round will follow in November — earlier advice was that formal nomination processing would only start once the final allocation was received
This week’s grants, invitations and skills assessments
statenomination
TAS
53points2025year11month20 received pre-invitation — TAS graduate onshore pathway
Visa grant
Subclass 189 Skilled Independent
2024year12month24 lodged;2025year11month15 granted
Subclass 190 State Nominated
2024year12month24 lodged;2025year11month15 granted
Subclass 491 Regional State Nominated
None this week
Subclass 191 / 887 Regional Permanent Residence
None this week
Employer Sponsored
None this week
Investor / GTI visa
None this week
Partner migration
2024year10month9 lodged;2025year11month20 granted (Subclass 100)
Child visa
2024year6month11 lodged;2025year11month18 granted
Parent visas
2018year6month18 lodged;2025year10month20 request for further information;2025year11month13 secondinvoice，2025year11month17 granted (Subclass 143)
2018year6month21 lodged;2025year10month23 request for further information;2025year11month14 secondinvoice，2025year11month17 granted (Subclass 143)
2018year6month29 lodged;2025year10month29 request for further information;2025year11month7 secondinvoice，2025year11month17 granted (Subclass 143)
2018year5month25 lodged;2025year9month23 request for further information;2025year11month14 secondinvoice，2025year11month18 granted (Subclass 143)
Subclass 155 Resident Return Visa
2025year10month23 lodged;2025year11month19 granted- Residence not met2year
2025year10month24 lodged;2025year11month19 granted- Residence not met2year
Subclass 500 Student visa
Lodged 4 November 2025; granted 20 November 2025
2025year6month30 lodged;2025year11month18 granted- onshore
Subclass 600 Visitor visa
2025year11month3 lodged;2025year11month17 granted;offshoreApplicant:PRParents
2025year11month11 lodged;2025year11month17 granted;offshoreApplicant:PRParents
2025year11month13 lodged;2025year11month19 granted;offshoreApplicant:PRParents
2025year11month7 lodged;2025year11month20 granted;offshoreApplicant:PRParents
Skills assessment
AIQSSkills assessment application (Quantity Surveying）
2025year9month24 lodged;2025year11month12 assessment issued
ACS
Lodged 31 October 2025; ACS skills assessment approved on 17 November 2025
CA
Lodged 14 November 2025; CA skills assessment approved on 17 November 2025 — External Audit
NewStars Group introduction video
(filmed in 2021)
QLD allocation more than doubles to 2,600 places! VIC issues invitations — non-trade construction roles as low as 65 points
Offshore visa refused + PIC 4020, no review rights! Four rounds of review/appeal — we won the visa back
Australian migration: NT MINT program — direct Subclass 190 PR from as low as 65 points! Now open for this financial year
Migration news community
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No.: 01- Australia’s most popular skilled migration programs — 189, 190, 491
No.: 02- Work-plus-migration in one go: employer-sponsored 482, 186, 494
No.:03- Study first, then migrate — course and program recommendations
No.:04- High school / Gaokao / undergraduate study pathways
No.:05- A must for student migration: Subclass 485 post-study work visa
No.:06- Arrange immediately after PR: parent migration and visas
No.:07- Master of Marriage: partner migration
No.:08- Switching focus to Hong Kong, China — Top Talent and Professional schemes
No.:09- Essential for parents / relatives / friends visiting: Subclass 600 visa
No.:10- Weekly updates on grants / invitations / skills assessments — success stories
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