Today we are updating the visa-grant and backlog data to the end of May for the three main skilled migration categories—Subclass 189, 190 and 491—as well as Subclass 191 (hero image).
Australian Subclass 189 backlog and grant data | Why grants paused in June after the allocation was exhausted
By the end of May, cumulative Subclass 189 grants had exceeded the financial-year allocation, reaching 16,999. This is also why almost no Subclass 189 grants were seen in June. No further Subclass 189 invitations were issued between last November’s invitation round and the end of May, causing the backlog to fall sharply to 4,500. The backlog is healthy. Historical data shows that the Subclass 189 invitation acceptance rate is between 55% and 60%, so after the June round the backlog is expected to be around 10,000 at the end of the financial year.
May processing focused on applications lodged in November 2025. Most of the backlog from the end of 2025 has been cleared, with the main remainder being more than 1,000 applications from December (Image 2).
With the new financial year and a refreshed allocation, processing has continued for the backlog from the end of last year, while many applicants newly invited in June have also received grants.
Australian Subclass 190 backlog and grant data | Allocation nearly exhausted as backlog rises slightly
By the end of May, only 369 Subclass 190 places remained. Although monthly grants stayed above 3,000 in May, the overall allocation was almost exhausted.
A large wave of Subclass 190 applications was lodged in May, with 3,470 primary and secondary applicants. This caused the backlog to rise again after consecutive declines, leaving it at approximately 22,000 overall. This year’s allocation was 35,550. With few places remaining in June, most of the backlog carried into the new financial year. The overall position is healthier than in the past, and applications in the pool are highly likely to receive grants this financial year.
Subclass 190 processing again covered multiple lodgement periods in May, focusing on January–March 2025, with substantial progress also made on March 2026 applications (Image 2).
Australian Subclass 491 backlog and grant data | The only skilled visa with a large allocation remaining
Subclass 491 grants remained high in May at nearly 3,000. By the end of May, 22,771 Subclass 491 visas had been granted, leaving more than 5,000 places. With the Subclass 189 and 190 allocations exhausted or exceeded, Subclass 491 was the only category with a large allocation remaining.
There were 1,753 new Subclass 491 applications in May, and the backlog fell by nearly another 1,000 to 16,847 overall. There will not be many new applications in June, and if the Department uses the full allocation, the backlog should be above 10,000 at the end of the financial year.
The new financial-year allocation has been cut to 9,110. Most applications currently waiting can be cleared this financial year, so perhaps the situation is not as bad as it appears?
May likewise saw processing across multiple lodgement periods, mainly progressing applications from January–April 2025 and early 2026 (Image 3).
The new financial year’s onshore priority is very clear. Onshore Subclass 190 grants have accelerated, with several applications lodged in early 2026 receiving grants in succession, including construction and broad healthcare occupations. Onshore Subclass 491 processing has accelerated at the same time, with recent grants for NSW Subclass 491 applications lodged in March.
Offshore processing will certainly take longer this year, but it will not stop completely. Given that offshore applications make up a relatively small proportion of the current backlog pool, processing can also move quickly once it begins.
Australian Subclass 191 backlog and grant data | A long-awaited surge in May grants
Subclass 191 saw a long-awaited surge in grants in May, with more than 1,500 visas granted in the month (Image 4).
By the end of May, the Subclass 191 backlog was close to 25,000 (Image 3).
The Department began updating the pace of Subclass 191 processing frequently in May. At the time, I said that hardly any grants were visible, but it seems I had misunderstood the Department. It follows that the June data should not be poor either. Processing continued into July. There was a brief pause at the start of the financial year, but grants have continued over recent weeks, mostly for applications from the end of last year, with a small number from January and February also being finalised.
