Insights
Western Australia issued 2,200 invitations in its March round. Trades mainly received invitations at 65–70 points, with overseas or interstate applicants invited in the vast majority of occupations. When planning visas after a Subclass 485, consider the separate Subclass 407 stages and the Subclass 485 rules for combining courses.
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For standard first Subclass 485 applications lodged from 1 March 2026, the primary applicant fee is AUD 4,600. NSW foreshadowed Subclass 190 invitations in the first week of March 2026, with no exact date confirmed; skills assessments, points claims and EOIs must be valid.
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In the first half of 2025–26, parent and partner migration faced backlogs, while child visa waits lengthened. At the end of January 2026, 65% of Subclass 190 places and nearly 70% of Subclass 491 places remained, leaving substantial capacity for state nomination applicants.
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Waiting for parent migration or state nomination invitations? Contributory parent visa backlogs total nearly 100,000, implying an estimated 15-year wait at 6,800 places annually. By the end of January 2026, 65% of Subclass 190 places and nearly 70% of Subclass 491 places remained available.
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Skilled migration points-test reform submissions address age, partner, English, qualifications and work experience points. They propose tiered Regional points and a carefully managed transition period. The government may not adopt these proposals, or may adopt them with changes, so the final direction remains undecided.
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For skilled migration or a student visa appeal, watch the February 2026 backlogs and reforms: early childhood EOIs at 85 points or more exceed 1,000, ART legislation dispensing with hearings has passed, and Canberra Small Business Subclass 491 invitations fell to 95 points.
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Parent migration queue time runs from lodgement, not the Queue Letter date. Including the letter with a parent visitor visa application may generally secure up to five years’ validity with one-year stays. To transition from a visitor visa to Subclass 870, lodge at least six months ahead as recommended.
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NSW Subclass 491 Pathways 1 and 3 opened on 19 January 2026 and filled that day. Northern Territory processing varies by stream; the Offshore Priority Occupation stream has not started, with commencement expected in early 2026. Applicants with relevant local work receive priority.
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At the end of 2025, 77% of Subclass 190 and nearly 80% of Subclass 491 state nomination places were unused. WA’s first 2026 round included offshore and interstate construction tradespeople, while Victoria invited several non-priority occupations on 15 January 2026.
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Track state nomination opportunities and migration trends: in January 2026, South Australia issued 344 pre-invitations, while Tasmania’s minimum invitation scores were 71 for Subclass 190 and 42 for Subclass 491. The 2025 population report forecast net overseas migration of 260,000 in 2026.
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