We wrapped up the MIA–NSW meeting last Friday, and today NSW wrote back
Stream 1 and Stream 3 of the 491 will open on 19 January
A reminder to have your documentation complete and ready — the average processing wait for both streams is expected to exceed 6 weeks.
If your visa or points-claim items are about to expire, or your age is about to cost you points and drop your total below 50, notify the state government — they will endeavour to process the case within 10 business days.
Additional notes on the 190
As of December, about 25% of the 190 quota has been used — roughly 525 places — leaving approximately 1,575 places for the rest of the year.
I checked and NSW had used 197 of the 190 places by the end of October, which means roughly 328 formal nominations were processed in November alone.
NSW has so far issued 3 rounds of 190 pre-invitations — one in late October and two in November. Given their processing speed has always been fairly brisk, 328 looks reasonable to me as a standalone figure.
However, NSW’s 190 invitations this year have been spread thinly — each round has carried only a small volume, and it’s hard to tell where they’ve all been directed.
No pre-invitations will be issued in December. At last week’s meeting, the state officer also confirmed that from January onwards one round will be issued each month.
Holiday season
The Christmas break runs from 24 December to 9 January, with no processing or invitations during that period.
So if you have already received a 190 pre-invitation and your documentation or points-claim items are about to expire, contact them before 12 December and request priority processing. For anyone hoping for a pre-Christmas surprise, NSW will not be sending any for now.
We appreciate your understanding and wish you a safe and happy holiday season — you can tell NSW can’t wait to head off on their break.
