Today, November 24, South Australia officially released the 2025–26 financial-year state-nomination policy, with the ROI channel for onshore applicants opening immediately for lodgement; offshore applicants will continue to use the EOI system.
Let’s first pull out the key points of this year’s policy
What stays the same
1.Still divided into Graduate, Worker, Outer Regional Resident and Offshore channels — three onshore, one offshore;
2.Onshore applications continue to use the ROI invitation system, while offshore applications continue to use the EOI invitation system; both require meeting the prerequisites before the State Government makes its selection;
3.Onshore applications still have prerequisite residence, study and relevant work requirements
4.South Australia maintains its own occupation list, and different occupations carry different requirements for different applicants — as long as your occupation is on the list, there is, in theory, hope.
What has been refined or changed
1. Fine-tuning of the prerequisites
2. Clear priority industries
3. Selection logic for onshore and offshore invitations is now explicit
4. Minor changes to the occupation list — some popular occupations are now limited to 491
Let’s unpack each point below
I. 190 allocation cut significantly, 491 slightly up
First, on the allocations. Last week the Department of Home Affairs released each state’s nomination quota for 25-26, and today South Australia has once again confirmed —
190: 1,350 places (24-25 financial year 3,000)
491: 900 places (24-25 financial year 800)
total: 2,250 places (down 40.79% on the previous financial year)
190 allocation is clearly down — competition will be fiercer than before.491 allocation has ticked up slightly and remains relatively stable; against the broader backdrop of tightening quotas, 491 is increasingly becoming the “regular mainline channel”.
II. The four channels South Australia still retains
South Australian Graduates – SA Graduate channel
Graduates who have completed their studies in South Australia and are currently working full-time in a relevant occupation in South Australia.
Skilled Employment in South Australia – SA Employment channel
Onshore applicants who have been working in a position related to their nomination in South Australia for a set period (e.g. 12 months).
Outer Regional Skilled Employment – Outer Regional Employment channel
Applicants who live&work in South Australia’s recognised Outer Regional area and have done so for a set period (e.g. 9 months).
Offshore – Offshore applicant channel
Applicants currently overseas who have lodged an EOI with South Australia as their first preference state.
III. Changes to the prerequisites
Prerequisite application requirements(new key additions are highlighted in yellow)
IV. Priority fields for 25-26 and clearer invitation-selection rules
A. Priority fields are as follows:
Applies to both onshore and offshore
Construction (Building and construction)
Defence (Defence)
Health (Health)
Education (Education)
Engineering (Engineering)
Manufacturing (Manufacturing)
B. Invitation selection rules
Onshore selection rules (new)
– English (the higher, the better)
– Years of work experience in the nominated occupation
– Level of qualifications
– Salary / income level
– Employer type and stability (somewhat linked to employer size and contribution to the local economy)
Note: the conditions above are not ranked in any order of priority
Offshore selection rules (largely unchanged from before)
– English (the higher, the better)
– Years of work experience and the field in which it sits
– Level of qualifications
– EOI points
Note: the conditions above are ranked in order of priority — only the ranking for construction-related occupations differs slightly.
V. Occupation list
Overall the occupations have not changed much, but newly popular occupations now carry a 491-only restriction, for example
Accounting
Chef
Motor mechanic
Marketing specialist
In addition, priority occupations that meet the conditions can be given priority for 190
Feel free to contact us to find out how your specific occupation has changed in South Australia this year.
VI. Our summary and analysis
Pulling the above together, the trend for South Australia state nomination this financial year is clear:
First, 190 is no longer about “casting a wide net” — it is now “small and precise”: if your occupation is itself a 190/491 dual-open one, sits in a priority industry, and your profile is solid, it is still worth a shot at 190 — but be prepared mentally for “high competition and uncertainty”. 491 has already become the “main channel” for many occupations — no longer a back-up.The value of Outer Regional employment has risen further; if you’re willing to move to an Outer Regional area and willing to adjust your occupation/industry pathway, the opportunities are greater!
Second, although the overall quota has dropped this year, the good news isthat the State Government has made the rules clear, so applicants are no longer mostly guessing the way they were last year; for some occupations and ideal working applicants the impact is genuinely limited.
For specific personal plans, we suggest factoring in your own circumstances — you’re welcome to reach out to us!
Newstarsec Education & Migration·Adelaide BranchViktor↓
NewStars Group introduction video
(filmed in 2021)
Queensland’s quota more than doubles to 2,600! Victoria issues invitations, non-trades construction as low as 65 points
QLD / VIC / TAS all issuing invitations! A golden window for low-point offshore invitees — opens for the grab on the 24th!
Australian migration: NT MINT project direct to 190 PR from 65 points! Open this financial year!
Migration information group
2025
Step 1: press and hold to add our consultant
Step 2: once added, please
follow the NewStars WeChat official account
and use the chat box [search the article number] to look up articles
No. 01 – Australia’s most popular skilled-migration programs: 189 / 190 / 491
No. 02 – Work-to-migration in one step: employer-sponsored 482 / 186 / 494
No. 03 – Study first, migrate later: majors and course recommendations
No. 04 – High-school / Gaokao / undergraduate study pathways
No. 05 – A must for international students planning to migrate: the 485 Temporary Graduate 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: Top Talent and Qualifying Talent schemes
No. 09 – Essential for parents / relatives / friends travelling to Australia: the 600 visa
No. 10 – Weekly-updated visa grants / invitations / skills assessments: success stories
Ask
Free study-abroad and migration initial consultation
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Adelaide
Canberra
Hobart
Perth
Beijing
Guangzhou
New Zealand – Auckland
