Australia 2025–26 State Nomination Explosion: Allocation Reset, Priority Industries Confirmed, and Major State Policy Shake-Up
The 2025–26 State Nomination Program has officially entered a new phase of structural adjustment. Based on the draft allocations released by states, the government’s clarified priority sectors, and updated directions from skills assessment bodies, competition for state nomination is set to intensify significantly this year.
The selection logic is now heavily focused on the three core pillars: Shortage • Authenticity • Urgency. Below is a consolidated breakdown of key updates and trends for the new program year.
2025–26 State Nomination Allocation Officially Released. Total places reduced from 26,260 down to 20,350 — a dramatic 22% cut (−5,910 places). Migration difficulty increases sharply and interstate competition becomes fierce. This will be the most strategy-critical year in recent cycles.
Latest Allocation by State (190 / 491)
Victoria (VIC)
- 190: 3,000 → 2,700 (−300)
- 491: 2,000 → 700 (−1,300)
New South Wales (NSW)
- 190: 3,000 → 2,100 (−900)
- 491: 2,000 → 1,500 (−500)
Queensland (QLD)
- 190: 600 → 1,850 (+1,250)
- 491: 600 → 750 (+150)
Western Australia (WA)
- 190: 3,000 → 2,000 (−1,000)
- 491: 2,000 → 1,400 (−600)
South Australia (SA)
- 190: 3,000 → 1,350 (−1,650)
- 491: 800 → 900 (+100)
Tasmania (TAS)
- 190: 2,100 → 1,200 (−900)
- 491: 760 → 650 (−110)
ACT (Canberra)
- 190: 1,000 → 800 (−200)
- 491: 800 → 800 (unchanged)
Northern Territory (NT)
- 190: 800 → 850 (+50)
- 491: 800 (unchanged)
State Policy Direction Changes
New South Wales (NSW)
- Continues high-threshold invitation-only model
- Points are no longer decisive; industry demand & job relevance now determine selection
Victoria (VIC)
- Maintains STEM and research-driven policy direction
- Increased difficulty for non-technical occupations
Queensland (QLD)
- Further emphasis on genuine employment
- Priority on health, education, and engineering roles
South Australia (SA)
- Broad occupation choices remain, but
- Much stricter audit on job match, intent, and authenticity
Western Australia (WA)
- Allocations focused on engineering & medical
- Non-core occupations likely further reduced
Tasmania (TAS)
- Local study + local employment pathways remain stable
- More detailed documentation and authenticity checks
Unified Priority Sectors for 2025–26 — Rare Nationwide Alignment. According to internal government notes, departmental briefings, and policy indicators from multiple states, the six major states show unprecedented consistency in their sector priorities:
- Healthcare (nurses, aged care, medical technicians)
- Engineering (all streams)
- Education (teachers, early childhood educators)
- IT & Digital (software, cybersecurity, data analytics, network engineering)
- Construction & trades
Agriculture & regional shortage occupations
All states clearly emphasized: “Allocations must be directed toward genuine critical shortages; non-shortage occupations are no longer a priority focus.”
Additionally, multiple states confirmed that this year’s assessment will extend deeply into authenticity & actual skills usage, with checks such as:
- Whether job duties truly match the nominated occupation
- Employer legitimacy, business size & operating scope
- Consistency of work hours, salary, and contract details
- Whether documents show AI-generated patterns
- Full evidence-chain consistency (contract, duties, payslips, employer statements)
This year is expected to have the strictest audit standards in recent memory. The era of “submit with high points and just wait” is over. State nomination is now determined by industry demand + real employment + authenticity.
How to Increase Your Success Rate for 2025–26?
- Complete your skills assessment early to improve timing advantage
- Priority-sector applicants should submit and enter the state pool ASAP
- Non-priority applicants should reassess competitiveness and consider skill enhancement or pathway adjustments
- Students in Australia should secure real, ongoing employment early to avoid post-graduation gaps
- Ensure all documents maintain complete consistency in duties, logic, and evidence chain
- Regularly monitor each state’s official opening dates and updates
With overall tightening and increased competition, professional judgment and evidence preparation will directly impact outcomes. If you need guidance on skills assessment, state nomination planning, or your 2025–26 migration strategy, we are ready to provide a fully tailored pathway based on your background.