south australia issued 344 skilled migration invitations on January 8 in its first round of 2026 under the 2025-26 General Skilled Migration program, splitting the intake between 235 invitations for Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated visa) and 109 for Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional visa).
The round gives early signals on how South Australia is using its state nomination pathway at the start of 2026, at a time when applicants are watching closely for monthly selection patterns and shifting priority settings.
applicants who were not invited in the January 8 selection face a familiar reality in the state nomination system: outcomes can change from round to round. The practical response is to keep an Expression of Interest (EOI) current and documents ready.
How South Australia’s state nomination fits into SkillSelect
South Australia’s General Skilled Migration selections sit inside the broader federal SkillSelect process, with the state using invitations to identify candidates it wants to nominate for a skilled visa.
Subclass 190 offers a state-nominated pathway, while Subclass 491 is a regional visa stream tied to work and residence in regional areas.
The January round also signals cadence: rounds occur monthly, with the next in early February 2026, pushing many candidates to treat the coming weeks as a preparation window rather than a waiting period.
Program year allocations and cumulative invitations
For the 2025-26 program year, South Australia has 1,350 nomination places for Subclass 190 and 900 for Subclass 491, totaling over 2,000 places including interim allocations.
Those allocations matter because they cap how many nominations can ultimately be granted, even if the number of invitations fluctuates across rounds.
To date in 2025-26, South Australia has issued 610 Subclass 190 invitations and 321 Subclass 491 invitations. An invitation round is not the same as the final grant of a nomination place, and applicants need to distinguish between being invited to apply for state nomination and receiving a nomination outcome.
First-round 2026 breakdown by occupation
The first 2026 selection also showed where invitations were concentrated by broad occupation group, giving candidates a rough guide to current demand signals without guaranteeing that future rounds will mirror the same pattern.
Below is the January 8 distribution of invitations by broad occupation group as an early snapshot of demand and state priorities.
- Health professionals: 69 invitations
- Design, engineering, science & transport professionals: 63 invitations
- ICT professionals: 33 invitations
- Construction trades workers: 30 invitations
- Engineering, ICT & science technicians: 25 invitations
- Education professionals: 22 invitations
- Specialist managers: 21 invitations
- Business, HR & marketing professionals: 16 invitations
Applicants often read such distributions as a map of priorities, but state nomination settings can change quickly as South Australia balances occupation lists, the onshore/offshore mix, and monthly targeting decisions.
Practical steps and preparation
For candidates trying to use the January figures constructively, the most practical approach is alignment and evidence. Occupation eligibility, a valid skills assessment, work experience claims, English proficiency, and points score shape selection from SkillSelect and any state-managed processes.
The workflow begins with an Expression of Interest submitted through the federal SkillSelect system, listing South Australia as a first preferred state. That step is the gateway for both Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 pathways through state nomination.
Onshore applicants living or working in South Australia face an additional step: they submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) via the Skilled and Business Migration portal after checking eligibility on the Skilled Occupation List and ensuring current employment in South Australia.
Offshore applicants do not need an ROI. Invitations come directly from SkillSelect based on occupation, skills assessment, work experience, English proficiency, and points score, placing extra emphasis on getting core claims correct and current in the EOI.
The monthly round cycle makes accuracy and maintenance more than a clerical task. EOIs can become stale if they do not reflect updated English results, new work experience, or corrected employment dates, and those details sit at the heart of points-based selection.
After an invitation: timelines and documentation
After an invitation arrives, the process moves quickly. South Australia’s stated window requires applicants to submit a nomination application within 14 days, a short timeframe that can expose weak preparation and missing paperwork.
The state nomination application stage typically requires documentary proof that matches what was claimed in the EOI. This can include skills assessments, employment references, English results, and police certificates, with processing averaging 4 weeks.
Given the 14-day window, candidates who wait until invitation day to start gathering evidence may find themselves under pressure. For many, the most realistic strategy is to prepare documentation in advance and keep it ready for upload when the invitation arrives.
Competition and priority signals
Competition remains the defining feature of the program. Over 11,000 ROIs issued in 2025 led to under 3,000 nominations, a gap that illustrates why many eligible applicants still miss out and why state nomination is not a simple function of meeting a minimum threshold.
South Australia’s priority signals in the current settings include critical shortage occupations, South Australia residents, and those committing to regional areas like Mount Gambier, Whyalla, or Port Augusta. For Subclass 491 candidates, the emphasis on regional commitment is tied directly to the visa stream’s conditions.
For some applicants, the regional pathway is not simply a backup plan. It can be a more realistic route in a competitive environment, especially when demand is high and nomination places are limited.
Staying ready: practical advice
Practical planning often comes down to readiness and responsiveness. Applicants who want to stay in contention through monthly rounds typically keep their EOI updated, monitor selection outcomes, and remain ready to act immediately if an invitation arrives.
The selection landscape can also be affected by changes to occupation list settings. Applicants commonly check whether their occupation remains eligible, whether extra state requirements apply, and whether onshore pathways require specific conditions such as current employment in South Australia.
South Australia directs applicants to migration.sa.gov.au for official details, occupation lists, and portals. SkillSelect remains the platform where an EOI is submitted and where invitation mechanics are applied, making it essential for applicants to keep entries accurate as rounds continue.
For those preparing for the next selection in early February 2026, the January 8 results serve as both a snapshot and a reminder. Each invitation triggers a short deadline, and the broader program year remains bounded by 1,350 nomination places for Subclass 190 and 900 for Subclass 491, totaling over 2,000 places including interim allocations.
As 2026 selections continue, applicants tracking South Australia’s General Skilled Migration pathway face two parallel tasks: staying eligible under changing monthly settings, and staying ready to respond within 14 days when the state makes its next move.
South Australia has commenced its 2026 General Skilled Migration program by inviting 344 candidates across various sectors, primarily health and engineering. With 2,250 total places allocated for the 2025-26 year, competition remains intense. The state emphasizes readiness, requiring invited applicants to respond within 14 days. Onshore residents must submit a Registration of Interest, while offshore candidates are selected directly through the federal SkillSelect system based on points.
