20,350 skilled migration visas for 2025–2026 have been confirmed by Australia.

20,350 skilled migration visas for 2025–2026 have been confirmed by Australia.

Australia has set a cap of 20,350 seats for skilled visas under the Subclass 190 and 491 schemes for 2025–2026. While Queensland and the NT receive minor increases, the majority of states receive less grants.

The final nomination figures for Australia's skilled migration program for 2025–2026 have been made public by the Department of Home Affairs. They verified 20,350 visa spots in total using two important routes:

Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) Visa
Subclass 491 (Regional Skilled Work Visa)

Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated Visa
For skilled professionals nominated by an Australian state or territory, there is a permanent visa called the Skilled Nominated Visa, or Subclass 190. You can reside and work anywhere in Australia with this visa. But in order to be nominated, you must have a position on the skilled list, a skills evaluation, and a meet-point exam.

Regional Visa for Skilled Work (Subclass 491)
For skilled professionals who wish to reside and work in regional Australia, there is a temporary regional visa called the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491). It can result in permanent residency and last up to five years. You must have a skilled employment, complete requirements, and receive a nomination from a local family or region in order to be eligible.

The Division of Visa Numbers
12,850 spots for the Subclass 190 visa and 7,500 spots for the Subclass 491 visa have been reserved under the new allocation.
The distribution of each state and territory is as follows:

State/Territory Subclass 190 Subclass 491 New South Wales as a whole3,000 1,000 4,000
2,700 700 3,400 Victoria

Western Australia 2,000 1,400 3,400 Queensland 1,850 750 2,600
1,350 900 2,250 South Australia
Tasmania 1,200 650 1,850
ACT 900 300 1,200 Northern Territory 850 800 1,650 Total 12,850 7,500 20,350

What Has Changed Since Last Year
There are fewer locations than before in the majority of regions. Victoria saw the largest decline, losing 1,300 Subclass 491 seats. This time, only the Northern Territory and Queensland were able to secure a few more slots. The NT got 50, while Queensland's Subclass 190 quota increased by 1,250.

The 491 visa's allocations for the Northern Territory and the ACT are unchanged from the previous year. Queensland's and South Australia's 491 spots saw minor rises of 150 and 100, respectively.

Why It's Important
The amount of skilled migrants that each area may propose during the course of the following year is determined by these allocations. Competition for state nomination will probably be more difficult because there are fewer spots available overall, particularly for the 190 visa.

Concluding Remarks
The nomination procedures and occupation lists of each state should be carefully considered by immigrants pursuing permanent residency through skilled migration. These might be changed shortly to take into account the most recent modifications.