If you're studying in Australia with a path to permanent residency in mind, the state you're in matters — not just for lifestyle, but for your odds. Each state and territory receives a fixed nomination quota each program year, and the gap between the largest and smallest allocations is significant.
Here's the verified breakdown for the 2025–26 program year (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026), covering the Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated and Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visas.
The headline numbers
Three states publish the largest allocations:
| State | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 2,100 | 1,500 | 3,600 |
| Victoria | 2,700 | 700 | 3,400 |
| Queensland | 1,850 | 750 | 2,600 |
NSW leads on total, Victoria leads on 190 (the more prestigious metropolitan stream), and Queensland sits in the middle but has the most consistent monthly invitation cadence of the three.
The smaller states and territories — WA, SA, TAS, NT, ACT — receive smaller allocations and run different invitation patterns. We're verifying their 2025–26 figures and will update this post as soon as they're confirmed.
What's a 190 vs a 491?
- Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated. Permanent visa from day one. Lets you live and work anywhere in the nominating state. Higher demand, smaller per-applicant odds.
- Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional. Provisional visa for 5 years. You must live, work and study in a designated regional area for 3 of those 5 years. Path to PR via subclass 191.
For most international students finishing a course in Australia, the 491 is the more accessible route — the regional requirement is real, but the invitation pool is more forgiving.
Invitation round cadence — who's running monthly, who's not
The total annual allocation is divided across invitation rounds throughout the year. Each state runs its own schedule.
- Queensland — confirmed monthly invitation rounds, including the February 2026 round (235 invites for 190, 109 for 491). Continuing monthly through the program year.
- NSW — multiple rounds per quarter, often with separate windows for 190 and 491. March 2026 round confirmed; April 2026 windows scheduled (190 in week of 13 April, 491 in week of 27 April).
- Victoria — invitation rounds throughout the financial year with no fixed schedule. The most recent confirmed round was 17 March 2026.
- Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, ACT — each runs its own cadence; some monthly, some ad hoc. We're tracking each portal and will publish a per-state schedule.
What this means if you're choosing a state
A few practical implications:
- Total allocation isn't the only number that matters. Victoria's 2,700 places sound like a lot, but they're spread across many high-demand metropolitan occupations. Tasmania's smaller allocation is spread across fewer applicants per occupation, so per-applicant odds can be better despite the smaller pool.
- Cadence matters for planning. Queensland's monthly cadence means EOIs are processed faster. Victoria's ad-hoc cadence means longer waits between rounds.
- Regional weighting (491) is rising. All states have grown their 491 allocation over the past two years. If your occupation is on the relevant list and you're willing to commit to a regional area for 3+ years, this is the more accessible route.
- Check the occupation list at the state level. Each state publishes its own list of priority occupations. An occupation invited heavily in QLD may not be invited at all in NSW, even within the same program year.
What's next
We're building the PR Pathway Tracker — a tool that lets you pick your occupation and get notified the moment your state opens an invitation round, evidence levels change, or your occupation moves on the SOL/CSOL. Sign up for our Insights newsletter to get early access when it ships.
Sources: State migration program portals (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, NT, ACT); SkillSelect invitation round announcements via the Department of Home Affairs. Allocation figures verified for 2025–26 program year as of May 2026.