State nomination · 2026-27 · Checked 3 October 2026
State nomination tracker — who is open right now
Short answer (3 October 2026): Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia, ACT, Western Australia are taking 2026-27 registrations; the rest have not yet opened or remain closed from last year. The 2026-27 Migration Program lifts state/territory nominated places to 35,500 (from 33,000 in 2025-26). Individual state allocations are announced progressively from July. Status per state below, each line dated and sourced.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 3 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Open now
- TAS · NT · SA · ACT · WA
- Not yet open
- QLD · VIC · NSW
- National places
- 35,500 (2026-27)
- Checked
- 3 October 2026
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.9 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →The board — every program, dated
| State | 190 | 491 | Status | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmania | Open | Open | OPEN — 2026-27 program opened to Registrations of Interest on 17 August 2026; weekly invitations from 20 August. 2,050 places: 1,250 × 190 · 800 × 491. The Overseas Skilled Occupation (491) pathway will not issue invitations in 2026-27 — offshore applicants need a Tasmanian job offer or study link. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Northern Territory | Open | Open | OPEN — portal reopened 21 August 2026 for onshore and selected offshore streams. 1,850 places: 850 × 190 · 1,000 × 491 (up 200 on last year). The offline Priority Occupation stream remains closed while the backlog clears. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| South Australia | Open | Open | OPEN — 2026-27 applications reopened 26 August 2026. 2026-27 allocation not yet published. SA was among the most active nominators in 2025-26 (509 invitations in May alone). Check the occupation list before lodging a ROI. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| ACT | Open | Open | OPEN — new nomination portal live since 30 July 2026. 2026-27 allocation pending confirmation. Occupation list under review; Canberra Matrix continues. The whole ACT counts as regional for the 491. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Queensland | Closed | Closed | NOT YET OPEN for 2026-27 — still awaiting confirmation of its final nomination allocation before reopening (re-verified 3 October 2026). 2025-26 was 2,600 places (1,850 × 190 · 750 × 491); 2026-27 not yet confirmed. Application fees rose 1 July 2026: A$573 offshore / A$630.30 onshore. Historically strong for trades, health and applicants with Queensland work history. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| Victoria | Closed | Closed | CLOSED — new ROIs closed 28 April 2026 after heavy oversubscription; the 2026-27 program had not opened as at 3 October 2026, and Victoria says information will be published when available. 2025-26 was 3,400 places (2,700 × 190 · 700 × 491); 2026-27 not yet published. Final 2025-26 allocation was 3,400 places (2,700 × 190, 700 × 491). Existing ROIs stay in the pool; withdrawing one means no new ROI until 2026-27 opens. official → | 31 Aug 2026 |
| New South Wales | Closed | Closed | NOT YET OPEN for 2026-27 — on 4 September 2026 NSW published that 2025-26 places were fully allocated on both the 190 and 491; next-year settings remain under review and the 2026-27 allocation has not been confirmed. 2026-27 allocation not yet published. NSW historically opens later than the smaller states. 2025-26 allocation was 3,600 places (2,100 × 190, 1,500 × 491). official → | 17 Sept 2026 |
| Western Australia | Open | Open | OPEN — WA held its first 2026-27 invitation round with invitations issued from mid-September 2026; the formal 2026-27 allocation had not been published at our 3 October check. 2026-27 allocation not yet published. Check Migration WA for current round schedules and occupation settings rather than relying on 2025-26 criteria. official → | 21 May 2026 |
Statuses change without notice — each row shows when we last verified it against the state's own announcements. Something moved that we haven't caught? The official link in each row is authoritative.
If your state isn't open yet
Closed-season is preparation season, and the applicants invited in week one are the ones who used it: SkillSelect EOI lodged and scored honestly (calculator), skills assessment underway (it is the slowest step — fees and timeframes), English test booked, and a second-choice state identified. When a program opens, allocations can fill in weeks — Victoria closed its last program early after heavy oversubscription.
General information only, not migration advice. Statuses reflect state announcements at the verification dates shown and can change without notice. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Which states are open for 190/491 nomination right now?
As at 3 October 2026: Tasmania — OPEN; Northern Territory — OPEN; South Australia — OPEN; ACT — OPEN; Queensland — NOT YET OPEN for 2026-27; Victoria — CLOSED; New South Wales — NOT YET OPEN for 2026-27; Western Australia — OPEN. Programs open progressively from July each year and can pause without notice when allocations fill; the board above carries the dated detail per state.
What should I do while my state is closed?
Three things: lodge (or update) your SkillSelect EOI now, because several states invite straight from EOIs and the rest require one before nomination; get your skills assessment and English test done, since they are the slow steps; and watch more than one state — the occupation lists overlap, and applicants fixated on one state routinely miss an easier door elsewhere.
How are state programs different from the SkillSelect invitation rounds?
The Skilled Independent 189 is invited by the Department in national rounds (see our invitation-rounds tracker). The 190 and 491 are nominated by each state or territory under its own criteria, quotas and timing — eight separate programs that open and close independently, which is why this board exists.
Does state nomination guarantee a visa?
No. Nomination gives you the invitation (and 5 points for the 190, 15 for the 491); the visa is still decided by the Department against health, character and the points claim. No agent can guarantee an outcome — what improves odds is a truthful, evidence-complete application in a round where your occupation is actually wanted.
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