2025-26 state nomination allocations: 20,350 places for the 190 and 491

This covers the 2025-26 program year. Allocations are reset each July; check the latest program-year figures before planning.

The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the state and territory nomination allocations for 2025-26: 12,850 places for the subclass 190 and 7,500 for the 491, a national total of 20,350.

How places are split

Each state and territory gets its own allocation. NSW received 3,600 places (2,100 for the 190 and 1,500 for the 491). The ACT received 1,600 (800 and 800). Smaller states and territories get proportionally fewer.

An allocation is a ceiling on nominations the state can make, not invitations you are guaranteed. States receive far more Expressions of Interest than they have places, so they rank and select, and several close their programs within weeks of opening once the allocation is committed.

What this means in practice

State nomination is a race against a fixed pool. When a state opens, occupations in demand there can be nominated at scores well below what a 189 round would require, because the 5 or 15 nomination points and the state's own occupation list both work in your favour. Once the allocation is spent, that route closes until the next program year.

If your occupation is competitive somewhere, monitor that state's page, prepare your documents in advance, and submit as soon as it opens rather than waiting to polish your profile.

The 190 or the 491

Within state nomination you are often choosing between the two. The 190 is permanent immediately. The 491 is provisional for five years and converts to the 191 after three years of living and working in a regional area and meeting an income requirement. States usually nominate for the 491 at lower point scores and with broader occupation lists, so applicants short on points often take the 491 as the realistic route rather than holding out for a 190.