South Australia 238 Skilled Invitations – May 2026 Update

South Australia skilled migration invitations – key numbers

How many 190 and 491 invitations did South Australia issue?

On 21 May 2026, South Australia issued 238 invitations across the Skilled Nominated visa subclass 190 and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 491. The state has described this as the final scheduled invitation round for the 2025–26 program year, while still allowing for possible extra activity to optimise any remaining nomination places.

Subclass 190 is a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory government, while subclass 491 is a state-nominated provisional visa that allows skilled migrants to live and work in South Australia for up to five years and may provide a pathway to permanent residency. The 161 vs 77 split gives a snapshot of how the state is currently balancing permanent nomination places with regional workforce needs.

Which ANZSCO sub-major groups received invitations?

The 21 May 2026 round spread invitations across multiple ANZSCO sub‑major groups, with the strongest activity in Health Professionals, followed by engineering‑linked and trade‑linked categories, plus education and ICT. Some groups were dominated by subclass 190 invitations, while others leaned towards subclass 491.

Analysis of South Australia’s May 2026 skilled invitations

Health Professionals – the clearest 190 signal

Health Professionals again led the round, with 66 invitations on 21 May 2026 (59 for subclass 190 and 7 for subclass 491). Year‑to‑date, South Australia reports 639 invitations to Health Professionals in 2025–26, including 609 subclass 190 invitations and 30 subclass 491 invitations. Lowest since September 2025.

“This does not mean every health professional will receive an invitation. Applicants still need the right occupation, skills assessment, registration where required, English score, points, work experience and documentation.”

For nurses, medical practitioners, allied health and other eligible health occupations listed on South Australia’s skilled migration pages, the data shows a strong category, not a guarantee. Our analysis of ImmiIQ data aligns with the state’s message: SkillSelect EOIs may need to be accurate on points, employment, qualifications and state preference before an invitation is issued.

Engineering and infrastructure-linked occupations – steady demand

Design, Engineering, Science and Transport Professionals received 41 invitations in the 21 May 2026 round (31 subclass 190 and 10 subclass 491). Across the 2025–26 program year so far, this engineering‑linked group has reached 468 invitations, consisting of 365 subclass 190 and 103 subclass 491 invitations.

This group covers a wide range of technical occupations related to design, engineering, science and transport. The state’s commentary highlights that applicants in these areas may wish to consider decision‑ready skills assessments, robust employment evidence and correctly claimed points, as unsupported EOI claims can create difficulties once an invitation is issued and a nomination application is lodged.

Engineering roles often involve detailed duty statements, specific qualification requirements and careful matching to the correct ANZSCO code (for example, via ImmiIQ occupation pages). If roles, dates or responsibilities are mis‑aligned with the nominated occupation at assessment time, the state’s warning suggests that the application may not progress smoothly.

Trades, construction and priority sectors

Trade‑related groups showed mixed results in this round. Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers received 29 invitations, Construction Trades Workers received 21, and Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers received 19. Food Trades Workers and Skilled Animal, Agricultural and Horticultural Workers recorded 0 invitations in this particular round.

For trades, the state’s message is clear: occupation demand helps, but it does not replace eligibility. Work experience, licensing, skills assessment and accurate occupation matching remain central to the application. This applies whether an applicant is targeting subclass 190 or 491, and whether they are in a priority or non‑priority sector.

Education, ICT and support roles – smaller but meaningful activity

Education Professionals recorded 22 invitations in the 21 May 2026 round (20 subclass 190 and 2 subclass 491), indicating strong permanent visa activity for this group in this specific round. ICT Professionals, Health and Welfare Support Workers, Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals, Business, HR and Marketing Professionals, and Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians all saw smaller but still visible numbers of invitations, split across 190 and 491 pathways.

The state’s commentary also points to the broader lesson that a strong permanent residence plan is not only about points; it also involves occupation demand, nomination stream, documentation, timing and how accurately the EOI is prepared. For both agents and applicants, that line explains why two candidates with similar points may see different outcomes depending on occupation group and program settings at the time.

Next steps for 190 and 491 applicants targeting South Australia

With the 21 May 2026 round listed as the final scheduled one for 2025–26, agents, applicants and education providers may be asking a simple question: what now?

1. 01Review South Australia’s current skilled migration and offshore skilled pages to confirm whether the relevant occupation and ANZSCO code align with the state’s priority sectors and nomination requirements.
2. 02Check that the SkillSelect EOI matches documentary evidence on qualifications, employment dates, English scores and claimed points, as South Australia highlights the impact of small errors.
3. 03Confirm that skills assessments, professional registrations and licensing (where required) meet both Home Affairs and South Australia nomination requirements before any invitation arrives.
4. 04For trade and engineering applicants, compare role duties to the correct ANZSCO description using tools such as ImmiIQ occupation pages to reduce the risk of occupation mismatch at assessment.
5. 05Monitor South Australia’s news and nomination requirement pages for any unscheduled invitation activity before the end of the 2025–26 program year, as the state has left room for further invitations to optimise unused places.

For education providers tracking demand, the strong results in Health Professionals, engineering‑linked groups, Education Professionals and several trade categories may help when considering which qualifications align with South Australia’s 2025–26 GSM priorities. For visa applicants, the data offers a transparent snapshot of where the state is currently placing its nomination focus.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute migration advice. Always consult a Registered Migration Agent (still widely known as a MARA agent) for advice specific to your circumstances.

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