South Australia’s Department for Industry, Innovation and Science has confirmed its allocation of more than 2,000 state-nominated migration places for the 2025-26 programme year—1,350 for the permanent Subclass 190 visa and 900 for the provisional Subclass 491 visa. Registrations of Interest (ROI) are now live; onshore applicants must submit an ROI before receiving an invitation, while offshore candidates will be invited directly from SkillSelect.
The announcement brings welcome relief to employers in Adelaide’s defence, hydrogen and space sectors that have struggled with talent shortages since the 2023 boom in submarine-supply contracts. Migration agents report a surge in enquiry volumes, especially from engineers and health professionals who missed out last year when the federal government cut state-nominated numbers by 23 percent.
![South Australia Opens 2,250 New Skilled-Migration Nomination Places for 2025-26]()
Key eligibility settings remain unchanged: candidates still need a positive skills assessment, competent English and at least 65 SkillSelect points. However, South Australia has tweaked its ‘Highly Skilled and Talented’ stream to prioritise applicants who can demonstrate job offers in regional centres such as Whyalla and Mount Gambier, reflecting the government’s push to spread population growth beyond Greater Adelaide.
For mobility managers the new quota means that assignments destined for South Australia can again be sponsored under the more straightforward 190 pathway rather than the employer-sponsored Skills-in-Demand visa, which carries higher salary thresholds and ongoing compliance costs. Companies should move quickly: South Australia historically exhausts its 190 places within six months of release.
The announcement brings welcome relief to employers in Adelaide’s defence, hydrogen and space sectors that have struggled with talent shortages since the 2023 boom in submarine-supply contracts. Migration agents report a surge in enquiry volumes, especially from engineers and health professionals who missed out last year when the federal government cut state-nominated numbers by 23 percent.
Key eligibility settings remain unchanged: candidates still need a positive skills assessment, competent English and at least 65 SkillSelect points. However, South Australia has tweaked its ‘Highly Skilled and Talented’ stream to prioritise applicants who can demonstrate job offers in regional centres such as Whyalla and Mount Gambier, reflecting the government’s push to spread population growth beyond Greater Adelaide.
For mobility managers the new quota means that assignments destined for South Australia can again be sponsored under the more straightforward 190 pathway rather than the employer-sponsored Skills-in-Demand visa, which carries higher salary thresholds and ongoing compliance costs. Companies should move quickly: South Australia historically exhausts its 190 places within six months of release.
