The Government of Western Australia confirmed on 8 December 2025 that it has received its full allocation of places from the federal Department of Home Affairs for the 2025-26 State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) and has commenced regular invitation rounds. The first December round—run on 5 December—has published invitation data and is expected to be followed by monthly selections for the remainder of the program year.
The SNMP allows the state to nominate skilled migrants for subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) and subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional – Provisional) visas. While Home Affairs retained the national permanent-migration ceiling at 185,000 places, states determine their own occupational lists and ranking systems. Western Australia has prioritised health, construction and critical-infrastructure trades in an effort to ease labour shortages that have persisted since the mining rebound and housing boom.
![Western Australia opens December invitation round for 2025-26 State Nomination Migration Program]()
Migration agents say interest has surged after Perth scrapped its ‘Regional WA only’ condition for many occupations last year, making the pathway more attractive to international graduates already in the state. However, competition is fierce: applicants need an Expression of Interest score well above the 65-point minimum, plus evidence of at least six months’ WA work experience or a local job offer.
For employers, the December invitations are timely. Major projects such as the Westport harbour development are ramping up early works in 2026 and require engineers, surveyors and project managers. Companies unable to sponsor employees directly see the SNMP as a faster track than employer-sponsored visas, which can be delayed by labour-agreement negotiations.
The WA Department of Training and Workforce Development urges prospective migrants to monitor the SNMP webpage for future invitation statistics and warns that quotas can be exhausted quickly if federal allocations tighten later in the fiscal year.
The SNMP allows the state to nominate skilled migrants for subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) and subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional – Provisional) visas. While Home Affairs retained the national permanent-migration ceiling at 185,000 places, states determine their own occupational lists and ranking systems. Western Australia has prioritised health, construction and critical-infrastructure trades in an effort to ease labour shortages that have persisted since the mining rebound and housing boom.
Migration agents say interest has surged after Perth scrapped its ‘Regional WA only’ condition for many occupations last year, making the pathway more attractive to international graduates already in the state. However, competition is fierce: applicants need an Expression of Interest score well above the 65-point minimum, plus evidence of at least six months’ WA work experience or a local job offer.
For employers, the December invitations are timely. Major projects such as the Westport harbour development are ramping up early works in 2026 and require engineers, surveyors and project managers. Companies unable to sponsor employees directly see the SNMP as a faster track than employer-sponsored visas, which can be delayed by labour-agreement negotiations.
The WA Department of Training and Workforce Development urges prospective migrants to monitor the SNMP webpage for future invitation statistics and warns that quotas can be exhausted quickly if federal allocations tighten later in the fiscal year.
