South Australia Nomination Invitations 2025-26: Full Year Results

The 2025-26 South Australia skilled migration nomination program has closed its final scheduled round. The numbers are in.

South Australia issued 2,853 nomination invitations across the full year. 1,767 went via the permanent Subclass 190. 1,086 went via the provisional regional Subclass 491.

If you are planning your pathway to permanent residency and South Australia is part of your strategy, this is the most useful data you will read before 1 July 2026.

The Full Year Numbers

South Australia started the year with 2,250 allocated nomination places - 1,350 for the 190 and 900 for the 491. By the time the final round ran on 21 May 2026, the state had issued 2,853 invitations in total, exceeding the original allocation. This happens when SA uses supplementary allocation from the Commonwealth to clear its pipeline.

Here is the full year summary:

The final round on 21 May 2026 issued 238 invitations - 161 for the 190 and 77 for the 491. That round was confirmed as the final scheduled round for the program year. SA may issue additional invitations before 30 June 2026 to use any remaining allocation.

What the 190 vs 491 Split Actually Means

This is the most important thing to understand from the data.

The 190 is permanent residency from the day it is granted. You get it, you have PR. The 491 is a provisional 5-year visa. You must live and work in a designated regional area of South Australia for 3 years before you can apply for the permanent 887 visa.

When you see an occupation group with a strong 190 skew - like Health (609 via 190, 30 via 491) or Education (157 via 190, 38 via 491) - that means SA is offering those professionals a direct path to permanent residency. That is a significant advantage over states that push the same occupations into provisional visas.

When you see a strong 491 skew - like ICT (7 via 190, 236 via 491) - that tells you SA will nominate you in that occupation, but you will need to commit to regional living for 3 years before getting PR.

Knowing this split before you apply changes your strategy entirely.

Occupation by Occupation Breakdown

Here is the complete occupation group breakdown for 2025-26:

The Three Big Stories in the Data

Story 1: Health is the dominant pathway and it is almost entirely permanent.

639 invitations. 609 of them were 190. If you are a registered nurse, medical practitioner, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or aged care worker, South Australia is offering you permanent residency directly. This has been consistent every single round across the year. It is not a one-off - it reflects structural workforce demand that SA has been unable to fill from the local market.

Story 2: ICT professionals are being pushed into the regional 491, not permanent 190.

243 invitations sounds strong. But only 7 of those were permanent. 236 were regional provisional. If you are in ICT and your goal is PR as fast as possible, this matters. You can get nominated in SA, but you will be committing to 3 years of regional living before you access permanent residency. Some people are fine with that. Others are not. Either way, you need to know before you apply.

Story 3: Education is the underrated opportunity.

195 invitations with 157 going permanent. Early childhood teachers, secondary teachers, and special needs teachers all fall under ANZSCO Group 24. This occupation group is getting strong permanent nomination numbers with less competition than health. The 4,462 people who searched for SA nomination requirements for early childhood teachers in the last three months suggests the appetite is there. The nomination pathway is real.

What Happens on 1 July 2026

The 2025-26 program year closes on 30 June 2026. On 1 July 2026, a new allocation opens.

A few things to know about the transition:

ROIs that did not receive an invitation in 2025-26 are retained in the Application Gateway for six months and will be considered when the 2026-27 program opens. You do not need to resubmit.

The 2026-27 allocation has not been officially announced yet. Based on the national program numbers, SA is likely to receive a similar or adjusted allocation. The first invitation round of the new year typically runs in July or August.

Occupation list changes may occur at the start of the new year. SA reviews its skilled occupation list periodically and some occupations may be added or removed.

What to Do Before 1 July

If your skills assessment is current and your points score is solid, the window between now and 1 July is not dead time. Here is what to do:

Make sure your SkillSelect EOI is up to date and lists South Australia as your primary state of interest. If anything has changed - your employment, your English test, your address - update it now.

If you have not submitted a Registration of Interest through SA's portal yet, do it. Your ROI submission date matters within the same points band.

If your skills assessment is expired or about to expire, renew it before lodging anything. An expired assessment will see your application rejected.

If you are an early childhood teacher, nurse, engineer, or construction tradesperson and you are not yet in the system - this is the best time to get your profile reviewed before the new year opens.

Why Adelaide Makes Sense

Adelaide is consistently underrated as a migration destination. The cost of living is lower than Sydney or Melbourne. Commutes are shorter. The lifestyle is genuinely good.

More practically, SA's nomination program is more accessible than NSW or Victoria. The points thresholds are lower, the occupation list is broader, and the monthly invitation cadence means you are not waiting six months between rounds.

Studynash has a physical office in Adelaide. Our agents review SA nomination profiles regularly, track every invitation round, and can tell you honestly whether your profile is competitive before you spend time and money submitting.

Get a free profile assessment and we will tell you exactly where you stand.