491 pool surges 22% as NSW opens its nomination lists wide — May 2026

Headlines

The headline number for May is the complete collapse of the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) INVITED pool — from 3,011 EOIs in April to zero as at 31 May 2026. This is a point-in-time snapshot of valid 24-month-window EOIs in INVITED status; a pool of zero almost certainly means no invitation rounds ran in this subclass during the period, and any previously invited EOIs have since moved to LODGED or fallen off the window. Applicants holding a 189 EOI at a competitive points score should watch closely for whether rounds resume in June.

Against that backdrop, the Skilled Regional (Subclass 491) INVITED pool grew by nearly a quarter (8,241 → 10,083, ↑ 1,842, +22.4%), and the Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) pool edged down modestly (12,869 → 12,508, ↓ 361). Both movements are linked to the sweeping nomination list changes described below. See last month's snapshot for the April baseline.

The 491 surge and where it came from

The 491 pool's jump is the biggest month-on-month swing in this snapshot. SA recorded the largest absolute increase among states, with its 491 INVITED pool expanding from 1,590 to 2,200 (↑ 610). NSW's 491 pool more than doubled (1,010 → 1,801, ↑ 791), recovering strongly after April's recap showed it nearly halved. ACT was the only state to decline slightly (930 → 890, ↓ 40); QLD was essentially flat (1,270 → 1,280, ↑ 10); all other states rose.

On the 190 side, SA bucked the national dip — its pool rose from 1,920 to 2,540 (↑ 620), making it the largest state 190 pool this month. NSW's 190 INVITED pool fell from 2,180 to 1,640 (↓ 540), and WA dropped from 2,009 to 1,778 (↓ 231). VIC, QLD, TAS, and NT all fell slightly; ACT was the only other state to gain (830 → 920, ↑ 90).

Drill into the per-state occupation cuts in the dashboard.

Top occupations on the 190

Registered Nurses nec MLTSSL held the top spot on the 190 (360 EOIs in INVITED, down slightly from 370). The most notable mover is Secondary School Teacher MLTSSL, which surged from rank 17 to rank 5 (180 → 270 EOIs). Occupational Therapist MLTSSL made an even bigger jump — from rank 25 to rank 8 (150 → 250). Meanwhile, Construction Project Manager MLTSSL slipped from rank 2 to rank 4 (350 → 290) and Civil Engineer MLTSSL fell from rank 4 to rank 6 (330 → 260).

Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher MLTSSL climbed from rank 6 to rank 2 (310 → 320), and Primary School Teacher STSOL entered the top 10 at rank 10. The overall picture is a shift toward health and education occupations and away from construction managers and engineers at the top of the rankings.

State nomination list changes

May saw two major waves of state list updates.

NSW — effective 10 May 2026: NSW published one of the most expansive list updates on record, adding well over 100 occupations to both its 190 and 491 nomination lists. The additions span virtually every major occupation group: all engineering disciplines (ANZSCO 2332–2339), the full suite of registered nursing specialties (ANZSCO 2544), medical practitioners and surgeons (ANZSCO 2531–2539), ICT professionals including Software Engineers, Cyber Security Engineer, and DevOps Engineer (ANZSCO 2613–2621), allied health professions including Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist, teachers at all levels (ANZSCO 2411–2421), psychologists (ANZSCO 2723), construction and building technicians (ANZSCO 3121–3129), and a full range of trades from Carpenters and Electricians to Plumbers and Welders (ANZSCO 3311–3424). The 491 additions also included crop farmers (ANZSCO 1212) and agricultural technicians (ANZSCO 3111), occupations not added to the 190 list. On 24 May, NSW separately added User Experience Designer (ICT) to both its 190 and 491 lists.

NT — effective 8 May 2026: NT undertook what appears to be a list refresh — dozens of occupations were removed and immediately re-added on the same date on both the 190 and 491 lists (the earlier versions had been added on 6 May). The net result is that NT's occupation coverage was maintained, with new genuine additions including Panelbeater, Baker, Pastrycook, Chef, Cook, Hairdresser, Gardener (General), Property Manager, Dental Therapist, and Enrolled Nurse on the 491. These represent genuine occupational expansions for the NT.

Processing time update

The 190 p75 processing time moved from 15 months to 16 months (effective 29 May 2026), while the median held at 14 months. This means three-quarters of 190 applicants are now being granted within 16 months of lodgement — one month longer than the figure reported last month. The shift is modest but applicants should factor the extended upper-band timeline into their planning.

What to watch

With the 189 pool sitting at zero, the key question for June is whether any 189 invitation rounds run — and at what points score. NSW's enormous May list expansion for both 190 and 491 will take time to flow through into EOI submission volumes; watch whether NSW's state pools continue to climb next month as newly eligible applicants lodge EOIs.

Common questions

Why did the 189 INVITED pool drop to zero in May 2026?

The 189 pool as at 31 May 2026 shows zero EOIs in INVITED status, down from 3,011 in April. This snapshot reflects a rolling 24-month window of valid EOIs — a pool of zero indicates that no 189 invitation rounds appear to have run during the snapshot period and that previously invited EOIs have moved on to LODGED or expired from the window. It does not necessarily mean the 189 program has closed; applicants should monitor the next SkillSelect round announcement from the Department.

What is driving the 491 INVITED pool increase in May?

The 491 pool grew by 1,842 EOIs (8,241 → 10,083, +22.4%), with SA and NSW recording the largest state-level increases. The timing aligns closely with NSW's 10 May nomination list expansion, which added hundreds of occupations to the NSW 491 list and opened nomination eligibility to many applicants who could not previously receive a state nomination. More eligible applicants means more EOIs can receive invitations in that state pool.

Does the 190 p75 processing time increase mean my wait will be longer?

The 190 p75 moved from 15 to 16 months as at 29 May 2026, while the median remained at 14 months. The p75 figure means three-quarters of 190 visa grants are occurring within 16 months of lodgement — not that everyone waits that long. Individual cases vary based on occupation, state, and whether additional documents are requested. The one-month increase at the 75th percentile is worth noting in your planning but is not a dramatic shift.

Should I apply for NSW 491 nomination now that so many occupations have been added?

NSW's 10 May 2026 list update added an extensive range of occupations across health, engineering, ICT, trades, education, and more. If your occupation is newly listed, you are now eligible to apply for NSW nomination — but eligibility for the state list is only one criterion. You still need to meet NSW's nomination requirements (typically skills assessment, English, and points threshold) and have a valid EOI in SkillSelect. Check NSW's official nomination guidelines for current quota and any additional criteria before applying.

Why did SA's 190 pool grow while most other states declined?

SA's 190 INVITED pool rose from 1,920 to 2,540 (↑ 620) — the largest state-level gain on the 190 this month, making SA the biggest single-state pool. This reflects a point-in-time snapshot and could be driven by SA running additional 190 nomination rounds in May, a higher volume of SA-nominated EOIs transitioning into INVITED status, or fewer EOIs moving to LODGED compared to other states. SA has historically been one of the more active state nominators; tracking whether this level holds in June will indicate whether it is a structural shift or a monthly fluctuation.

This post was generated from the latest SkillSelect snapshot. Explore the same data in the dashboard.