NSW Skilled Migration Invitation Round: 4 March 2026

New South Wales conducted a Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) invitation round on 4 March 2026, with invitations issued across a wide range of occupations including trades, healthcare, ICT, engineering, construction, education, and social services. The round shows a clear preference for onshore candidates, with the majority of invitations issued to applicants already in Australia. Point thresholds varied significantly across industries, reflecting labour shortages in some sectors and intense competition in others.

Below is a breakdown of the minimum invitation points by industry and occupation.

Industry	Occupation	Residency	Lowest cut-off points
Trades	Welder	Onshore	65
Trades	Carpenter	Onshore	70
Trades	Painting Trades Worker	Onshore	75
Trades	Electrician	Onshore	85
Trades	Motor Mechanic (General)	Onshore	85
Health & Medical	Registered Nurse (Aged Care)	Onshore	80
Health & Medical	Registered Nurse	Onshore	100
Health & Medical	Registered Nurse (NEC)	Onshore	100
Health & Medical	Speech Pathologist	Onshore	80
Health & Medical	Physiotherapist	Onshore	85
Health & Medical	Medical Diagnostic Radiographer	Onshore	85
Health & Medical	Resident Medical Officer	Onshore	85
Health & Medical	General Practitioner	Onshore	85
ICT	Developer Programmer	Onshore	95
ICT	ICT Security Specialist	Onshore	95
ICT	Software Engineer	Onshore	100
ICT	ICT Business Analyst	Onshore	105
ICT	Software & Application Programmer NEC	Onshore	110
Engineering	Civil Engineer	Onshore	85
Engineering	Engineering Professionals NEC	Onshore	110
Building & Construction	Architectural Draftsperson	Onshore	90
Building & Construction	Architect	Onshore	95
Building & Construction	Construction Project Manager	Onshore	90
Education	Early Childhood Teacher	Onshore	85
Social & Community	Community Worker	Onshore	80
Social & Community	Social Worker	Onshore	80
Business & Professional	Accountant (General)	Onshore	95
Business & Professional	Pharmacy Technician	Onshore	95
Safety & Compliance	Occupational Health & Safety Advisor	Offshore	75

Key Insights from the March 2026 NSW Invitation Round

1. Trades Continue to Receive Invitations at Lower Points

Trade occupations recorded the lowest invitation thresholds in this round, particularly:

• Welders: 65 points

• Carpenters:70 points

• Painting Trades workers: 75 points

This suggests ongoing construction and infrastructure demand across New South Wales. However, more regulated or licensed trades such as electricians and motor mechanics required 85 points, reflecting higher competition or stricter workforce requirements.

2. Healthcare Remains a Core Migration Priority

Healthcare occupations were strongly represented in the round. Most invitations were issued between 80 and 100 points, including:

• Speech Pathologists: 80 points

• Physiotherapists: 85 points

• Medical Diagnostic Radiographers: 85 points

• Registered Nurses: starting from 80 points

Healthcare continues to be a structural shortage sector in Australia, particularly in aged care and regional health services.

3. ICT Occupations Remain Highly Competitive

Technology occupations recorded some of the highest point thresholds in the round.

Examples include:

• Developer Programmer: 95 points

• ICT Security Specialist: 95 points

• Software Engineer: 100 points

• ICT Business Analyst: 105 points

• Software & Application Programmer NEC: 110 points

These thresholds indicate that ICT migration remains heavily oversubscribed, with large numbers of applicants competing for limited nomination places.

4. Engineers See Wide Point Variations

Engineering occupations displayed significant variation in invitation thresholds. Civil Engineers received invitations between 85 and 100 points. Engineering Professionals NEC reached 110 points. The range suggests NSW may be prioritising specific experience profiles or sectors within engineering, such as infrastructure, construction, and major projects.

5. Early Childhood Teachers Remain in Demand

Education occupations were also invited in this round. Early Childhood Teachers received invitations between 80 and 90 points, reflecting ongoing workforce shortages across childcare services in Australia.

6. Invitations Predominantly Issued to Onshore Applicants

One of the most notable trends in the March round is the dominance of onshore invitations. Almost all invitations were issued to applicants already living and working in Australia, with very limited offshore selections. This aligns with broader migration policy trends where states prioritise candidates who:

• Are already contributing to the Australian labour market

• Have Australian work experience

• Are more immediately deployable into local shortages.

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The NSW March 2026 invitation round reinforces several key realities of Australia’s skilled migration system:

• Point thresholds vary dramatically between occupations

• ICT and engineering remain highly competitive

• Trades and healthcare continue to see strong demand

• Onshore applicants have a clear advantage in state nominations

Invitation is no longer determined purely by points. Occupation demand, industry shortages, and state nomination priorities increasingly influence who receives invitations. Applicants with extensive industry experience and Research, PhD accreditation are often prioritised in NSW alike all other states despite sometimes having lower cut-off points than other similar candidates without having these higher qualifications. At Newsted, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.