NSW Skilled Migration November 2025 Invitation Round: Key Outcomes and Policy Signals

New South Wales has released its late-November 2025 skilled-migration invitation outcomes, revealing clear priority patterns across essential services, engineering, ICT, education and selected trades. While NSW does not pre-announce invitation rounds or publish quota-by-occupation, the released data provides valuable insight into how the state is allocating places under the Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional visa (Subclass 491).

This round reflects NSW’s ongoing emphasis on occupations that directly support legislative and policy objectives outlined in state workforce plans, including healthcare capacity, infrastructure delivery, digital transformation, and regional economic resilience.

Strong 190 Intake for Critical Occupations

A significant proportion of invitations were issued to experienced professionals in roles central to NSW’s economic and social infrastructure. Subclass 190 invitations primarily targeted:

Engineering & Technical Fields

• Mechanical Engineer : 100 points (onshore)

• Software Engineer : 100 points (onshore)

• Analyst Programmer : 95 points

• ICT Project Manager : 110 points

• Software and Applications Programmer (NEC) : 100 points

• Production Manager (Manufacturing) : 85 points

These outcomes align with NSW’s technology and infrastructure priorities, including major transport, energy and digital-modernisation projects.

Healthcare and Allied Health Heavily Represented

Health occupations continued to receive a substantial share of invitations, consistent with NSW Health workforce forecasts.

Key health invitations included:

• Hospital Pharmacist : 90 points

• Medical Laboratory Technician : 90 points (onshore and offshore)

• Medical Practitioners nec : 90 points

• Physiotherapist : 80 points

• Occupational Therapist : 65 points

The presence of both onshore and offshore invitations for laboratory and pharmacy professionals indicates persistent shortages and state-level prioritisation within clinical and diagnostic roles.

Education and Social Services Maintain Priority

Invitations were issued to:

• Early Childhood Teacher : 95 points

• Social Worker : 90 points

• Community Worker : 90 points

These results reinforce NSW’s strategic aim to stabilise staffing in early learning, community services, and frontline social programs; particularly across high-need districts.

Selected Trades and Regional Occupations Continue Through 491

Subclass 491 invitations highlight NSW’s effort to strengthen regional labour markets.

Notable 491 invitations included:

• Motor Mechanic (General) : 105 points

• Registered Nurse (nec) : 85 points

• Software and Applications Programmer NEC : 85 points

These outcomes reflect the ongoing demand for mechanics and nursing professionals across regional NSW, as well as continued opportunities for ICT specialists outside metropolitan Sydney.

Onshore Dominance Continues, with Select Offshore Invitations

While the round was largely onshore-focused, NSW issued offshore invitations where domestic supply remains insufficient; particularly in laboratory, engineering and specialist medical roles.

Offshore invitations included:

• Medical Laboratory Technician : 90 points

This targeted offshore engagement is consistent with NSW’s skilled migration settings, which allow offshore nominations only for occupations with clear workforce gaps and legislative alignment.

Points Competitiveness: Increasing Differentiation by Occupation

The Subclass 190 pathway remained highly competitive, with multiple occupations receiving invitations above 90 points.

Examples:

• ICT Project Manager : 110 points

• Mechanical Engineer : 100 points

• Software Engineer : 100 points

• Analyst Programmer : 95 points

• Early Childhood Teacher : 95 points

Meanwhile, the Subclass 491 continues to offer more accessible entry points for applicants with strong regional ties or mid-range points.

What This Round Indicates About NSW Priorities

The occupational patterns from this invitation round clearly signal the state’s migration priorities:

• Healthcare and allied health remain central due to hospital and community-care workforce shortages.

• Engineering and ICT roles continue to underpin infrastructure and digital transformation programs.

• Education and social services reflect ongoing staffing needs across early childhood, welfare, and community care.

• Trades and regional roles are crucial to supporting NSW’s distributed workforce needs outside metropolitan centres.

These trends align with broader NSW legislative frameworks, shortage lists, and workforce planning documents.

Conclusion

The November 2025 NSW invitation round demonstrates a highly targeted and evidence-based approach to skilled migration, focused on critical capacity-building sectors. With consistently high points thresholds; particularly for ICT and engineering applicants should expect continued competitiveness, especially for Subclass 190 nomination.

Subclass 491 remains a valuable pathway for regional engagement and for applicants whose profiles align with NSW’s decentralised workforce needs.

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