South Australia Skilled Migration Invitation Round: March 2026

South Australia conducted a Skilled Migration invitation round in March 2026, issuing invitations under both the Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491).

A total of 406 invitations were issued, including 242 invitations under Subclass 190 and 164 invitations under Subclass 491. The round targeted occupations across healthcare, engineering, ICT, education, construction and technical trades, reflecting South Australia’s continued use of state nomination to address labour shortages across key sectors of its economy.

Current program utilisation also shows the state is steadily progressing through its annual nomination allocation, with 79% of the Subclass 190 allocation and 68% of the Subclass 491 allocation already utilised for the 2025-26 program year.

ANZSCO Sub-Major Group	Subclass 190	Subclass 491
Specialist Managers	18	5
Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers	0	4
Business, Human Resource and Marketing Professionals	1	21
Design, Engineering, Science and Transport Professionals	44	9
Education Professionals	30	6
Health Professionals	96	1
ICT Professionals	0	42
Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals	11	2
Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians	9	31
Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers	7	3
Construction Trades Workers	17	6
Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers	8	5
Food Trades Workers	0	4
Skilled Animal, Agricultural and Horticultural Workers	0	1
Health and Welfare Support Workers	1	14
Office Managers and Program Administrators	0	10
Total	242	164

Key Trends from the South Australia March 2026 Invitation Round

Healthcare dominates Subclass 190 nominations

Healthcare occupations received the largest share of Subclass 190 invitations, with 96 invitations issued to Health Professionals. This reflects ongoing workforce shortages across hospitals, aged care facilities and community health services throughout South Australia. Healthcare continues to remain one of the most consistent pathways for Subclass 190 state nomination in the state.

ICT professionals performing strongly under Subclass 491

While no ICT invitations were issued under Subclass 190 in this round, the sector continues to perform strongly under the Subclass 491 regional visa pathway. In fact, ICT Professionals received 42 invitations under Subclass 491, making it the largest occupational group invited under the 491 category in this round. This indicates that South Australia is actively utilising the regional skilled visa program to attract technology professionals, and suggests that IT applicants remain well positioned for state nomination in South Australia, particularly through the Subclass 491 pathway.

Engineering and technical occupations remain a priority

Engineering and technical occupations also received a significant number of invitations. The Design, Engineering, Science and Transport Professionals group received 53 invitations across both visa subclasses, while Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians recorded 40 invitations. This reflects continued labour demand linked to infrastructure projects, manufacturing activity and technical services across South Australia.

Education and community occupations continue to receive invitations

Education professionals also recorded strong nomination activity, with 30 Subclass 190 invitations issued in this category.In addition, occupations within legal, social and welfare professions received 13 invitations across both subclasses, highlighting continued demand across community services, welfare and social support sectors.

Construction and trade occupations remain part of the state’s migration strategy

South Australia continues to invite a range of skilled trade occupations to support construction and infrastructure development. Examples include:

• Construction Trades Workers: 23 invitations

• Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers: 10 invitations

• Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers: 13 invitations

These occupations remain critical to addressing labour shortages in housing construction, infrastructure delivery and maintenance sectors.

South Australia Skilled Migration Outlook

The South Australia skilled migration invitation round for March 2026 highlights several clear trends within the state’s migration strategy. Healthcare occupations continue to dominate Subclass 190 nominations, while ICT and technical occupations are increasingly invited under the Subclass 491 regional pathway. Engineering, construction and education sectors also remain consistent components of South Australia’s state nomination program.

With a significant portion of the 2025-26 nomination allocation already utilised, further invitation rounds are expected to remain targeted toward occupations experiencing ongoing labour shortages across the state. 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.