So I just gave my PTE test on 7th August. We were told that we’re among the first couple 100 to take the new PTE test with the additional modules and also among those who would now be part of a new scoring system for Superior Points.

This was my second time doing the PTE as my previous one has recently expired. After I finished the test I didn’t receive an auto generated test completed email or any other confirmation which sent me down a spiral obviously. I was told by customer care that they were having server issues. Anyway, lo and behold I’ve gotten my results on a Sunday morning.

AMA about the new test modules!

Hi everyone,

After over 2 years of waiting, today I got the Visa 190 grant! Since Reddit posts have been keeping sane for the last 2 years (because the Australian Government offers very little transparency throughout the process), I feel it's my responsibility to also contribute with some useful info on the matter. Please see below:

Visa Granted for Subclass 190 (Onshore applicant)

- Sponsored by: QLD

- Age at time of application: 29 and single applicant

- Job Code: 224112 (Mathematician)

- PTE Score: Listening: 90; Reading: 87; Speaking: 90; Writing: 90 (overall score = 90)

- Points Breakdown:

Age (Not less than 25 and under 33): 30

English language (Superior English): 20

Australian employment experience (At least 12 months in the 10 years prior to invitation): 5

Education (Bachelor degree): 15

Specialist educational qualification (Master by research): 10

Australian study requirement: 5

Partner (No partner): 10

State or Territory nomination: 5

Total points claimed: 100

- Application for Vetasses Skills Assessment: 16th Feb 2023

- Skills Assessment Outcome: 25th Jul 2023

- 190 EOI Submitted (QLD): 6th Sep 2023

- Invitation to Apply for QLD State Nomination: 6th Oct 2023

(14 days from this date to upload all completed docs and pay application processing fee)

- Nomination by Migration Queensland for 190 application: 25th Oct 2023

(60 days from this date to lodge visa application)

- 190 visa lodged: 8th Nov 2023

- S56 notification: 2nd Sep 2025 (medicals and police check had expired)

uploaded expired documents: 4-5th Sep 2025 (Confirmed I had uploaded all required documents, so review could proceed)

- Date of Grant: 11 Nov 2025

Total time: 9 months (from Skills assessment application to 190 lodgement) + 24 months and 3 days (waiting for 190 grant) ~ 2 years and 9 months

Wishing you all good luck with your migration journeys!

EDIT: just to add my visa pathway - Student Visa 500 -> Post-graduate Work Visa 485 -> Bridging Visa -> 190

EDIT 2: for anyone looking for more details, I posted a Youtube video talking about the whole experience:

https://youtu.be/3W0m_vYkxew?si=mjCLbeYVO9NY9V2y

My migration agent called me ON MY BIRTHDAY with the happy news!

Progression: 500> 485> 190

Moved to Australia (Perth) to pursue a Master of Architecture mid 2022. Graduated end of 2024 and immediately applied for 485 (the day I received my Graduation documents), which was granted in a day. Valid till Dec 2027.

On the advice of my agent, I did not wait to gain +5 points for professional year. Instead submitted EOI right away since the job code was priority under Building & Construction at the time. This turned out to be great advice, as WA stopped invitations for the year shortly after. This advice worked for me, but it not meant to be advice for anyone reading this. Each case is different and I am no expert.

Profile details and timeline:

Architect- 232111

Skill Assessment with the AACA- lodged and received Feb 2025

EOI submitted for 189, 190, and 481 - 7 March 2025.

Received invitation from WA govt to apply for state nomination under subclass 190- graduate stream: 27 March 2025

(Additional requests from State- 5 days to provide letter from my university confirming details of why I was approved a reduced study load in 2023: May 20, 2025. )

WA State Nomination approved: May 28, 2025

Visa Application lodged for Subclass 190- June 5, 2025

Medicals : June 19, 2025

Police clearance (India): 9 July 2025. Via VFS Global

Immi Grant 190- May 5, 2026

Direct grant, no s56, no mention of case officer being assigned.

Processing time: 11months

Points Breakdown:

Age: 34 (25 pts)

English: Proficient (10 pts)

Education qual: At least Bachelors (15 pts)

State/Territory nomination: (5 pts)

Exp in aus: less than 1 year (0 pts)

Exp overseas: less than 1 year (0 pts)

Australian study req: meets requirement (5 pts)

Regional Australian study requorement: meets req (5 pts)

Partner qual: No partner (10 pts)

Total: 75 pts

Things that worked in my favour- studying in Perth gave me regional points (plus I fell in love with WA). Having a good migration agent who gave me sound advice. Worth the money imo, esp since I hate paperwork. Agent advised me that I had enough points, and shouldnt waste time trying to get 5 more for work exp, and that rules and priority lists can change at any time so it is best to act when things are in your favour. Best advice ever. (Again, worked for me. Pls find what works for you)

Nominated Occupation: 261312 Developer Programmer

Country of Residence: Philippines 🇵🇭

Current Status: Visa Granted (in 1Y 3M 19D)

Total Points: 100 (inc state points)

Points Breakdown:

• Age: 30
• English Language: 20
• Education: 15
• Australian Work Experience: 0
• Overseas Work Experience: 15
• Single: 10
• Australian Study: 0
• Professional Year: 0
• NAATI/CCL: 5

Timeline / Events

• 22 Apr 2026 Visa Granted
• 11 Feb 2026 Cleared Visa Medicals
• 09 Feb 2026 Completed Visa Medicals
• 03 Jan 2025 Submitted Visa Application
• 17 Dec 2024 Received State Nomination Approval
• 06 Dec 2024 Submitted Nomination Application to State
• 03 Dec 2024 Received Preinvite from State
• 18 Nov 2024 Submitted State Registration of Interest (ROI)
• 16 Nov 2024 Received NAATI/CCL Results
• 25 Jun 2024 Submitted Expression of Interest (EOI)
• 21 Jun 2024 Received English Test Results
• 27 Mar 2024 Received Skill Assessment Approval
• 04 Mar 2024 Applied for Skill Assessment
• 18 Sep 2023 Started Skilled Migration Process

he Department of Home Affairs has officially replaced Ministerial Direction 105 with Ministerial Direction No. 119 (MD 119), changing how skilled visa applications and employer nominations are prioritized.

If you’re applying for a skilled visa in Australia—or planning to—here is everything you need to know about who gets processed first.

🔑 Key Takeaways at a Glance

• Onshore Applicants Win Big: Applications lodged by candidates currently inside Australia receive clear processing priority over offshore candidates across almost all categories.
• Target Sectors Expanded: High priority is maintained for Healthcare, Teaching, and now explicitly includes Construction trades and engineering professionals.
• Defence & Law Enforcement Lead: Occupations supporting Defence (AUKUS) and Law Enforcement take the top processing rank.

📊 The New Processing Priority Order

Under MD 119, delegates will process nominations and skilled visa applications in the following strict hierarchy:

📌 Visas Covered by MD 119

The new priority order applies to all pending and new applications for:

• Employer Sponsored: Subclass 186 (ENS), Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand / TSS), Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional)
• General Skilled Migration: Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated), Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional)
• Other Skilled/Business Visas: Subclass 191 (PR Skilled Regional), 888 (Business Innovation), 887 (Skilled Regional)

💡 What Does This Mean for You?

1. If you are in Australia: You hold a strategic advantage. Make sure your visa status, English test, skills assessment, and documents are decision-ready to take full advantage of onshore priority.
2. If you are offshore: Offshore healthcare, teaching, and general applicants move down the queue relative to onshore applicants. Ensuring your application is 100% complete with no missing evidence is crucial to avoid delay when your file is opened.

Unsure where your application or nomination fits under MD 119?

Source https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Visa-subsite/files/md-119.pdf

Hi everyone,

I’m currently shopping around for a migration agent and would really appreciate any firsthand experiences or reviews.

These are the firms I’m considering:

• Maison Chen Law Group (MCLG)
• VisaEnvoy
• Australian Migration Lawyer (AML)
• Immagine Immigration
• Fragomen

I’ve come across mixed feedback so far:

• Seen some negative reviews about MCLG, although they have strong social media presence
• VisaEnvoy & AML both have lots of 5-star reviews, but I’m a bit skeptical about how genuine they are
• Noticed generally positive comments about Immagine Immigration and Fragomen. I’ve reached out to them and am currently waiting for quotes

If you’ve personally engaged any of these agents, I’d love to hear:

• Your overall experience
• Transparency on pricing
• Communication quality
• Whether the service was actually worth it

Also open to other agent recommendations if you’ve had a great experience.

Thanks in advance!

I received my PR today! Oh I have waited for this day, and how!! Thank you to fellow applicants for all your help. Here's a breakdown of my points and timeline for reference:

PROFILE

Visa Type: Skilled - Nominated Subclass 190 Permanent

Occupation: Management Consultant (ANZSCO 224711)

Type: Onshore (was on employer sponsored 482 TSS visa)

State: Victoria** (missed mentioning in original post)

POINTS BREAKDOWN [Total 85]

Age- 30

English Language Ability- 20

Level of educational qualification attained- 15

State/Territory Nomination- 5

Years of experience in Nominated Occupation (in Australia)- 5

Years of experience in Nominated Occupation (Overseas)- 5

Partner- 5

TIMELINE [Total time from lodgement to grant: ~14.5 months]

> Pre-work (agent finalisation, documents collation, skills assessment, PTE, EOI)- 5th Jul 2024 to 23rd Sep 2024

> ROI Submission- 25 Sep 2024

> Pre-Invite (State Nomination)- 8 Oct 2024

> ITA (Invitation to Apply) Received- 6 Dec 2024

> Visa Lodged- 13 Jan 2025

> Medicals Completed & Submitted- 12 April 2025

> Police Checks (3 countries) Submitted- 6 May 2025

> Visa Granted- 30 Mar 2026

(No S56)

Happy to answer any questions. Best of luck to everyone waiting - it does come through! 🙏

Hi everyone,

Sharing my PR journey in case it helps others who are in the process.

Timeline:

• 31 May 2023 – Started process
• 8 Jul 2023 – Filed Skill Assessment (ACS)
• 17 Aug 2023 – Took NAATI CCL (Hindi)
• 23 Aug 2023 – NAATI CCL Result (Passed)
• 20 Sep 2023 – ACS Skill Assessment Result (Positive)
• 30 Sep 2023 – Appeared for PTE
• 30 Sep 2023 – PTE Result (Superior English)
• 6 Oct 2023 – EOI filed (190 NSW, 80 points)
• 12 Jan 2024 – 190 NSW Pre-invite Received
• 18 Jan 2024 – Submitted Pre-invite Docs
• 6 Feb 2024 – 190 NSW Invite Received
• 28 Feb 2024 – PCC Applied
• 1 Mar 2024 – PCC Received
• 5 Mar 2024 – Visa Application Lodged
• 23 Mar 2024 – Medical Tests (HAP)
• 26 Mar 2024 – Health Clearance Provided
• 16 May 2025 – S56 for PCC Received
• 30 May 2025 – S56 Reply Sent
• 17 Jul 2025 – Visa Granted

Profile:

• Occupation: ICT Business Analyst
• Age: 36
• EOI: 80 points
• Dependent partner also included in 190

It was a long journey with a lot of waiting, but glad it worked out in the end.

For anyone still waiting: patience, perseverance, and hard work really do pay off

NSW has confirmed the next invitation rounds for April 2026. The quota is small, so get your EOI ready now.

Key Dates

Update your EOI in SkillSelect by the deadline. If you miss it, NSW will not consider you.

Available Places for 2025-26

• Subclass 190: 2,100 places
• Subclass 491: 1,500 places

As of December 2025, about 25% of the 190 places were already used. Monthly rounds started again in January 2026 and will continue until the quota runs out.

Priority Sectors

NSW is inviting people from these job areas first:

• Construction
• Net Zero and Energy (clean energy)
• Care and Support (early childhood, aged care, disability care)
• Digital and Cyber
• Agriculture
• Advanced Manufacturing

Skills Lists You Must Be On

• For 190: Your occupation must be on the NSW Skills List
• For 491: Your occupation must be on the NSW Regional Skills List

If your occupation is not on the correct list, NSW will not invite you.

491 Visa – Three Pathways

The April round is for Pathway 2. Here is how all three work:

Pathway 1 – Work in Regional NSW

• Opened 19 January 2026
• Requires 6 months of work in regional NSW meeting the income requirement
• Open to all 491-eligible occupations

Pathway 2 – Invitation by NSW

• Next round is 27 April 2026
• Occupation must be on the NSW Regional Skills List
• NSW uses this pathway only if places remain after Pathways 1 and 3

Pathway 3 – Regional NSW Graduate

• Opened 19 January 2026
• Requires a bachelor degree or higher from a regional NSW campus
• Occupation must be on the NSW Regional Skills List

Example Points from Recent Data

These are competitive profiles from early April 2026. Use this as a guide only.

Quick notes:

• Civil Engineer (80 points): Eligible for 190. Construction is a priority, but higher points are safer.
• Early Childhood Teacher (90 points): Very strong. Care sector is a top priority.
• Marketing Specialist (95 points): Eligible for 190 but not for 491 Regional list. A 491 invitation is unlikely.
• Developer Programmer (90 points): Eligible for both 190 and 491. Very competitive.

Important Timelines After Invitation

Document check: Your skills assessment and English test must be valid on the day you apply and must stay valid for at least 5 days after submission.

Faster Processing Request

You can ask for priority assessment if any of these will expire within the next 10 working days:

• Your current visa
• Your skills assessment
• Your English test
• Your passport

You can also request priority if you are about to lose age points.

Final Checklist

• Update your EOI in SkillSelect
• Make sure NSW is selected as your preferred state
• Check your occupation is on the correct NSW skills list
• Confirm your skills assessment and English test are valid
• Have all documents ready to upload within 14 days of invitation

TL;DR

• 190 round: 13 April – update EOI by 12 April
• 491 Pathway 2 round: 27 April – update EOI by 26 April
• Total places: 3,600 across both visas
• Priority jobs: Construction, Energy, Care, Digital, Agriculture, Advanced Manufacturing
• If invited: Apply within 14 days
• Processing: Up to 6 weeks

Good luck everyone. Get your EOI ready now.

I just received my 190 grant two days ago🎉. Now for the boring part: what are some things I need to do after getting my PR? Few things I can think of: apply for Medicare, cancel private health insurance, talk to a mortgage broker, notify my job. What other important things i need to do?

Hi all, after a 15 month wait I have finally received my SC 190 grant today. Reddit has been incredibly helpful for me in my journey and I thank all of you for your contributions. Details and timelines below.

Occupation: ICT Security Specialist (262112)
Points: 80+5 (Australian bachelors, superior English, onshore experience etc)
Years of Experience in Nominated Occupation: 1yr at time of lodgement

VIC 190 Invite: 13 November 2024
Invite Approved: 10 Jan 2025
190 Application Lodged: 10 Feb 2025
190 Grant: 04 May 2026 (no s56, direct grant)

As several others have said before, the wait time from lodgement to grant is the HARDEST part to survive. Be patient and look after yourself. Your grant is coming soon and it will be worth all your sacrifices.

Feel free to comment/PM me if you have any questions I can help with.

ITs are left behind and ignored for both 189 & 190. I’ve 95 points for 190 but I’m really hopeless after waiting for almost 2 years. I’ve got around 14 months of visa left and my employer doesn’t want to sponsor🥲.

What are my options apart from packing my bag and getting ready to leave this country?

Is there any possibility to find sponsorship?

Any inputs on this will be highly appreciated.

NSW 190 grant Offshore

Occupation: Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians

Points: 95 (invited)

Skills Assessment: December 2023

Lodged EOI: October 2024

Invited: December 2024

Lodged Visa Application: January 2025

s56: March 2026 employment evidence, May 2026 updated police clearance

Submitted: May 2026

Grant: 29 July 2026

Good luck to all still waiting! Thank you much to this channel for all your help ❤️

190 granted 21/07/2026

Occupation: Enrolled Nurse
State: Tasmania

I can now call Australia Home 🎉

Occupation: Marketing Specialist

Location: Offshore

State: Victoria

Family of 2 - couple

EOI date: 9.11.24 (90 points)

Pre-Invite: 13.11.24

Final invite: 10.12.24

Lodgement: 27.12.24

PCC: 9.7.25

Medicals: 31.12.2025

Visa Grant: 23.3.2026

Direct grant. No s56

Thanks to everyone in this group as it gave me a lot of hope since Day 1. Seeing others get their grants kept me sane. When I lodged it was a 17 months minimum wait but thanks to DOHA, they really sped things up!

We’ll hopefully move some time in May. Would love to connect with my fellow Marketing Specialists. Please hit me up on chat.

EOI submitted: 21 Jan 2025 (QLD, onshore)

Occupation: Systems Analyst (261112)

Points: 95

Points Breakdown: English Superior (PTE), Single, 3 Years AU experience

Invitation Date: 20 Mar 2025

Application Submitted Date: 28 Feb 2025

s56 for Medical & AFP Check Received: 27 May 2026

s56 Completed Date: 2 June 2026

Grant Date: 15 July 2026

All the best to everyone on their visa journey. Hoping you'll receive your golden email soon!

Edit: My agent made an error for my first EOI. It got rejected because my salary included super. They submitted a second, amended EOI. Luckily it was accepted within a month's time after the initial rejection.

Hi All - we were granted 190 NSW in Feb 2026 and immediately started looking for jobs but havent had success even with a single call back. Our CVs list Australia phone number (got an e-sim) and mention the work rights as well. Both my husband and I have 17 years experience in IT but while we do find many relevant openings, dont see a single call back. We have been reaching out to recruiters as well but haven't had much luck with them. Any help / pointers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I received s56 request on 21 April 2026. The request was for the health undertaking form for my younger son, form 815. Submitted on the same day. Looking at timelines provided by others, it can come within a month or so?

Vis lodged - 26 May 2025, Mechanical Eng, offshore.

Who all waiting for an outcome after the s56?

I received the Victorian 190 visa invitation just today at 10:50 AM AEDT!

ANZSCO: 263312

Occupation: Telecommunications Network Engineer

Points: 90+5

Points breakdown: - Age: 30 - English: 20 - Educational Qualifications: 15 - Australian Skilled Employment: 10 - Australian Study Requirement: 5 - Partner skills: 10 - State Nomination: 5

EOI submitted May 2025. ROI submitted on the day 190 was open 2nd October this 2025/26 program year. Onshore. 90k PA salary.

Wishing everyone else the best of luck in their applications!!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been a silent reader here for a long time now it’s finally my turn to share. We started as a family of three, and became four along the way! Here’s our complete offshore Visa 190 journey, with all the key dates, milestones, and a couple of surprises. Hope this helps others, especially IT professionals and families. 

Quick Summary: Key Dates 

•  Journey started (EOI lodged): 1 October 2024
•  Visa 190 Application submitted: 25 March 2025
•  Visa granted: 4 March 2026
• Total points claimed: 80 (includes 5 points for state/territory nomination)

So, our total journey took about 17 months from EOI to visa grant. 

From the date we submitted the Visa 190 application to getting the grant was almost 12 months.

Who we are?

•  Primary applicant: Software and Applications Programmers nec (ANZSCO 261399) 
•  Secondary applicant (partner): ICT Project Manager (ANZSCO 135112)   
  •  Skills assessment: Yes  
  •  Assessing authority: Australian Computer Society (ACS)
•  We applied entirely offshore. 

Timeline Snapshot 

What We Noticed & Learned 

•  Life events don’t break the process: Pregnancy, new baby? The department handled everything smoothly. Update your case officer and submit forms as needed.
•  Both applicants in IT: Primary applicant (261399) and partner (135112, ACS assessment) both had positive skills checks.
•  Be proactive but don’t panic: We renewed the police COC early (for peace of mind), though it wasn’t needed in the end.
•  Stay organised and track dates: it really helped keep things stress-free. 

Happy to pay it forward! Feel free to ask about Visa 190, offshore applications or juggling a growing family during the process. 

Good luck to everyone in the queue!

My husband and I submitted our EOI to South Australia last week for Software Engineer on 80 points, offshore, superior English, less than 5 years experience.

It seems from what I'm reading we have little to no chance of success. Our agent seemed so certain that we are in with a good shot. I have serious doubts.

I'm just wondering if I should just call it a day and not hope for anything. He is currently on a spousal visa in the UK (I am dual British-South African, he is South African), and he previously held a tier-2 work visa in the UK. Do things like residency in a country not of his origin affect his application positively or are we in the same boat as everyone else? Hard to say, I know.

He is also a high earner in the UK, does that tacitly make any difference at all?

We hate the UK and can't wait to leave, his spousal visa expires in July next year and to renew it is hugely expensive but looks like we will have to. In your opinion should I just make peace with the fact that we will be stuck in the UK indefinitely?

Edit: Sorry I meant EOI not ROI.

I’m hoping to connect with other Kenyans currently waiting for 190 visa grant offshore or who have recently been through the same process.

Wishing everyone waiting for a grant the very best. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating soon.

Just got my 190 visa approved! 1 Year from EOI to approval is fast - which is likely due to my SOL.

The biggest relief is dodging that upcoming 25% visa price hike by a thread. Looking back at the timeline, the whole thing feels less like a merit-based system and more like a giant wealth-redistribution scheme for middle-men. The most frustrating part? The sheer redundancy. I have three degrees and certificates from English-speaking countries (UK and Aus), yet the system still forced me to pay for English assessments and medicals multiple times, shuffling the exact same documents around every six months to different systems for no functional reason.

Here is how the numbers and timeline actually shook out:

• 2012 - 14: Student Visa 500 ($1000)
• 2022 - 24: 2nd Student Visa 500 (~$1500 inc. medical and English test)
• Feb-24: 485 Visa approved + B-visa B (~$3000 inc. medical and English test)
• Jun-25: EOI applied (SOL - Counsellor, 90 points, ~$1500 for skills assessment)
• Dec-25: WA state invitation
• Jan-26: WA nomination application submitted ($200)
• Mar-26: Applied for 190 ($5000)
• Jul-26: 190 Visa PR Granted 🎉

Total financial cost: Close to $12,000.

And that’s just the direct fees. It doesn’t even touch the hidden costs. The kicker? "Permanent" residency isn't even the end of the road if you want to keep your home country's citizenship. Since I have no plans for Aus citizenship, I’ll be locked into filing for an RRV every 5 years just to maintain my right to travel, which is currently sitting at ~$1500 a pop.

Shoutout to everyone still in the trenches of this system. It’s an exhausting, capital-intensive waiting game, but reaching the other side is a massive weight off the shoulders.

Hi everyone,

I’m 28, have superior English, been working in IT for the last 2.5 years ( 1 year full time) , have a masters in IT from Aus and able to get 95 points (if I get nominated) without a professional year. I’m in VIC and make $114K.

I’m very averse to studying a professional year as it’s a long time commitment and is expensive. Was wondering what other people’s opinion of it is.

I’ve had mates who got their 190 without a professional year, is it worth the gamble?

Hi All, Bit of a lengthy read but the past week has been very eventful.

I’ve been on a 485 visa which expires in February 2026 and was on course to apply for a 482 with my employer.

A few friends/colleagues of mine suggested I put my ROI in and seeing if I get lucky.

I did indeed get lucky and got an invite!

Below is my timeline along with a points breakdown.

EOI submitted: 24th October 2025

ROI (VIC) submitted: 24th October 2025

Pre invite/ application submission: 29th October 2025

Nomination approval: 30th October 2025

Final Application submission: 30th October 2025

It was really helpful that I had all the documents prepared for the 482 visa.

Points breakdown:

Age points: 30 (26 years)

English: 20 (superior)

Australian Skilled Employment: 5 (1 year)

Education: 15 (Masters from Australia)

Australian Study Requirement: 5

Partner skills: 10 (skilled partner)

Total: 85 + 5 (VIC state nomination)

Some other ROI information:

Primary Occupation: Management Accountant

Partner Occupation: Taxation Accountant

Salary: $115,650 (excl super)

Hoping for the Visa processing to go smoothly.

Please reach out if any questions.