The subclass 190 visa is an alternative pathway to permanent residence for those who have less points with occupations not being in the list of visa subclass 189. It requires nomination from the states/ territories government to apply for the visa. Therefore, looking at the historical data of visas granted for subclass 190 can be helpful in understanding the possibilities of being invited with candidates’ current situation. This may also help in making the decision to study the courses and work in the occupations that are in high demand in a particular state/ territory.
We have done the hard work for your by consolidating all data relating to this matter released by DHA.
Visa Applications on-hand for subclass 190 in each state/ territory as at 28/02/2021
Many people who already applied for subclass 190 often wonder when their visa is granted, especially those who are offshore. The published processing time for this visa is from 13 to 16 months. Some applicants, particularly with critical skills, are often granted the visa quicker than others.
Let’s have a look at the number of visa applications on-hand of each states to estimate when you are likely to get your visa if you already lodged.
| State/ Territory | Applications on-hand for onshore applicants | Applications on-hand for offshore applicants |
| Queensland | 653 | 683 |
| Victoria | 1,049 | 1,315 |
| New South Wales | 1,738 | 1,787 |
| South Australia | 751 | 587 |
| Northern Territory | 190 | |
| Western Australia | Not released | Not released |
| ACT | Not Released | Not Released |
Total on-hand applications for subclass 190 for over 6 months:
| Onshore | 5,284 |
| Offshore | 5,300 |
| Total | 10,584 |
As can be seen in the tables above, the on-hand applications (over 6 months) for visa subclass 190 was 10,584 as of 28/2/2021. Therefore, if you lodged your visa some time end of last year, it is likely that you will have to wait for another 8 – 12 months to be contacted by the Case Officer, unless your occupation is in Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List.
Visa Applications granted for subclass 190 between 01/07/2020 and 31/12/2020
| Onshore | 07/2020 | 08/2020 | 09/2020 | 10/2020 | 11/2020 | 12/2020 |
| Primary Applicant | 349 | 152 | 207 | 273 | 642 | 586 |
| Secondary Applicant | 210 | 103 | 106 | 156 | 285 | 315 |
| Total | 559 | 255 | 313 | 429 | 927 | 901 |
| Offshore | 07/2020 | 08/2020 | 09/2020 | 10/2020 | 11/2020 | 12/2020 |
| Primary Applicant | 8 | <5 | 53 | 37 | 57 | 25 |
| Secondary Applicant | 40 | 18 | 186 | 135 | 163 | 114 |
| Total | 48 | 20 | 239 | 172 | 210 | 139 |
The number of visa grants onshore is always significantly greater then that of offshore. Onshore applicants obviously have more advantage over offshore candidates. This encourages people to study and work in Australia before lodging their visas.
Related:
Some occupations
Besides the popular occupations that receive many invitations from the governments to apply for this visas, such as nurses, engineers, ICT engineers, scientists or social workers, many people working in less common occupations concern about their possibility of being invited and granted a visa subclass 190. Here is some data for some occupations for your reference.
Number of visa granted for particular occupations
| Occupation | Number of visas granted | Note |
| Quantity Surveyor | < 25
(from 02/2020 to 02/2021) |
Queensland had the greatest number of grants, followed by NSW.
Other states did not have any visa grants for this occupation during this period. |
| Solicitor | <10
(from 07/2020 to 12/2020) |
No state specified |
| Statistician | < 30 (from 01/2020 to 01/2021) | No state specified |
| Systems Analyst | 79
(from 01/2020 to 12/2020) |
|
| Mechanical Engineer | 73
(from 10/2020 to 01/2021) |
Western Australia had the greatest number of visa grants for this occupation (38) while ACT has the least number of grants. |
| Civil Engineer | 103
(from 07/2020 to 01/2021) |
Majority of visa grants were for onshore applications |
Northern Territory and South Australia
Northern Territory and South Australia have become the top choices for applicants who want to pursue Australian permanent residence through visa subclass 190 and subclass 491 because of its opened and flexible programs for its residence. Northern Territory also has the longest occupational lists amongst the states/ territories.
However, during Covid19, the number of visas granted for subclass 190 in Northern Territory is also limited. Let us examine the number of grants during the period from 07/2020 to 12/2020 in Northern Territory.
Besides the limited number of visas granted, the occupations being invited are those in healthcare, engineering, ICT and social professions.
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