NSW 190 Invitations Issued Again – Engineering Occupations Dominate, Is the Application Window Closing?

On 14 May 2025, New South Wales released another round of 190 skilled migration invitations, marking the third round since mid-April. The frequency of these invitations suggests that NSW is accelerating towards the end of the financial year, aiming to allocate remaining nomination spots before 30 June. However, compared to the two earlier rounds in April and early May, the number of invitations this round has clearly decreased, indicating the “sprint phase” may be tapering off. This points to a shift in focus in the coming weeks towards processing already issued pre-invitations, rather than expanding invitation numbers further.

Engineering and Trade Occupations Dominate This Round

Based on the specific occupations and points distribution, engineering occupations took up almost all the places in this round. According to publicly available invitation data, most invitations were issued to Civil Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Construction Project Managers. The majority of these applicants were offshore and possessed considerable work experience and English language bonus points. For example, an offshore applicant in the Electrical Engineer occupation received an invitation with 85 EOI points + 5 state nomination points, along with +20 for English, +15 for work experience, and +5 for partner skills. This case shows that even with a score below 90, applicants with strong overall profiles still stand a chance. Onshore applicants such as Mechanical Engineers also received invitations with 90+5 points, with English and partner points contributing to the total.

In contrast, trade and blue-collar occupations (e.g., Fitter and Turner) or construction project management roles were among the few that received invitations with lower scores (e.g., 60+5 or 70+5). This once again proves that NSW’s skilled migration policy is still driven by practical labour demand, especially in engineering, construction, and blue-collar industries—offering a degree of opportunity for lower-scoring applicants. However, it’s important to note that even these lower-scoring cases almost always had at least 10 points from work experience and strong English proficiency, showing the competitive nature of the process remains high.

Focus Shifts to Application Processing in Coming Weeks

Overall, this round of invitations seems more like a supplementary move to cover applicants missed in the previous rounds, rather than a continuation of mass invitations. Under current procedures, all invited applicants must submit their full nomination applications and undergo assessment by 30 June. Therefore, over the next month and a half, NSW’s administrative focus will clearly shift towards processing already invited cases, rather than issuing new invitations in large numbers. This means that for those who haven’t received a pre-invitation yet, chances of being invited in this financial year are gradually decreasing.

What Should Applicants Do Next?

Given this context, we recommend the following three categories of applicants reassess their options as soon as possible: First, those with scores below 90 and occupations not in engineering or construction should lower expectations for NSW 190 in the short term. Second, those without IELTS 7 in all bands or without Australian work experience should consider switching to the 491 visa or exploring other states such as WA or SA. Third, applicants who have not yet submitted an EOI should adjust their strategy in preparation for policy updates in the new financial year from July onwards.

In summary, this round of NSW invitations is both a continuation of skilled migration policy implementation and a prelude to the wrap-up of nomination allocation. For applicants hoping to stay in Australia via the 190 visa, this period is not only a window of opportunity but also a race against time and points.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: [email protected]). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.