The NSW Government has announced that Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 for the Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491) have already reached their limit for the 2025/26 program year.
These pathways opened on 19 January 2026, but because so many people applied on the first day, NSW received more applications than the number of places available. As a result, both pathways closed on the same day and are no longer accepting new applications.
What happens now?
- All applications that were already submitted will still be processed and completed.
- Applicants do not need to do anything further at this stage.
- However, processing may take longer than the expected six weeks, because NSW received a very large number of applications.
Expedited (faster) assessment requests
NSW will only consider urgent processing if the applicant has 10 business days or less before:
- Their visa (or their partner’s visa) is about to expire, or
- Important documents are about to expire, such as an English test, skills assessment, or passport, or
- They are close to an age limit that would reduce their points below the minimum requirement.
For more information click here.