Big news for those planning to apply for state nomination in Western Australia (WA) this year! 
The WA Government has confirmed that the State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) allocation for 2025–26 will be cut from 5,000 places last year down to only 3,400 places. 
This change comes as part of a broader national adjustment — the Australian Government has reduced the total number of state and territory nomination slots from 26,260 (2024–25) to 20,350 (2025–26).
In response, the Premier of Western Australia has written to the Prime Minister, urging the Commonwealth to restore WA’s quota to at least 5,000 places to meet the state’s growing demand for skilled workers.WA has requested:
3,000 places for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) 2,000 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)The Premier highlighted that the reduction could make it harder for WA to attract and retain skilled migrants, particularly in critical sectors such as construction, housing, healthcare, and regional development — areas essential for the state’s ongoing economic growth and workforce stability. 
With a smaller number of nomination slots available this year, potential applicants are advised to prepare strong, genuine applications early, ensuring all employment and residency evidence is up to date and well-documented.If you’re considering WA as your migration destination, this might be the time to act strategically and get your documents ready before competition heats up.
