South Australia opens ROIs for eligible residents with visas expiring by 31 January 2027

General information only. It is not migration advice for your circumstances.

South Australia has announced that it is accepting Registrations of Interest from individuals living and working in South Australia whose current visas are due to expire by 31 January 2027.

For eligible applicants approaching visa expiry, this is an important opportunity to review their nomination position. However, it should not be interpreted as a general opening for every onshore applicant or a promise that nomination will be finalised before a current visa expires.

The announcement also confirms that offshore candidates can continue to be considered through their SkillSelect Expressions of Interest.

Who does the onshore reopening cover?

The announced opening is directed at people who:

• Are living in South Australia.
• Are working in South Australia.
• Hold a current visa due to expire by 31 January 2027.
• Meet the relevant nomination stream and occupation requirements.
• Have a current SkillSelect EOI.

These conditions must be considered together. Visa expiry alone does not establish nomination eligibility, and employment in a priority sector does not remove the other requirements.

Applicants should check the South Australian nomination streams and the requirements attached to their occupation before submitting an ROI.

The announcement does not establish that applicants with visas expiring after 31 January 2027 can use this particular reopening.

Is 31 January 2027 the application deadline?

No—the email identifies 31 January 2027 as the visa-expiry cutoff for the onshore group, not as an ROI submission closing date.

Applicants should not assume that they can wait until that date to act. Equally, a separate closing date should not be invented where the announcement does not provide one.

Check current program notices and the application portal, and prepare your evidence while there is still time to address gaps.

Which sectors will receive attention?

The announcement says invitations will focus on candidates working in:

• Building and construction.
• Defence.
• Education.
• Engineering.
• Health.
• Manufacturing.

It also states that high-ranking candidates in non-priority sectors may be considered.

This means the opportunity is not limited exclusively to the listed sectors. However, neither priority-sector employment nor a high points total guarantees selection.

For health professionals, including nurses, the announcement is a reason to check whether the South Australian pathway fits their actual employment and qualifications—not to assume every nursing occupation or applicant is treated identically. Our nursing migration guide discusses how state nomination should be assessed alongside federal and employer-sponsored options.

Offshore applicants do not need a South Australian ROI

Offshore candidates follow a different process.

The announcement confirms that they may continue lodging an EOI through SkillSelect. Suitable candidates can be invited directly from their EOI and are not required to submit a South Australian ROI.

Offshore applicants must still check that their occupation is available to offshore candidates and that they meet the applicable requirements. An occupation being available to an onshore applicant does not necessarily make it available offshore.

Review the South Australian Skilled Occupation List for the relevant location, stream and visa options.

Check your EOI before submitting an ROI

Both onshore and offshore candidates need a current SkillSelect EOI.

Before relying on it, review your nominated occupation, skills assessment, English results, employment claims and points. Make sure the information is accurate, supported by evidence and consistent with the state application.

You can use our federal points calculator for 189, 190 and 491 as a starting estimate. It does not verify your evidence or determine whether South Australia will select you.

South Australian nomination should not be assessed using Victoria’s VPT or the Canberra Matrix. Those are separate state and territory systems.

Understand the difference between an ROI, nomination and a visa

There are several distinct steps:

1. EOI: your expression of interest through SkillSelect.
2. ROI: the South Australian registration required for eligible onshore candidates.
3. Invitation to apply for nomination: an opportunity to submit the state nomination application.
4. Nomination and the visa process: subsequent steps, subject to the relevant requirements.

An ROI is not a visa application, and submitting one does not itself extend your current visa or provide a bridging visa.

The distinction between subclass 190 nomination and the regional subclass 491 pathway also matters. Applicants should check which option their occupation and stream support rather than assume they can choose either.

South Australia’s application instructions explain the onshore and offshore processes and the steps following an invitation.

What should applicants approaching visa expiry do now?

The practical priority is to assess the nomination opportunity and lawful visa arrangements in parallel.

Start by checking:

• Whether you fall within the announced visa-expiry group.
• Your occupation’s availability under the relevant stream.
• The evidence supporting your South Australian residence and employment.
• Your EOI details and supporting documents.
• Your current visa conditions and options if no invitation arrives before expiry.

The reopening recognises a particular group of applicants, but it does not promise an invitation, nomination decision or visa grant before their current visas expire.

If your time is limited, review your migration plan rather than relying on a single anticipated invitation.

The practical takeaway

For eligible people already living and working in South Australia with visas expiring by 31 January 2027, this is an opportunity worth assessing promptly. It is not a reason to assume nomination is assured.

For offshore applicants, the message is different: maintain an accurate, current EOI and check the offshore requirements. A South Australian ROI is not required.

In either case, focus on the requirements that apply to your circumstances, the evidence supporting your claims and a plan that does not depend entirely on selection.

General information only, not an individual nomination or visa assessment. Program availability and requirements can change.

Announcement source

The reopening information is based on the South Australian General Skilled Migration program email supplied to iExcel. Its sending date was not included in the supplied text. Official eligibility and application guidance is linked below.