Skilled & State Nomination
WA skilled migration report: 3,400 state nominations and 6,293 WA DAMA positions
WA delivered 3,400 state nominations, with 98% in priority industries. The WA DAMA recorded 483 endorsed employers and 6,293 positions, alongside new data on subclass 494 certification and migrant employment support.
Western Australia's Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD) released its Annual Report 2025-26 on 17 September 2026. Page 71 places state nomination, the WA DAMA, subclass 494 regional certification and skilled migrant employment services on one annual scorecard. It is not a new invitation round and does not set 2026-27 application rules, but it shows where WA's skilled migration resources were used in the previous financial year.
The headline figures
| Program | 2025-26 result | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| State Nominated Migration Program | 3,400 state nominations | People nominated by WA to apply for a state-nominated skilled visa; not 3,400 invitation-round invitations or visa grants |
| Priority-industry concentration | 98% | Nominated occupations were concentrated in the listed priority industries; occupation presence does not guarantee invitation |
| WA DAMA | 483 employers; 6,293 positions | Employers and positions endorsed by DTWD, not the number of DAMA visas granted |
| Subclass 494 regional certification | 348 assessments | Regional Certification advice assessments, not subclass 494 nomination or visa approvals |
| Skilled Migrant Employment Register | 12,322 migrants; 1,460 verified employers; 1,647 employer connection invitations | Employer connection activity, not state nomination or SkillSelect invitations |
| Job Connect Subsidy | More than $4.21 million; over 1,597 migrants assisted | Reimbursements supporting skills assessment, gap training and licensing |
All 3,400 state nomination places were used, mostly in priority industries
The report says the Commonwealth allocated 3,400 State Nominated Migration Program places to WA for 2025-26 and WA nominated 3,400 skilled migrants during the year. Of those nominated migrants, 98% held occupations in priority industries: 68% in building and construction, 15% in healthcare and social assistance, 6% in education and training, and 9% in tourism and hospitality. Those four shares add to the reported 98%, leaving 2% outside the priority industries listed on the page.
The practical signal is not that a construction occupation guarantees an invitation. It is that WA's completed nominations were heavily concentrated in industries with identified workforce demand. An occupation's presence in a priority sector, occupation list or invitation table remains only part of the process; the applicant must still satisfy the relevant stream, residence, employment, English, skills assessment and visa criteria.
WA DAMA: 6,293 positions are not 6,293 visas
The report describes a framework of 10,000 annual skilled migration places across the State Nominated Migration Program and WA DAMA. During 2025-26, DTWD endorsed 483 employers for 6,293 positions, principally across building and construction, care, manufacturing and agriculture. A position records endorsed workforce demand. It does not mean the same number of workers received employer sponsorship, a labour agreement approval, nomination approval or a visa.
For employers, a DAMA may open access to specified occupations and concessions outside standard settings, but the relevant employer endorsement, labour agreement, nomination and visa stages still apply. Applicants should check the particular region, occupation, employer eligibility, English, age, salary, work experience and any other applicable requirements.
Subclass 494 regional certification: 348 assessments
As a Home Affairs-approved Regional Certifying Body, DTWD provides regional certification advice for subclass 494 employer nominations throughout WA except the Goldfields-Esperance region. It completed 348 Regional Certification advice assessments in 2025-26. This is a measure of regional certification workload, not a count of subclass 494 nominations or visa grants.
The employment register has a larger offshore than onshore talent pool
The Skilled Migrant Employment Register held more than 12,322 registered migrants, comprising 34% onshore and 66% offshore candidates, as well as 1,460 verified employers. Employers issued more than 1,647 invitations to connect with registered migrants. The 66% offshore share shows a substantial overseas talent pool, but an employer connection invitation is not a job offer, sponsorship approval or migration invitation.
Occupational entry remains an important part of settlement
Since July 2023, the Skilled Migrant Job Connect Subsidy Program has provided more than $4.21 million in reimbursements and assisted over 1,597 migrants with skills assessments, gap training and licensing. More than 27% of that funding supported electricians completing gap training and obtaining WA licences. A further 288 people attended workplace-readiness training and 132 participated in mentoring. For regulated occupations, skills recognition, registration and licensing may remain critical after migration.
What does the report signal for 2026-27 planning?
- Treat construction, healthcare and care, education, and tourism and hospitality as sectors that received substantial nomination resources last year, not as a future invitation guarantee.
- Keep state nomination, the WA DAMA, subclass 494 regional certification and employment matching separate; they are different pathways and approval stages.
- Offshore candidates may use the employment register to explore employer demand, but an employer connection invitation is not a nomination or visa invitation.
- Candidates in regulated occupations should budget for assessment, gap training, registration and licensing as part of employment planning.