189 Skilled Independent Visa

For many skilled migrants, the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa remains one of the most attractive pathways to permanent residence in Australia. However, the 2025–26 Migration Program Year demonstrated just how competitive and unpredictable the invitation process can be.

Only Three Invitation Rounds Held

During the 2025–26 program year, the Department of Home Affairs conducted just three SkillSelect invitation rounds for the Subclass 189 visa:

• 21 August 2025
• 13 November 2025
• 4 June 2026

This highlights an important reality for prospective applicants – invitation rounds are not conducted on a fixed schedule and significant gaps can occur between rounds. The seven-month gap between the November 2025 and June 2026 rounds left many applicants waiting and uncertain about when invitations would resume.

A Significant June 2026 Invitation Round

The final invitation round of the program year, held on 4 June 2026, was particularly significant, with the Department issuing 10,000 invitations for the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa. This was one of the largest invitation rounds seen in recent years and provided opportunities across a broad range of occupations.

Trades Continue to Perform Strongly

One of the clearest trends from the invitation data is the continued demand for skilled tradespeople.

Many trade occupations received invitations at the minimum eligible score of 65 points, including occupations such as:

• Electricians
• Carpenters
• Joiners
• Plumbers
• Bricklayers
• Wall and Floor Tilers

This reflects ongoing workforce shortages across Australia’s construction, infrastructure and trade sectors and demonstrates that applicants in these occupations remain highly competitive within the SkillSelect system.

Higher Demand Occupations Require More Points

While trade occupations benefited from lower invitation thresholds, many professional occupations required substantially higher scores.

Applicants in occupations such as engineering, technology, scientific, management and specialist professional roles often required 80 points or more to secure an invitation, with some occupations requiring 85, 90 or even 95 points.

The outcome reinforces a key principle of Australia’s skilled migration program: meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee an invitation.

Why Points Matter

SkillSelect is a ranking system. Invitations are generally issued first to applicants with the highest points scores, with lower-ranked applicants waiting until further invitations are available. Where applicants have the same score, invitations are typically issued based on the date they achieved that score in their Expression of Interest (EOI).

As a result, increasing your points score through factors such as English language proficiency, skilled employment, partner points or additional qualifications can significantly improve your prospects of receiving an invitation.

The Challenge of Predicting Invitation Rounds

One of the biggest frustrations for applicants is that invitation rounds can be difficult to predict.

The 2025–26 program year demonstrated that invitation activity can vary considerably, with lengthy periods between rounds and no guaranteed timetable for future invitations. While a strong points score improves your competitiveness, it does not necessarily determine when an invitation will be issued.