The 189 Invitation Round Was Held on 15 October 2026

Update, 15 October 2026: this round has now been held. Early applicant-reported results are in our 15 October 2026 round results page. Official figures from Home Affairs are not published yet.

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed a date: the next Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitation round will be held on 15 October 2026. It will be the first 189 round of the 2026-27 program year. If your Expression of Interest (EOI) is sitting in the SkillSelect pool, this is the deadline that matters.

The official notice: the round is now confirmed

On 9 October 2026 the Department updated the alert shown across its SkillSelect pages. It reads:

The next invitation round for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa will be held on 15 October 2026. Please ensure your Expression of Interest is up to date and that all the information you have provided is accurate.

You can check it yourself on the SkillSelect invitation rounds page.

The wording changed, and that matters. Earlier notices said the round was "expected to be held by" a date - first 30 September 2026, then 31 October 2026, both of which were estimates and the first of which passed without a round. This one says it "will be held on" 15 October 2026. That is a commitment to a specific day, not a window.

What this means right now

Your EOI is a snapshot. It is scored as it stands at the moment invitations are issued, not as you meant to leave it. Anything you have been meaning to update needs to be in before the round runs on 15 October.

Before the round, check:

• •Your points are actually claimed. A qualification finished, a birthday passed, an English result improved - none of it counts until it is in the EOI.
• •Your skilled employment dates are current. Continuing employment keeps accruing experience, and an EOI left untouched can quietly under-claim it.
• •Your English result has not expired. An expired test result is a common and avoidable way to lose points.
• •Every detail is accurate. The Department's notice asks for this specifically. An invitation obtained on wrong information can be refused later, after you have paid.

You do not need to resubmit. Your EOI stays in the pool automatically - it just needs to be right on the day.

Where the bar sat in the last round (4 June 2026)

The most recent 189 round was 4 June 2026, the final round of the 2025-26 year. It invited 10,000 EOIs, with a tie-break date of 24 April 2026. As at 11 October 2026 the Department's table for the 2026-27 program year still shows 0 invitations issued for subclass 189, so June remains the best read on where the bar sits.

Minimum scores invited ranged from 65 to 100:

• •65 points (the lowest invited): general trades, including Electrician (General), Plumber (General), Carpenter, and Carpenter and Joiner
• •70 points: Gasfitter, the only occupation invited at this score
• •75 points: Midwife and Registered Nurse (Aged Care), among others
• •80 points: by far the largest group, covering most professional and engineering occupations
• •85 to 95 points: a smaller set of specialised roles
• •100 points: Urologist, the single highest score invited in the round

In-demand trades and some healthcare roles are invited at lower scores, while most professional occupations need 80 points or more to stay competitive. Our free points calculator gives you a quick estimate of where you stand, and the 4 June 2026 round breakdown has the full detail.

A first round of a new program year can behave differently from the last round of the old one, so treat June as a guide to the bar rather than a prediction of it.

If you are not invited on 15 October

Being passed over in one round is not the end of the pathway, and it is worth deciding your next move before the result rather than after it.

• •Lift your points where you can. A higher English score (Superior English is worth up to 20 points), more skilled experience, a partner skills assessment or the Professional Year program can each move you up a tier. Start with the subclass 189 guide.
• •Line up a backup pathway. State nomination (subclass 190) adds 5 points and regional (subclass 491) adds 15. Our 189 vs 190 vs 491 guide shows which one suits your situation.
• •Get your skills assessment moving. It is the slowest step for most applicants, and it gates everything that follows.

How Afrovo can help

Afrovo is QEAC-certified and works alongside MARA-partnered registered migration agents, so we help you understand where you genuinely stand and build a realistic, points-aware plan before the round opens. Start with a free Pathway Snapshot, or get a personalised Visa Pathway Report, and we will help you make the most of this window.

_General information only. This article is not personal migration advice and is not a guarantee of any visa outcome. Invitation timing, points settings and occupation lists are decided by the Australian Government and can change at any time, so always confirm current details with the Department of Home Affairs. Last checked against the Department's SkillSelect pages on 11 October 2026. For guidance on your own situation, speak to the Afrovo team and our MARA-partnered registered migration agents._