First 189 Invitation Round of the 2025–26 Program Year: Nearly 7,000 Invitations Issued, Latest Cut-off Scores Revealed

On 21 August, the Department of Home Affairs released the first SkillSelect invitation round results for the 2025–26 program year. As the opening round of the new year, the scale of invitations is significant and provides an important indicator for prospective applicants.

Overall Invitation Numbers

• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): A total of 6,887 EOIs were invited, with the tie-break date set at August 2025.
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491 – Family Sponsored): A total of 150 EOIs were invited, with the tie-break date at May 2025.

Source: Department of Home Affairs data, please contact for removal if infringed.

This shows that subclass 189 places have been released in large numbers at the start of the program year, while subclass 491 continues to be more limited and highly competitive.

Occupation Score Overview

The latest results highlight significant score differences across occupations:

• Trades: Carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers and similar trades were invited from 65–70 points, reinforcing the demand for blue-collar skills.
• Health and Medical Professions: Most categories sat around 80 points, though some sub-categories such as Emergency and Medical Nurses were invited with as little as 65 points under the 491 stream.
• Education: Secondary school teachers and special education teachers generally required 85 points, confirming the ongoing demand in education.
• Professional/Highly Skilled Occupations (engineers, scientists, lawyers, consultants, etc.): Most occupations required 90 points or above, showing continued intense competition.
• Niche Occupations: A few specialist roles, such as electronic equipment trades workers and metal fabricators, recorded extremely high cut-offs of 95–110 points.

Source: Internet

Professional Insights

As the first invitation round of the program year, the 21 August results send a few clear signals:

1.Strong rebound for the 189 visa – Nearly 7,000 invitations in a single round, a scale not seen in recent years, indicates renewed government focus on independent skilled migration.

2.Lower thresholds for trades – With invitations issued from as low as 65 points, trades such as carpenters, plumbers and welders stand out as high-value migration options.

3.Health and education remain steady – While points are not low, invitation numbers are robust, suiting applicants with long-term planning.

4.High scores remain the norm for professionals – Engineering, science, law and management occupations continue to demand 90+, meaning extra points or state nomination will likely be required to remain competitive.

Overall, this round demonstrates the government’s focus on supporting shortage occupations while still valuing highly skilled roles. For those planning to apply, it is important to assess your individual profile, prepare early, and take advantage of the current invitation windows.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: [email protected]). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.