Subclass 189 invitation round breakdown: Occupations, points and what comes next

Picture the scene: It’s early morning, the coffee has barely cooled, and a skilled professional opens their inbox before starting work.

For months – perhaps years – they have collected documents, completed a skills assessment, sat an English test and calculated every available point. Then an email appears with the words they have been waiting to read: Invitation to Apply.

For thousands of skilled migrants, that moment became possible following Australia’s latest SkillSelect invitation round.

The Department of Home Affairs issued 10,000 invitations for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) on 4 June 2026. The occupations invited covered an unusually broad range of sectors, from construction trades and healthcare to science, engineering, education and telecommunications.

Here is a grouped breakdown of the results, and what they could mean for applicants preparing for future rounds.

What happened in the 4 June 2026 Subclass 189 invitation round?

The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is a points-tested permanent residence pathway for eligible skilled workers. Unlike the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491), applicants for a subclass 189 visa do not require nomination by an Australian state or territory government.

Before an applicant can apply for the visa, they must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and receive an invitation.

In the 4 June round:

• 10,000 subclass 189 invitations were issued
• The minimum points score invited varied by occupation, ranging from 65 to 100 points.
• Trades, healthcare and education featured strongly at the lower score levels
• Science, technology and specialist medical occupations generally appeared at higher scores

An important distinction is that these were invitations to submit visa applications – not visa grants. Applicants must still satisfy the applicable visa requirements.

65 points: Strong opportunities for construction trades

The lowest invited score was 65 points, but this was concentrated mainly around construction and building trades.

The occupations included:

• Bricklayer
• Carpenter
• Carpenter and joiner
• Electrician (General) 
• Glaziers
• Joiners
• Plumbers
• Roof plumbers
• Drainers and drainlayers
• Fibrous and solid plasterers
• Stonemasons
• Wall and floor tilers
• Airconditioning and mechanical services plumbers

For a carpenter finishing a long shift on a building site, seeing an occupation invited at 65 points could feel like the first real opening in a tightly competitive process.

However, 65 points is not a universal invitation score, it is the minimum points threshold for eligibility. Invitation outcomes depend on the occupation and the results of each particular round.

70 points: Gasfitters stand alone

Gasfitter was the only occupation listed in the 70-point group.

Although it was a small category, its inclusion continued the round’s clear focus on skilled trades and technical occupations.

The five-point difference between gasfitters and the trades invited at 65 also demonstrates an important feature of the SkillSelect system: applicants are ranked within the SkillSelect process, and minimum invitation scores can differ between occupations. Available places, points scores and the composition of the EOI pool can all affect invitation outcomes.

75 points: Healthcare, education and community services

At 75 points, the focus shifted from construction sites to hospitals, clinics, schools and community organisations.

This category included a substantial number of medical, allied health, nursing, teaching and social-care occupations.

Medical and allied health professionals

Highlights included:

• Audiologists
• Clinical psychologists
• Emergency medicine specialists
• General practitioners
• Medical practitioners
• Occupational therapists
• Paediatricians
• Physiotherapists
• Podiatrists
• Speech pathologists and speech-language therapists
  

These professionals support patients across every stage of life, from early childhood development to emergency treatment and rehabilitation.

Nurses and midwives

A wide range of nursing specialisations received invitations at 75 points, including:

• Aged-care nursing
• Community-health nursing
• Critical-care and emergency nursing
• Medical-practice nursing
• Medical nursing
• Mental-health nursing
• Perioperative nursing
• Surgical nursing

Midwives and other registered-nurse categories were also represented.

Education and social-care professionals

Secondary school teachers, special-needs teachers and social workers were among the occupations invited at this level.

Their inclusion reflected the breadth of the round. Australia was not only inviting people who build physical infrastructure; it was also selecting professionals who support classrooms, families and communities.

80 points: The broadest range of occupations

The 80-point category contained the most diverse group of occupations.

It stretched across agriculture, construction, engineering, healthcare, environmental science, law, business, creative work and sport.

Engineering, construction and technical occupations

Highlighted professions included:

• Construction project managers
• Engineering managers
• Mining engineers
• Petroleum engineers
• Electrical engineering draftspersons and technicians
• Electronic equipment and instrument trades workers
• Fitters and turners
• Metal fabricators
• Sheet metal trades workers
• Surveyors
• Welders
• Automotive electricians
• Airconditioning and refrigeration mechanics

This mix showed that the round extended beyond traditional professional engineering roles. Technical tradespeople and project specialists also featured prominently.

Healthcare and medical specialists

The 80-point group included cardiologists, endocrinologists, intensive-care specialists, psychiatrists, specialist physicians and ophthalmologists.

It also included:

• Nurse practitioners
• Medical diagnostic radiographers
• Medical laboratory scientists
• Medical radiation therapists
• Nuclear medicine technologists
• Optometrists
• Organisational psychologists
• Osteopaths
• Registered nurses in paediatric, disability, rehabilitation and child-and-family-health fields

Agriculture, science and environmental careers

Several occupations connected to Australia’s natural resources and environment were invited at 80 points, including:

• Agricultural consultants
• Agricultural scientists
• Environmental consultants
• Environmental managers
• Environmental research scientists
• Foresters and forest scientists
• Geophysicists
• Hydrogeologists
• Metallurgists

• Physicists

Legal, business, creative and sporting careers

The category also contained some less predictable occupations.

Barristers, solicitors, economists, land economists, valuers and management consultants appeared alongside musicians, music directors, dancers, footballers and tennis coaches.

The diversity of this group is an important reminder that skilled migration is not confined to one narrow definition of “skilled work.” It can encompass technical expertise, scientific knowledge, professional practice, artistic ability and elite sporting experience.

85 points: Architecture, science and specialist medicine

At 85 points, the occupation list became more specialised.

Architecture and design professions included architects and landscape architects, while scientific roles included chemists, food technologists and meteorologists.

Healthcare occupations featured prominently again, with invitations for:

• Dermatologists
• Diagnostic and interventional radiologists
• Gastroenterologists
• Obstetricians and gynaecologists
• Orthopaedic surgeons
• General surgeons
• Sonographers

Metal machinists, cartographers, special-education teachers and welfare-centre managers also appeared in this group.

For many candidates, reaching 85 points can represent years of deliberate planning. A points score may reflect professional experience, qualifications, English-language results, age and other eligible factors. Behind the number is often a long personal story involving exams, career decisions and considerable uncertainty.

90 points: Actuaries and statisticians

Only two occupations appeared in the 90-point group:

• Actuaries
• Statisticians

Both professions rely heavily on data analysis, mathematical modelling and risk assessment. Their higher invited score suggests that candidates in these occupations faced a different invitation threshold from those in many construction, healthcare and education roles.

95 points: Life sciences, electronics and telecommunications

The 95-point category included a concentrated group of scientific and technology-related professions.

Occupations included:

• Biotechnologists
• Electronics engineers
• General life scientists
• Marine biologists
• Microbiologists
• Multimedia specialists
• Telecommunications engineers
• Telecommunications network engineers
• Thoracic medicine specialists

This was one of the highest score bands in the round, highlighting the significant variation between occupations.

A strong points total may improve an applicant’s competitive position, but past results should be treated as a guide rather than a promise of what will happen in a future invitation round.

100 points: Urologists recorded the highest score

Urologists were the only occupation listed at 100 points, making it the highest invited score in the update.

The contrast is striking: selected construction trades received invitations at 65 points, while this specialist medical occupation appeared at 100.

This does not mean that one profession is more valuable than another. Instead, it illustrates how invitation outcomes can differ according to occupation-specific circumstances and the composition of a particular round.

What do the results mean for Subclass 189 applicants?

The June results provide useful information, but they should be interpreted carefully.

A score of 65 does not guarantee an invitation

Subclass 189 applicants must meet or exceed the 65-point threshold, but reaching that threshold does not guarantee selection.

The results show why. Only certain occupations received invitations at 65 points, while other occupations required substantially higher scores.

Previous scores are not permanent cut-offs

An invited score from one round should not be treated as a fixed requirement for the next round.

Future outcomes may differ according to the occupations selected, the number of invitations available and the candidates in SkillSelect at the time.

An invitation is not a visa approval

Receiving an invitation allows an applicant to proceed with a visa application. The applicant must then provide evidence supporting the information and points claimed in the EOI and meet the relevant requirements.

Accuracy is therefore critical. A points claim should be supportable, not aspirational.

When is the next Subclass 189 invitation round expected?

According to the supplied update, the next subclass 189 invitation round is expected to be held by 30 September 2026. Because the date was described as expected, applicants should treat it as an indication rather than a guarantee.

For those who were not invited in June, the waiting continues.

That wait can be frustrating, particularly when a future career or family move appears to depend on an unpredictable email. However, it can also provide time to review an EOI and prepare for a possible invitation.

What should applicants do while waiting?

Keep the Expression of Interest accurate

An EOI can be updated at any time before an invitation is received. Applicants should review their EOI whenever their circumstances change, particularly after gaining additional skilled work experience, completing a higher qualification, improving their English language test results, or obtaining a new skills assessment.

EOIs remain valid in the SkillSelect system for up to two years, providing applicants with the opportunity to update their claims as they become eligible for additional points. However, meeting the minimum points requirement to lodge an EOI does not guarantee an invitation. Invitations are issued competitively, with factors such as occupation demand, available places, and an applicant's ranking in the SkillSelect pool influencing the likelihood of selection.

Check every points claim

Applicants should confirm that they can provide evidence for the points shown in their EOI.

Employment dates, qualifications, English results and skills assessments should be checked carefully. An invitation based on unsupported or incorrect information can create serious difficulties during the visa application process.

Prepare documents before the invitation arrives

Applicants should consider organising relevant identity, employment, qualification and assessment documents in advance.

Preparation matters because an invitation creates a limited application window. Invited applicants have 60 days from the date of invitation to complete and submit their online visa application.

Avoid treating one round as a prediction

The June results are valuable because they reveal what happened in that round. They do not confirm which occupations will be selected next or what scores future candidates will need.

Applicants should make decisions using their own circumstances and current official requirements rather than relying entirely on previous invitation scores.

One email can begin an entirely new chapter

For someone outside the migration process, an invitation round can look like a table of occupation codes and numbers.

For an applicant, it can mean something entirely different.

It could be the email opened before sunrise. The message read between meetings. The news shared immediately with a partner, parent or child. The moment a distant plan begins to feel real.

The 4 June 2026 SkillSelect round created that moment for 10,000 subclass 189 candidates. For everyone still waiting, the results offer both encouragement and a reason to remain prepared.

Get in touch with our MARA-registered agents on [email protected] or give them a call on +27 (0) 21 657 1526, +44 (0) 20 7759 5307 or +61 (0) 3 8651 4500.