Update: 13 November 2025 Invitation Round
The Department of Home Affairs held a new invitation round for the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa on 13 November 2025. Notably, the Department publicly announced the scheduled date several days in advance—an uncommon but welcome level of transparency for Skilled Migration applicants.
Current Status: As of today, the official results (number of invitations, minimum points, and occupations) have not yet been released.
What should you do? Bookmark this page. Once the official data is published on the Department’s website, we will update this post immediately with verified results and a detailed breakdown prepared by the Migration Door team.
Review: The 2025-26 Program Year So Far
While we await the specific figures for November, it is crucial to understand the trends set by the 21 August 2025 round. This was the first round of the 2025-26 migration program year and serves as the best indicator for current Department priorities.
Migration Door has analysed the outcome of this round to help you understand where you might stand in the queue.
Summary of the 21 August 2025 Round
Based on the published figures, the August round was one of the strongest in recent years.
- Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189): 6,887 invitations
- Skilled Work Regional visa (Subclass 491 – Family Sponsored): 150 invitations
Tie-break dates:
- Subclass 189: 20 August 2025
- Subclass 491: 21 May 2025
For comparison, previous rounds in late 2024 issued approximately 8,000 and 15,000 invitations respectively. Importantly, after a gap of nearly 21 months, invitations were once again issued for the Subclass 491 Family Sponsored visa, which is excellent news for applicants pursuing this pathway.
Notably, more than 95% of invitations in this round went to the Subclass 189 visa, highlighting the government’s focus on independent skilled migration.
Minimum Points by Occupation Groups
According to the official report, the cut-off points varied significantly. This spread demonstrates Australia’s urgent demand for practical trade workers alongside the ongoing need for highly skilled professionals.
- Trades and construction roles (Bricklayers, carpenters, electricians): 65–70 points
- Health occupations (Doctors, nurses, dentists): Mostly 80 points
- Education occupations (Teachers, educational advisers): 85–90 points
- Engineering and construction professionals (Civil drafters, architects, project managers): At least 90 points
- Specialist roles (Actuaries, Agricultural Consultants): At least 90 points
Will You Be Invited in the Next Round?
Invitation rounds are unpredictable, and competition is high. Don’t leave your Permanent Residency to chance.
Will You Be Invited in the Next Round?
Invitation rounds are unpredictable. Don’t leave your PR to chance.
Get a free eligibility assessment from our Registered Migration Agents.
Detailed Analysis of the Results
Here are the five key takeaways our team identified from the start of the 2025/2026 program year:
1. A strong start to the new migration program year The last Subclass 189 round prior to this was in November 2024. The August round marks the restart of invitations, signalling renewed activity from the Department of Home Affairs. While overall quotas for 2025/2026 are yet to be fully confirmed, we expect further rounds for Subclass 189, 190, and 491.
2. Focus on health and education Australia continues to face critical shortages in healthcare and education. The relatively high points cut-offs (85–90) reflect the competitive nature of these sectors. If you are in these fields, we encourage you to maximise your scores through English test improvements, NAATI accreditation, or partner points.
3. Golden opportunity for trades and construction The standout feature of this year is the low cut-off (65–70 points) for trade roles. Many of these occupations do not require a university degree, making them highly accessible. This highlights the government’s push to fill shortages in the construction industry, offering excellent opportunities for qualified tradespeople.
4. Specialist occupations need high points Highly specialised professions, such as actuaries and agricultural scientists, required 90 points to receive an invitation. This indicates limited quotas and intense competition.
5. The importance of tie-break rules The tie-break date for Subclass 189 was set at 20 August 2025. This means applicants with scores equal to the cut-off were only invited if their Expression of Interest (EOI) was lodged or updated before that date. This underscores the importance of keeping your EOI up to date—even a few days can make the difference between receiving an invitation and missing out.
Conclusion
The message for the 2025-26 program year is clear: Australia needs workers, but the difficulty depends on your occupation.
- Trades and construction workers are in the strongest position with lower point requirements.
- Healthcare and education professionals are in demand but face fiercer competition.
- Specialist occupations require extremely high points to be competitive.
Ready to secure your future in Australia? Each group must adopt a tailored strategy to maximise points and improve chances of success. Contact Migration Door today to plan your next step.
