The occupation scores in this article are self-reported by applicants and compiled from internet sources. They are not official cut-offs, and the Department of Home Affairs has not yet published results for this round.
What is confirmed officially
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed on its SkillSelect previous-rounds page that the next Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitation round would be held on 15 October 2026. The notice was last updated on 9 October 2026, after the expected timing had earlier moved from "by 30 September" to "by 31 October".
As of 16 October, the department had not published the round's outcome. The total number of invitations, the tie-break date of effect and the lowest points score invited for each occupation are normally released after a round, and all three remain pending.
The most recent officially published 189 round therefore remains that of 4 June 2026, when 10,000 Expressions of Interest were invited with a tie-break date of 24 April 2026. Across the 2025–26 program year, published rounds on 21 August 2025 (6,887 invitations), 13 November 2025 (10,000) and 4 June 2026 (10,000) brought the total to 26,887.
What applicants are reporting
In the absence of official figures, applicants have been sharing their results online, and internet sources have compiled further reports. We reviewed 78 individual reports of a points score at invitation across 63 occupations. Reported scores range from 65 to 100 points. One internet source puts the median at about 85 points, and 85 was the single most common score in the public reports it collected.
By field, reported scores for nursing occupations ran from 70 to 85 points, Secondary School Teachers from 80 to 85, Social Workers from 75 to 85, and Construction Project Managers from 80 to 90. A single Early Childhood Teacher report was at 90 points. Engineering and science occupations sat towards the top of the range, between 85 and 100 points.
Reported invitation scores by occupation, subclass 189 round of 15 October 2026. Self-reported and compiled from internet sources; not official Department of Home Affairs data. Reports may be duplicated across sources.
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| Bricklayer | 331111 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Cabinetmaker | 394111 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Carpenter | 331212 | 3 | 65 | 70 | One report at 65 from an onshore applicant |
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| Electrician (General) | 341111 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Environmental Consultant | 234312 | 1 | 65 | 65 | Offshore report |
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| Joiner | 331213 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Musician (Instrumental) | 211213 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Plasterer | 333211 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Solicitor | 271311 | 3 | 65 | 85 | Includes a 65-point offshore report |
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| Wall and Floor Tiler | 333411 | 1 | 65 | 65 | — |
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| Electronic Instrument Trades Worker | 342314 | 1 | 70 | 70 | — |
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| Environmental Manager | 139912 | 1 | 70 | 70 | — |
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| Environmental Research Scientist | 234313 | 1 | 70 | 70 | — |
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| Physiotherapist | 252511 | 1 | 70 | 70 | — |
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| Registered Nurse (Aged Care) | 254412 | 1 | 70 | 70 | EOI from Nov 2025 |
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| Land Economist | 224511 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Midwife | 254111 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Occupational Therapist | 252411 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Painter | 332211 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Registered Nurses nec | 254499 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Social Worker | 272511 | 3 | 75 | 85 | Includes 75 with a 2 Sep 2026 EOI |
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| Speech Pathologist | 252712 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Tennis Coach | 452316 | 1 | 75 | 75 | — |
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| Barrister | 271111 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Construction Project Manager | 133111 | 2 | 80 | 80 | Offshore report at 80 |
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| Economist | 224311 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Engineering Manager | 133211 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Food Technologist | 234212 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| General Practitioner | 253111 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Geophysicist | 234411 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Management Consultant | 224711 | 2 | 80 | 85 | Onshore and offshore |
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| Mining Engineer | 233611 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Petroleum Engineer | 233612 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Psychologist nec | 272399 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Radiation Therapist | 251211 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Registered Nurse (Medical) | 254418 | 1 | 80 | 80 | Offshore |
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| Secondary School Teacher | 241411 | 3 | 80 | 85 | 80 offshore; 85 onshore |
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| Valuer | 224512 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Veterinarian | 234711 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Welder | 322313 | 1 | 80 | 80 | — |
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| Actuary | 224111 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Agricultural Consultant | 234111 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Agricultural Scientist | 234112 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Architect | 232111 | 2 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Arts Administrator | 139911 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Audiologist | 252711 | 1 | 85 | 85 | Onshore |
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| Chemical Engineer | 233111 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Chemist | 234211 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Mechanical Engineer | 233512 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Medical Laboratory Scientist | 234611 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Other Spatial Scientist | 232214 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Statistician | 224113 | 2 | 85 | 90 | Offshore report at 85 |
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| Telecommunications Engineer | 263311 | 1 | 85 | 85 | — |
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| Early Childhood Teacher | 241111 | 1 | 90 | 90 | EOIs from June 2026 reported |
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| Landscape Architect | 232112 | 1 | 90 | 90 | — |
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| Materials Engineer | 233112 | 1 | 90 | 90 | — |
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| University Lecturer | 242111 | 3 | 90 | 95 | 90 onshore; 95 offshore |
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| Biochemist | 234513 | 2 | 95 | 100 | 100 onshore |
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| Biotechnologist | 234514 | 1 | 95 | 95 | Offshore; date of effect 18 Aug 2026 |
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| Life Scientist | 234511 | 1 | 95 | 95 | — |
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| Multimedia Specialist | 261211 | 1 | 95 | 95 | — |
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| Telecommunications Network Engineer | 263312 | 1 | 95 | 95 | — |
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| Electronics Engineer | 233411 | 1 | 100 | 100 | — |
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Two standouts: trades at the minimum, civil engineering overlooked
The most striking pattern in the reports is the number of construction trades apparently invited at 65 points, the minimum required to lodge an Expression of Interest. Bricklayer, Cabinetmaker, Joiner, Plasterer, Wall and Floor Tiler and Electrician (General) each have a report at 65, and Carpenter reports run from 65 to 80 points. One internet source describes the Carpenter pool as reportedly cleared. Offshore applicants reported invitations at 65 points for Solicitor and Environmental Consultant, outcomes that surprised the applicants themselves.
In contrast, internet sources report that Civil Engineer, Civil Engineering Draftsperson and Civil Engineering Technician appear not to have been invited in this round, despite their large applicant pools. One onshore Civil Engineer with 95 points reported still waiting.
Internet sources have described the round as unusually large, with unofficial estimates of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 invitations. That compares with 10,000 in the June round, but the estimate has not been confirmed by the department.
How to read these figures
- Every occupation score above is self-reported. It is not an official cut-off and may differ from the minimum the department eventually publishes.
- Most occupations rest on a single report. One applicant's score does not establish the lowest score invited for that occupation.
- Unsuccessful applicants rarely post, so these reports cannot show invitation rates or predict an individual outcome.
- Internet sources often draw on the same online posts, so some reports are likely to be counted more than once.
- Some online reports were attributed to subclass 189 from context and have not been independently verified.
What happens next
Home Affairs is expected to publish the official results on its SkillSelect previous-rounds page, including the number of invitations, the tie-break date and the lowest points score invited for each occupation. Once those figures are released, they should be relied on in preference to the community reports summarised here. This article will be updated when the official numbers are available.
Sources: internet sources; Department of Home Affairs.
The same figures are on the EOI Insights dashboard. 189 vs 190 vs 491 explains the subject.
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