The final Skilled Independent Visa 189（澳洲189技术移民） invitation round for this financial year has now been released. As soon as the data came out, many applicants had the same questions: Was my occupation invited? Were the scores high? Is it still worth waiting for a subclass 189 invitation?
The short answer is that quite a few occupations received invitations, but this was not a round of “easy low-score invitations”. Looking at the data, nursing, healthcare, education, social work, construction trades, surveying, architecture and food technology all performed relatively well. At the same time, scores remained high across many occupations, with 80 points becoming increasingly common and some occupations reaching 85 or even 90 points.
If you are following Australian Immigration（澳洲移民）, this round of subclass 189 invitation data is worth looking at carefully. It is not only about who received an invitation. It also provides useful clues about the broader direction of skilled migration in Australia.
Australia 189 skilled migration occupations and invitation scores for the final 2025–26 round Summary of selected occupations and invitation scores from the final subclass 189 invitation round of the 2025–26 financial year
Which Occupations Stood Out in This 189 Invitation Round?
Healthcare-related occupations remained particularly strong in this round.
Social Worker received invitations at 80 points. Registered Nurse was invited at 80 points. Physiotherapist appeared at 80/85 points, Occupational Therapist at 80 points, Speech Pathologist at 80 points, Midwife at 80 points, Psychologist at 80 points, Psychiatrist at 80 points and Medical Laboratory Scientist at 80 points.
This shows that healthcare and allied health occupations continue to play an important role in subclass 189 invitation rounds. Australia has long had demand for healthcare, nursing and allied health professionals, and this has been reflected across multiple invitation rounds.
Education occupations also continued to appear. Secondary School Teacher received invitations at 80/85 points. These are not particularly low scores, but the fact that teaching occupations continue to appear in subclass 189 rounds suggests that they still have a degree of competitiveness.
Trades and Construction-Related Occupations Are Still Worth Watching
Carpenter was invited at 65/70 points, making it one of the more noticeable lower-score occupations in this round.
Architect appeared at 90 points, Construction Project Manager at 85 points, Surveyor at 80 points, Valuer at 85 points and Land Economist at 80 points.
This broadly reflects Australia’s current labour market needs. Housing, infrastructure, engineering projects, land development and property assessment all rely on skilled professionals and tradespeople.
Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation shortage data also shows that skill shortages continue to vary across industries and regions, with both trades and professional occupations remaining important areas to watch.
So if your background is in construction, surveying, engineering management or a trade occupation, it is not enough to focus only on one invitation score. You should also consider whether your Skills Assessment（职业评估）, work experience, English ability, EOI score and long-term migration pathway are all aligned.
Less Common Occupations Still Have Opportunities, but Waiting Alone Is Risky
This round also included some occupations that are not always at the centre of migration discussions, such as Statistician at 90 points, Food Technologist at 90 points, Management Consultant at 85 points, and Lawyer / Solicitor at 80/85 points.
The fact that these occupations received invitations shows that subclass 189 is not limited to nursing and teaching.
However, the reality is that the scores are not low, and invitation frequency, competition levels and the number of EOIs in the pool vary significantly between occupations.
If your occupation is relatively niche or has not received invitations for a long time, it may not be wise to simply “keep waiting”. It can be useful to assess state nomination, employer sponsorship, regional migration pathways or other longer-term options at the same time.
Subclass 189 Is Not the Only Option
Many applicants become anxious when they see a new subclass 189 invitation round:
Someone else was invited at 80 points. What about me?
My occupation did not appear. Does that mean I have no chance?
Not necessarily.
Subclass 189 is an independent skilled migration visa. Its main advantage is that it does not require state nomination or employer sponsorship, and once granted, it offers a high degree of flexibility in where you live and work.
But that also means competition is more direct.
The Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect Invitation Rounds page continues to publish relevant invitation information. Rather than relying only on screenshots shared on social media, applicants should compare official invitation data with their own EOI Situation（EOI情况）.
In addition, based on the 2026–27 migration planning levels, the Skilled stream remains an important part of Australia’s migration program, while planning levels for employer-sponsored migration have also increased significantly.
For applicants who are already working in Australia or who have a stable employer opportunity, employer sponsorship should not be overlooked.
Partner Visa, Employer Sponsorship or State Nomination: It Is Not Always About Which Is Better
One of the biggest mistakes in Australian migration planning is focusing on only one pathway.
Some applicants may still be well suited to continuing with subclass 189.
Others may be better positioned for state nomination.
For applicants with employer support, Employer Sponsorship（雇主担保） may be more realistic.
For others, family circumstances, relationships and long-term plans may mean that an Australian Partner Visa（澳洲配偶签证） is a more suitable pathway.
So instead of asking only:
“Can I get a subclass 189 visa?”
It may be more useful to ask:
- Has my occupation received invitations recently?
- Is my score competitive within my occupation?
- Do I have relevant work experience or a realistic employer opportunity?
- Should I prepare for subclass 190, subclass 491 or employer sponsorship at the same time?
- Could my family circumstances also affect my visa options?
There is no single standard answer to these questions.
Skills assessment results, EOI scores, English test results, work experience and visa expiry dates differ from person to person, so migration strategies can also look very different.
What This Invitation Round Tells Applicants
The message from this subclass 189 invitation round is fairly clear: opportunities still exist, but waiting indefinitely is not the right strategy for everyone.
Healthcare, nursing, education, social work, construction trades, surveying and some professional occupations continue to receive invitations. At the same time, many occupations are now seeing scores of 80, 85 or 90 points, which shows that competition remains strong.
If your occupation appeared in this round, it may be a good time to review your EOI, points breakdown, English results and skills assessment validity before the new financial year.
If your occupation did not appear, there is no need to give up immediately. Instead, it may be time to consider whether other pathways can be prepared in parallel, such as the Skilled Nominated Visa 190（190签证）, subclass 491 regional state nomination or employer sponsorship.
Australian migration planning is not just about looking at one invitation table. Your occupation, points score, visa timeline, employment opportunities and family circumstances should all be considered together.
If you are unsure whether you should continue waiting for subclass 189 or shift towards state nomination, employer sponsorship or another pathway, you are welcome to contact Australia Visa Link.
We can help you assess which migration strategy may be more suitable for your circumstances and whether you may benefit from working with an Australian Migration Agent（澳洲移民中介） for more detailed planning.
