Australia SkillSelect 15 October 2026: 20,000 Subclass 189 Invitations and Full Cut-Offs

On 15 October 2026, Australia's Department of Home Affairs held the first Subclass 189 invitation round of the 2026–27 program year, inviting 20,000 candidates through SkillSelect. It followed the previous round on 4 June 2026, in which 10,000 invitations were issued, with no departmental 189 round held in July, August or September.

The official results, published by Home Affairs in early November 2026, cover 159 occupations. Minimum points invited ranged from 65 to 100, depending on occupation, with a tie-break date applied where candidates held the same score. Family-sponsored Subclass 491 received no invitations in this round.

For candidates who were invited, the 60-day lodgement window runs to 14 December 2026. An invitation is not a visa grant — it is an invitation to lodge an application within that window, with all claims to be evidenced.

Which Occupations Were Invited at 65 Points in the 15 October Round

The lowest cut-off in the round was 65 points, the minimum score at which Home Affairs invites. Forty-four occupations cleared at 65, mostly construction and electrical trades, along with Solicitor and Economist.

Among the occupations at 65 points were Carpenter, Electrician (General) and Plumber (General). For these occupations, the tie-break dates fell in September or October 2026, meaning recent EOIs at 65 points were reached.

Nurses, Healthcare and the 70-Point Cut-Off

Nursing was the largest group by volume in this round, with analysis of the results putting invitations across nursing specialisations at around 7,000. Every nursing occupation, however, was cut at 70 points, with tie-break dates in 2025 — Registered Nurses nec, for example, at 70 points with a tie-break date of 19 November 2025.

The message for healthcare applicants is therefore mixed: volume was high, but the cut-off remained at 70 points and the queue was still working through EOIs lodged in 2025. A score of 70 alone did not guarantee an invitation; the date of effect mattered.

Occupations That Missed Out: ICT, Accounting and Most Engineering

Not every occupation was invited. ICT, accounting, most engineering occupations and chefs received no invitations in the 15 October round at all.

At the top end of the occupations that were invited, the ICT Security Specialist and the Urologist required 100 points, and the Electronics Engineer required 95 points. Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher and University Lecturer required 90 points. These figures underline that there is no single national cut-off for Subclass 189 — each occupation has its own minimum, set by demand and the EOIs in the pool for that occupation.

What the 15 October Results Mean for Applicants from India

For applicants applying from India, the round confirms three practical points. First, trades and healthcare remain the strongest routes at lower scores in this program year, while ICT and accounting applicants face a longer wait unless their points are substantially higher. Second, points alone do not decide an invitation — for tied scores, the earlier date of effect is invited first, so lodging an EOI early at a competitive score matters. Third, state-nominated Subclass 190 and 491 pathways run on separate state timetables and are not part of this 20,000 federal figure; they should be assessed alongside, not instead of, the federal round.

No date has been announced for the next Subclass 189 round. The October results describe what happened in that round only and do not guarantee an invitation in a future round.

What to Do Next If You Were Invited — or Are Still Waiting

If you were invited on 15 October, prepare and lodge within the 60-day window to 14 December 2026, with employment, qualifications, English test results and skills assessment evidence ready to support every point claimed. If you are still waiting, check your occupation's official minimum and tie-break date against your own score and date of effect, and consider whether additional points — through English scores, partner points, or a state nomination pathway — would materially change your position.

Free eligibility check — call +91 98961 96762 or write to info@provinceimmigration.com. Province Immigration — IRCC Registered, since 2015, 14,000+ visas, three-time award winner. No visa, job or timeline is guaranteed.