The 189 invitation rounds are now quarterly, not monthly

For years, SkillSelect invitation rounds for the subclass 189 ran monthly, often with only a few hundred invitations and unpredictable cut-offs. That changed for the 2025-26 program year, when the Department of Home Affairs moved 189 rounds to a roughly quarterly cadence.

The first round of the year, on 21 August 2025, issued 6,887 invitations for the 189 and 150 for the Family Sponsored 491 stream. A larger round followed on 13 November 2025.

How ranking works

Your Expression of Interest sits in a pool ranked first by total points, then by your "date of effect", the date you reached that points score. In a round, the Department works down from the highest scores until the places for each occupation group are filled. That is why the cut-off is occupation-specific rather than a single national number.

What quarterly cadence changes

• Longer gaps between chances. Miss a round by a point or two and the next is months away, not weeks.
• More weight on being ready. It is worth lifting your score before a round rather than lodging an EOI and hoping the cut-off drops to meet you.
• A clearer planning horizon. The dates are more predictable even though they are not announced in advance.

Cut-offs are still occupation-specific

The August and November rounds invited trades near the 65-point floor while ICT and accounting needed 90 or more. State nomination through the 190 and 491 remains the more accessible route for high-competition occupations. We track every round on the invitation rounds page.

What to do between rounds

Keep your Expression of Interest current. If your points change, for example a new English result or a work-experience anniversary, your date of effect resets to when you reached the new score, which moves you up or down the queue. Lodging a parallel state nomination EOI for the 190 or 491 costs nothing and gives you a second path if the federal cut-off for your occupation stays high.