189 Invitation Round October 2026: Reported Results, Points and Next Steps

The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is Australia’s points-only permanent visa. There is no employer, no state nomination and no sponsor. 

For the first three months of this program year, it invited nobody. 

Then, on Wednesday 15 October, it ran the first round of 2026-27. 

The Department has not yet published the official results. Social media filled the silence within hours, and not all of it is accurate. 

So this article keeps two things separate: 

• what the Department has confirmed

• and what applicants and agents around the country are reporting. 

We tell you which is which as we go. 

Here is a quick summary of the 15 October 2026 subclass 189 invitation round.

Important: The invitation estimates and occupation scores in this article are based on unofficial reports. They may change once the Department of Home Affairs publishes its official results.

The Department of Home Affairs announced the 15 October invitation round on its SkillSelect page on 9 October 2026.

It was the first subclass 189 invitation round of the 2026–27 program year, following three months without invitations in July, August and September.

The Department has also confirmed the planning allocation for the Skilled Independent visa.

Subclass 189 visa planning allocation for 2026–27

This represents an increase of approximately 25%.

The Department linked this increase to the subclass 189 visa's strong record of highly skilled employment and positive fiscal outcomes.

However, visa places and invitations are not the same thing.

Not everyone who receives an invitation submits an application, and not every application results in a visa grant.

How does October 2026 compare with previous 189 invitation rounds?

During the 2025–26 program year, the Department issued:

This was higher than the 16,900 visa places allocated for that program year.

The previous round, held on 4 June 2026, issued 10,000 invitations across 140 occupations, with minimum reported official scores ranging from 65 to 100 points.

In that round:

• Construction trades were the only occupations invited at 65 points.

• Nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, doctors, teachers and social workers needed 75 points.

• Half of the invited occupations needed at least 80 points.

• ICT occupations, accountants, civil engineers, chefs and marketing specialists were not invited.

These official June results provide useful context when comparing the early reports from October.

The Department of Home Affairs has not yet published the official number of subclass 189 invitations issued on 15 October 2026.

However, early reports suggest the round may have been larger than the previous June round.

One widely shared estimate puts the total at 15,000 to 20,000 invitations. Other reports suggest only that the number was well above 10,000.

More than 50 occupations have been reported, with invitations going to applicants both in Australia and overseas.

These estimates come from migration agencies reviewing their clients' invitations, applicant groups sharing results and websites tracking invitation rounds.

None of these figures is official. Some reports also contradict each other, so the actual number may differ when the Department releases its results.

What were the reported minimum points for the October 2026 189 invitation round?

Early reports from the 15 October 2026 subclass 189 invitation round suggest that construction trades received invitations at 65 points, while healthcare occupations were generally reported between 70 and 80 points.

Many other professional occupations had reported scores of 80 points or higher.

The tables below summarise the occupation-level reports reviewed by Bravo Migration.

These are not official minimum invitation scores.

Construction trades: Reported invitations from 65 points

Construction trades appear to have continued the pattern seen in the June 2026 round.

Cabinetmakers and air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics were reportedly invited at 65 points, compared with 80 points in June.

Automotive electricians, panelbeaters and boat builders were reported at 70 points, also down from 80 in the previous round.

Healthcare occupations: Reported invitations from 70 to 85 points

Healthcare workers were also among the occupations reportedly invited in October.

Registered nurses were mostly reported at 75 points, while some aged care nurses, physiotherapists and midwives were reportedly invited at 70.

Occupational therapists and speech pathologists were reported between 75 and 80 points.

Teachers and social workers: Reported invitations from 80 to 90 points

Early childhood teachers were reportedly invited at 90 points in October, after receiving no invitations in the June round.

Engineering occupations: Reported invitations from 85 to 100 points

Chemical, mechanical and materials engineers were reportedly invited in October after not appearing in the June invitation round.

No civil engineer invitations have been reported by the sources reviewed.

There was one claim of a civil engineering draftsperson invitation at 90 points, but this was disputed in the original discussion.

Other professional occupations: Reported invitations from 65 to 95 points

Solicitor invitation reports varied widely, from 65 to 80 points, although most were between 75 and 80. In June, the minimum score was 80 points.

Note: All October 2026 occupation scores above are based on unofficial reports. An occupation's reported score should not be treated as a confirmed cutoff or a guarantee of invitation.

No reliable invitation reports had been identified for several occupations, including:

• Software engineers

• Developer programmers

• ICT business analysts

• Accountants

• Chefs

• Marketing specialists

• Civil engineers

A single multimedia specialist invitation at 95 points was the only ICT invitation reported in the sources reviewed.

There were also no reported invitations for the family-sponsored Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

However, an occupation missing from these reports does not necessarily mean it received no invitations.

Not every applicant shares their invitation results publicly, and the Department's official figures are still pending.

What do the October 2026 189 invitation results suggest?

Based on the reports we reviewed at Bravo Migration, the October round appears to have followed a similar pattern to June, but potentially with more invitations.

Construction trades were reportedly invited from 65 points, healthcare occupations generally between 70 and 80 points, and many professional occupations from 80 points or higher.

If the estimated 15,000 to 20,000 invitations is close to the actual number, the previous program year's pattern of issuing more invitations than allocated visa places may leave room for another meaningful round in 2026–27.

However, this is only an interpretation of the available reports. It is not a confirmed Department announcement or prediction of future invitations.

What should you do if you received a 189 invitation?

If you received a subclass 189 invitation on 15 October 2026, you have 60 calendar days to submit your visa application.

This means your application deadline is Monday, 14 December 2026.

The Department does not extend this deadline.

Your Expression of Interest (EOI) is now frozen, and you must provide documents to support the points claimed in your invitation.

The Department advises applicants not to apply if they cannot prove every point claimed.

Three important checks before applying

1. Check your skills assessment

Your skills assessment must have been obtained within the three years before 15 October 2026 and must still be valid.

2. Check your age at the time of invitation

You must have been under 45 on 15 October 2026. If you turn 45 after receiving your invitation, this does not affect the age requirement for that invitation.

3. Prepare for the visa application cost

The visa application charge for the main applicant is AUD 6,135.

You should also allow enough time to organise supporting documents, including:

• Health examinations

• Police certificates

• English language evidence

With approximately eight weeks between the invitation date and the deadline, it is important not to leave your application until the final days.

What happens if you do not apply after receiving an invitation?

An applicant can receive a maximum of two invitations. If you do not submit an application after your second invitation, your EOI will be removed from the system.

Need help checking your documents and claimed points?

Before paying the visa application charge, you may want a Registered Migration Agent to review whether your evidence supports the points claimed in your invitation.

Through IDP Australia's migration partner, Bravo Migration, you can speak with a Registered Migration Agent about your application.

If you were not invited in the October 2026 round, your EOI remains active for two years from the date you submitted it.

You can use this time to review your points, check your date of effect and consider other migration pathways.

1. Check your EOI points and date of effect

Log in to SkillSelect and review your current points score.

Also check your date of effect. This is the date your EOI reached its current points score.

When two applicants have the same score, the applicant who reached that score earlier receives priority.

If your points increased recently, your date of effect will also be more recent.

2. Review the invitation patterns for your occupation

Compare the October reports with the previous June invitation round.

If your occupation has not appeared in either round, it may be worth reviewing whether the subclass 189 visa remains a realistic pathway for your circumstances.

However, invitation patterns can change, and unofficial reports do not provide a complete picture.

3. Explore other skilled migration pathways

The subclass 189 visa is not the only skilled migration pathway in Australia.

Your other options include:

For the 2026–27 program year, there are 35,500 places for subclass 190 and 14,110 places for regional subclass 491 pathways across states and territories.

Each pathway has its own eligibility requirements and timing.

For some people already working in Australia, employer sponsorship may offer a faster route.

The latest 189 invitation round reports may also be useful if you are an international student planning your next course or career in Australia.

Based on the June and October results reviewed by Bravo Migration:

• Healthcare occupations continued to receive reported invitations.

• Teaching and licensed trades remained represented.

• ICT occupations and accounting were largely absent from both rounds.

However, these patterns can change.

Choosing a course based only on one invitation round may not support your long-term plans.

Instead, Bravo recommends considering the broader migration pathway, including the subclass 189 visa, state nomination and employer sponsorship.

If you are planning further study, IDP can help you explore course options that align with your goals.

For migration eligibility and pathway advice, you can also speak with a Registered Migration Agent through Bravo Migration.