As of 9 March 2026, the latest official 189 visa invitation round published by the Department of Home Affairs is the 13 November 2025 round. It issued 10,000 invitations, up from 6,887 in the August 2025 round. The official entry threshold for points-tested skilled visas is 65 points, but the real cut-off in the latest invitation round for 189 visas varied sharply by occupation, from 65 points in several trades to 100 points for Dermatologist. The Department still says rounds are run periodically during the program year, so there is no fixed public date shown on the official page for the next draw.
For many applicants tracking the Australia PR 189 visa invitation round, the hard part is not filing the EOI. The hard part is reading the signals correctly. A big round does not mean every occupation moved. A 65-point threshold does not mean 65 was enough across the board. At Stepping Stones Career Solutions, the clearest reading of the latest data is simple: construction trades, health, and school teaching stayed active, while many professional roles still needed much stronger scores.
What Is the Current Round of 189 Visas?
The latest invitation round for 189 Visa published by Home Affairs is the round held on 13 November 2025. The official result shows 10,000 invitations for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189). The previous published round in August 2025 issued 6,887 invitations, so the November round was much larger.
189 visa invitation round at a glance
- Latest official published round: 13 November 2025
- Subclass 189 invitations issued: 10,000
- Previous published round: August 2025
- Previous round size: 6,887
- Entry threshold to compete in SkillSelect: 65 points
- Real cut-offs in the latest 189 visa invitation round: 65 to 100 points, depending on occupation
189 Visa Invitation Round Cut-Off Points
The Department says subclass 189, 190 and 491 are points-based visas and you need to meet or exceed 65 points to be considered. It also makes clear that meeting the threshold does not guarantee an invitation. That is the key point many applicants miss when they read headlines about a big 189 visa invitation round.
In the latest official release, Home Affairs snippets show examples such as Construction Project Manager at 85 points and Dermatologist at 100 points. Practitioner write-ups based on the official 13 November 2025 occupation release show that several trades were invited at 65 points, many health and school teaching roles sat around 75 to 85, and some highly competitive professional roles stayed at 90 or above.
Trades and construction stayed strong
In this 189 visa invitation round, a number of trade occupations sat at the lowest end of the cut-off spread. The occupation results reproduced from the official release include Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber – 65, Bricklayer – 65, Carpenter – 65, Carpenter and Joiner – 65, and Electrician (General) – 65. A few nearby trades were slightly higher, such as Drainer – 70 and Electrician (Special Class) – 70.
This matters because many applicants still ask if 65 points is enough for subclass 189. The better answer is: 65 was enough for some occupations in the latest 189 visa invitation round, but not for all occupations. If you are in construction, your score may already be close. If you are in a tighter occupation, 65 may leave you well short.
Health and education also showed solid movement
The same official occupation release, as reproduced by migration practitioners, shows Audiologist – 75 and Child Care Centre Manager – 75. A second migration law analysis of the same November 2025 round noted Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) – 75, Registered Nurse (Medical) – 75, Secondary School Teacher – 75, Special Needs Teacher – 75, Special Education Teachers nec – 75, Physiotherapist – 75, and Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher – 85.
That tells us the current 189 visa invitation round pattern is not only about construction. Health and school teaching still sit in a much better position than many oversupplied office-based occupations. For applicants in those areas, the 189 visa next invitation round is still worth watching closely.
Professional and specialist roles stayed higher
On the higher side of the cut-off spread, the 13 November 2025 results show Architect – 85, Construction Project Manager – 85, Chemical Engineer – 85, Economist – 85, Barrister – 90, Cartographer – 90, and Dermatologist – 100. In other words, the latest 189 visa invitation round did not flatten the market. It still rewarded some occupations at low scores and demanded very high scores in others.
189 Visa Invitation Round 2026
This is the question behind nearly every search for “189 visa invitation round 2026” or “when is the next 189 visa invitation round.” The official answer is still cautious. The Home Affairs invitation rounds page says rounds will be run periodically during the program year for subclass 189. It does not show a fixed monthly calendar on the public page.
An FOI-released Department proposal for program year 2025–26 discussed running invitation rounds on a predictable schedule, with examples such as quarterly or monthly rounds. That is useful context, but it is not the same as a public promise of a specific draw date. So, as of 9 March 2026, the safest answer to “when is the next invitation round for 189 visa” is: no official public date is shown on the Department’s invitation rounds page yet; rounds are still described as periodic.
What Comes Next After this Latest Invitation Round for 189 Visa?
If you are waiting for the next 189 visa invitation round, do not spend the next few weeks hoping your score will magically become competitive. Use the gap well.
First, check that your occupation is still eligible for the points-tested subclass 189 stream under the skilled occupation page. Home Affairs says eligible occupations and the relevant assessing authority sit on the current occupation page and legislative instrument.
Second, rework your points properly. The Department says the 189, 190 and 491 visas are all points-based and only applicants who meet or exceed 65 points can compete. That makes every extra point valuable, especially in occupations sitting at 75, 85, 90 or 100 in the most recent round.
Third, keep your EOI fresh. Home Affairs says your EOI remains active for 2 years and can be updated any time before you receive an invitation. It specifically says to update it if you gain more work experience, improve English, add a qualification, obtain a new skills assessment, or have a family change.
Fourth, prepare your visa file early. Once invited, the Department gives you 60 days from the date of invitation to lodge the visa application online. That is not a lot of time if your police clearances, health checks, work references, or partner documents are still not ready.
Subclass 189 190 Visa Invitation Round
A lot of applicants searching “189 190 visa invitation round” are really comparing two different systems.
The subclass 189 visa is a Commonwealth-invited visa and it lets invited workers live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. The subclass 190 visa, by contrast, is a state or territory nominated visa. Home Affairs says a state or territory government agency may nominate you for subclass 190, and the state nomination allocation page confirms that nominations apply to 190 and 491, not to subclass 189.
That also answers another common search term: “189 visa victoria invitation round.” There is no separate Victoria 189 draw. Victoria runs nomination places for 190 and 491. For 2025–26, Home Affairs gave Victoria 2,700 subclass 190 nomination places and 700 subclass 491 places.
So if you miss out in the 189 visa invitation round, it does not always mean you are out of options. In many cases, the better next move is to test a strong 190 or 491 path instead of waiting without a plan. That is one area where Stepping Stones Career Solutions can help — by checking your points, your occupation fit, and your backup path before the next opening appears.
Final Word
The latest 189 visa invitation round sent a very clear message. Australia is still inviting skilled migrants in good numbers, but the real cut-off depends on occupation, not the headline threshold alone. The 13 November 2025 round was large, but it still showed a split market: some trades moved at 65, health and teaching were active around 75 to 85, and some specialist and professional roles stayed much higher. The next 189 visa invitation round has not been given a fixed public date on the Department site, so applicants who act early will be in a far better position than applicants who only wait.
If your score is close to the current cut-off band, or if you are unsure if you should keep waiting for the 189 visa invitation round 2026 or move into a 190 strategy, Stepping Stones Career Solutions can help you review the numbers before the next round arrives.
FAQs on 189 Visa Invitation Round
Home Affairs says invitation rounds for subclass 189 are run periodically during the program year. As of 9 March 2026, the public invitation rounds page does not show a fixed next date. An FOI-released proposal discussed quarterly or monthly rounds, but that was internal planning material, not a public calendar.
The official public wording is periodic, not monthly. Internal Department material released under FOI discussed more regular rounds, including quarterly or monthly examples, but applicants should treat the official public page as the source of truth until a date is announced.
The latest published 189 visa invitation round is the 13 November 2025 round, with 10,000 invitations issued for subclass 189.
After a subclass 189 invitation, you have 60 days to lodge your visa application. After lodgement, there is no single fixed grant timeline published on the subclass 189 page; the Department directs applicants to its visa processing time guide, and actual timing varies by case.
It is enough to enter the pool, but not enough on its own to secure an invitation. In the latest round, some trades were invited at 65, but many other occupations needed much more.
The latest official published result was 13 November 2025, and it issued 10,000 subclass 189 invitations.
No. Victoria does not run a separate subclass 189 draw. State nomination applies to subclass 190 and subclass 491. For 2025–26, Victoria received 2,700 places for 190 and 700 for 491.
A 189 visa invitation round is run by the Commonwealth through SkillSelect, and subclass 189 lets invited workers live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. A 190 round depends on state or territory nomination, and each jurisdiction has its own nomination places and criteria.
Yes. Home Affairs says your EOI stays active for 2 years and can be updated any time before you receive an invitation. That includes changes to work experience, qualifications, English, skills assessment, and family details.
Check your score again, make sure your occupation is still eligible, update your EOI, and look at 190 or 491 as backup paths. For many applicants, a state nomination path is stronger than waiting with a weak 189 score.
