Australia revises SkillSelect 189 invitation-round date to 31 October

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has revised its timetable for the next Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitation round. The department now says the round is expected to be held by 31 October 2026, replacing an earlier notice that pointed to 30 September.

The wording matters: “expected to be held by” is not a guaranteed date, and Home Affairs has not yet published an outcome for a new round. Candidates should treat the announcement as a prompt to review their Expression of Interest (EOI), not as confirmation that an invitation is coming.

What changed

The official SkillSelect pages now state that the next subclass 189 invitation round is expected by 31 October 2026. The Expression of Interest page shows a last-updated date of 30 September 2026.

Home Affairs’ invitation-rounds page still lists 4 June 2026 as the latest completed federal round. That round issued 10,000 invitations for the Skilled Independent visa. The department has not yet added results for a later round.

Subclass 189 rounds are run periodically and the number of invitations, occupations and minimum scores can change according to economic needs and the number of applications already being processed. Meeting the minimum points threshold does not guarantee an invitation.

What applicants should check now

An EOI can be updated before an invitation is issued. Candidates should sign in to SkillSelect and make sure every points-related claim remains accurate and supported by current evidence.

• English test: check the test details, score and validity period entered in the EOI.
• Skills assessment: confirm the assessing authority, occupation, outcome and expiry information.
• Employment history: review dates, hours and skilled-work claims, especially where they affect points.
• Education: make sure qualifications and Australian-study claims are complete and correct.
• Age and points: recalculate the score if a birthday or another change affects eligibility.
• Partner or family information: update relationship details and any partner-skills claims.
• Contact details: confirm the email address linked to the EOI is monitored and secure.

Home Affairs says subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas are points-tested and require at least 65 points to be eligible for invitation consideration. A score of 65 is a threshold, not an assurance: invitation levels can be higher and vary by occupation.

If an invitation arrives

An invitation creates a deadline. Home Affairs says invited applicants have 60 days from the date of invitation to complete and submit their visa application through ImmiAccount.

The information in the visa application must match and substantiate the claims that produced the invitation. Candidates should have identity documents, skills-assessment evidence, English-test results, employment records and qualification documents organised before the round. If circumstances have changed, it is safer to correct the EOI before an invitation than to rely on an inaccurate points claim.

Applicants who are unsure whether a change affects their score or eligibility should use the official points calculator and visa guidance, or obtain advice from a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner.

What the October notice does not mean

The revised notice does not confirm how many invitations will be issued, which occupations will be selected or what minimum scores will apply. It also does not cover state and territory nomination rounds for the subclass 190 visa or the state-nominated subclass 491 visa; those programs are managed separately by state and territory governments.

Until Home Affairs publishes an outcome, claims that the October round has already occurred should be treated cautiously.

Official sources

• Home Affairs: SkillSelect Expression of Interest
• Home Affairs: SkillSelect invitation rounds
• Home Affairs: points calculator

Information checked on 5 October 2026. Immigration rules and invitation schedules can change; always confirm current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs.

Featured image: Huy Q. Tran via Unsplash.