High points but still no invitation? A change of occupation got them invited fast
Visa Grant Records
Case background:
All three clients had study and work backgrounds tied to data analytics, and each already held an ICT Business and Systems Analysts skills assessment (ANZSCO 261111), obtained through ACS Australia Computor Association.
A skills assessment and a high score — but still no invitation
IT occupations now find it very hard to attract an invitation through points-based skilled migration. The hardest part is not getting to 95/100 points — it is that even those scores struggle to be invited. All three clients had already reached 85 and 90 points, yet they simply sat in the EOI pool without ever receiving an invitation.
Same qualifications, same experience — could a different occupation win the invitation?
Statisticians drew invitations in each of the past three Subclass 189 skilled independent migration rounds, with invited scores sitting between 85 and 90 points. As a Group A occupation under the assessing authority VETASSESS, it calls for a highly relevant bachelor’s degree or above, plus one year of relevant work experience.
On what counts as a highly relevant qualification, VETASSESS states explicitly that majors such as Business Analytics and Data Science are highly relevant.
So does that
mean that clients originally assessed as ICT BAs could try applying for the Statisticians skills assessment instead?
Assessment granted, EOI lodged, invitation soon after
Client one
The client held a bachelor’s degree in Data Science and a master’s degree in Business Analytics, followed by 2 years of full-time Data analyses experience. We re-planned the case and switched them to Statisticians. The skills assessment came through in March 2026 and, in under 1 month, they had a Victoria Subclass 190 state nomination invitation and a formal nomination.
Client two
The client held a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics and a master’s degree in business, and worked in an assistant role after graduating
We lodged a Statisticians skills assessment for this client too. The assessment came through in early October 2025 and, in the Subclass 189 invitation round that November, they were invited on an EOI of 90 points.
Client three
The client held a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business statistics and a master’s degree in Business Analytics, followed by almost 3 years as a senior performance analyst. After our planning and duties analysis, we pursued the Statisticians occupation and the assessment came through at the end of 2024. As one of the applicants pre-invited in Victoria’s first round of that financial year, they were invited on a base points score of 85.
With a Statisticians skills assessment in hand, you can lodge under both occupations at the same time and wait in the EOI pool for a 189 and a 190 invitation — several chances running in parallel.
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