Australian skilled migration and state nomination saw further important developments this week. Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visas had a large invitation round on 16 October, with invitations across many occupations. Victoria announced further details of state nomination for the new financial year and plans to open ROI applications at the end of the month. NSW Subclass 190 has commenced and invitations are imminent, while the ACT and Western Australia have also released invitation results for the new financial year.
We have also compiled this week’s actual invitations, visa grants and state nomination cases for your reference.
1. A long-awaited large Subclass 189 round helps applicants across many occupations secure invitations
2. Victoria opens at month’s end; state officials explain the new points system
3. NSW Subclass 190 opens, with invitations imminent
4. Canberra starts cautiously, while Western Australia quietly issues more invitations
5. This week’s visa grants, invitations and skills assessment results
1. A long-awaited large Subclass 189 round brings invitations across many occupations
Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visas had a large invitation round on 16 October.
The complete invitation information collected so far suggests a very substantial round covering a markedly wider range of occupations. Final official figures still await the formal invitation report, but the overall picture is already relatively clear.
A clear feature of this Subclass 189 round was its large size and broad occupational coverage. Alongside traditionally popular occupations, invitations also went to some occupations that rarely received Subclass 189 invitations in the past.
For example, our clients invited in this round included Multimedia Specialists, Physiotherapists, Solicitors, Electronics Engineers and Statisticians. One Solicitor received an invitation at 65 points.
The traditional “big four” occupations also received many invitations in this round. We will compare EOI backlog data to examine the precise cut-off dates for priority occupations, but without all the official data, this analysis can only serve as a reference.
Construction trades also performed particularly strongly, with several trades receiving invitations at 65 points. The current picture suggests that the backlog in some construction trades has very likely been cleared to a substantial extent.
However, not every popular occupation received invitations. Civil engineering occupations, including Civil Engineer and Civil Engineering Draftsperson and Technician, still did not appear to receive invitations to any noticeable extent in this round. This is related to their large applicant numbers and EOI backlogs.
Based on several earlier official sources, reforms to the skilled migration points system are expected around March next year. Given the very large size of this Subclass 189 round, it may well have been the last large round before the reforms. It could even have been the final Subclass 189 round before the reforms.
Applicants who received a Subclass 189 invitation in this round are advised to check their other EOIs promptly. If you still have a Subclass 190 EOI or duplicate Subclass 189 EOIs, consider withdrawing them promptly to avoid duplicate invitations and free up opportunities for other applicants.
If you did not receive an invitation in this round and your points have largely reached their ceiling, assess your occupation’s prospects of further invitations this financial year. If there is limited scope left to wait for Subclass 189, consider other pathways such as Subclass 190, Subclass 491 or employer sponsorship early.
If you still hold a student visa or have only just started your Subclass 485 stage, you can also assess other occupational directions early in light of your qualifications and career plans, including construction trade courses.
2. Victoria opens ROIs at month’s end; the state government explains its new points system
Victoria has introduced its own state nomination points system this year, with a maximum of 950 points and separate priority and non-priority invitation streams.
The state government says this points system has already been used internally for some time. Publishing it this year is intended partly to explain why applicants in similar occupations with similar backgrounds have received different invitation outcomes.
The main changes to Victorian state nomination for the new financial year include a new points system, separate priority and non-priority invitation streams, and fees for both ROIs and nomination applications.
Victoria currently expects to open ROI applications on 26 October, with its first invitation round expected in November and monthly rounds planned thereafter. However, its final state nomination allocation has not yet been confirmed.
Applicants can still lodge only one ROI and must choose between Subclasses 190 and 491. ROIs now incur a fee, charged per financial year. If you withdraw and relodge an ROI within the same financial year, for example to make changes, you do not need to pay again.
The non-priority stream ranks different occupations together, selecting mainly on applicants’ competitiveness and points. The priority stream ranks applicants separately by priority sector, with competition taking place within each sector.
For example, education occupations such as early childhood and secondary school teachers are compared within their sector, rather than competing directly with applicants in other priority sectors such as nursing.
As Victoria has not yet received its final allocation, the proportions of invitations for the priority and non-priority streams in each round have not yet been determined.
Victoria does not, in principle, set a fixed geographic priority between onshore and offshore applicants. However, onshore applicants have advantages in some scoring categories. Historically, approximately 80% of actual invitations have gone to onshore applicants and around 20% to offshore applicants.
Common questions about Victorian state nomination points
To claim 50 partner points, your partner does not necessarily need to work in the occupation covered by their skills assessment. They only need to meet the relevant skills assessment and English requirements; they do not have to be currently working in that occupation.
For salary points, the work must meet Victoria’s Skill Level 1 to 3 requirements, but it does not have to relate to the nominated occupation. Part-time or casual work can be counted proportionately under the rules, but you cannot simply combine multiple jobs to meet the requirements.
Work experience in the nominated occupation is not differentiated by whether it was gained in Australia or overseas. For example, 1.5 years in Australia plus 1.5 years overseas, or two years in Australia plus one year overseas, can both count as three years for Victoria, provided the relevant requirements are met.
The minimum invitation score for this financial year cannot yet be predicted accurately. Victoria plans to publish actual invitation results by points band once it has accumulated enough rounds of data.
Be particularly careful: if you lodge a state nomination application after an ROI invitation and the nomination application is unsuccessful, you face a six-month waiting period before you can lodge another ROI. Assessing your eligibility for points accurately is therefore very important.
3. NSW Subclass 190 opens, with invitations imminent
NSW Subclass 190 has commenced and continues to use the EOI system this year. Invitations are expected in the week beginning 19 October.
The NSW Subclass 190 occupation list for 2026–27 has been adjusted, with 2251 Advertising and Marketing Professionals returning to the list.
The main requirements for NSW Subclass 190 have not changed noticeably. Applicants must have lived in NSW for at least six months or currently live outside Australia. Applicants working in NSW in a role related to their nominated occupation can be exempt from the six-month residence requirement.
The occupation must also be on NSW’s Subclass 190 occupation list for this financial year, and applicants must hold the relevant skills assessment.
A previously lodged NSW EOI can, in principle, continue to be used without relodgement provided it has not expired and the occupation remains on the NSW Subclass 190 occupation list.
All NSW Subclass 491 application pathways remain closed, with further updates on the occupation list and opening arrangements still pending.
4. Canberra’s first round; Western Australia continues state nomination invitations
The ACT released its first state nomination invitation results for the new financial year this week.
The ACT had previously announced that this round would issue only Subclass 190 invitations. Local applicants ultimately received 126 invitations, offshore applicants 63, the small business stream 54 and the PhD stream another 54.
Western Australia issued its second invitation round of this financial year on Wednesday this week.
The round again focused on priority occupations, with construction trades continuing to perform strongly. Our clients invited in this round included a Civil Engineer at 85+5 points and a Cook at 100+5 points.
An offshore Carpenter was also invited at 65+5 points, one of the relatively low-scoring invitation cases in this round.
Overall, this Western Australian round again focused on high-scoring applicants in priority occupations, with sectors such as construction and healthcare continuing to receive attention.
5. This week’s visa grants, invitations and skills assessment results
State government invitations
We had two Tasmanian formal nomination cases this week.
An onshore, single Accountant (General) (221111) applicant at 65+5 points lodged a Subclass 190 ROI on 8 October 2026 with a GREEN Pass and an ROI score of 319, and received a Nomination Invitation on 15 October.
An onshore Chef (351311) applicant with a partner at 60+5 points lodged a Subclass 190 ROI on 14 October 2026 with a GREEN Pass and an ROI score of 503, and received a Nomination Invitation on 15 October.
Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visas
A Subclass 189 application lodged on 2 November 2020 was granted on 10 October 2026. The application had previously involved S57.
Several of our clients received invitations in the 16 October Subclass 189 round.
An onshore Multimedia Specialist applicant with a partner, at 100 points, who lodged an EOI on 25 August 2026, was invited on 16 October 2026.
An onshore, single Physiotherapist applicant at 75 points, who lodged an EOI on 5 August 2025, was invited on 16 October 2026.
An onshore Solicitor applicant with a partner, at 65 points, who lodged an EOI on 17 September 2026, was invited on 16 October 2026.
An onshore, single Electronics Engineer applicant at 100 points, who lodged an EOI on 17 September 2026, was invited on 16 October 2026.
An offshore Statistician applicant at 90 points, who lodged an EOI on 8 September 2026, was invited on 16 October 2026.
Subclass 190 state nomination
An onshore, single Electrical Engineer (233311) applicant at 85+5 points, who lodged an application on 13 February 2026, was granted a visa on 13 October 2026.
An onshore, single Statistician (224113) applicant at 80+5 points, who lodged an application on 16 February 2026, was granted a visa on 13 October 2026.
An onshore, single Chef (351311) applicant at 65+5 points, who lodged an application on 18 February 2026, was granted a visa on 13 October 2026.
An onshore ICT Business Analyst (261111) applicant with a partner at 65+5 points, who lodged an application on 12 November 2025, was granted a visa on 14 October 2026.
Subclass 491 regional state nomination
We had no new Subclass 491 visa grant cases this week.
Subclass 191 and 887 regional permanent residency
A Subclass 191 application lodged on 2 March 2026 was granted on 10 October 2026.
Employer sponsorship
A Subclass 482 employer sponsorship approval application lodged on 23 September 2026 was approved on 13 October 2026.
An ECT-related application lodged on 12 October 2026 was approved on 12 October 2026.
A Child Care Worker-related application lodged on 7 October 2026 was approved on 13 October 2026.
Investor visas and GTI
We had no new investor visa or GTI cases this week.
Partner migration
A Subclass 820 application lodged on 10 November 2023 received its Subclass 820 grant on 4 September 2024 and its Subclass 801 grant on 12 October 2026.
A Subclass 820 application lodged on 6 March 2024 received its Subclass 820 grant on 30 October 2025 and its Subclass 801 grant on 13 October 2026.
Parent visas
A Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa application lodged on 30 June 2026 was granted on 12 October 2026.
Child visas
We had no new child visa grant cases this week.
Subclass 485 graduate visas
We had no new Subclass 485 visa grant cases this week.
Subclass 500 Student visas
A Subclass 500 application lodged on 15 September 2026 was granted on 10 October 2026.
A Subclass 500 application lodged on 12 August 2026 was granted on 13 October 2026.
A Subclass 500 application lodged on 2 September 2026 was granted on 14 October 2026.
Subclass 600 visitor visas
A Subclass 600 application lodged on 16 September 2026 was granted on 14 October 2026.
A Subclass 600 application lodged on 6 October 2026 was granted on 15 October 2026.
Skills assessments
We had no new skills assessment cases this week.
