How many graduate-stream pre-invitations did Western Australia issue on 29 October?

In Western Australia’s graduate stream on 29 October, VET graduates received 14 Subclass 190 and 30 Subclass 491 pre-invitations, while higher education graduates received just one Subclass 491 pre-invitation.

WA state nomination: 420 trade pre-invitations on 29 October

Which occupations received Western Australian state nomination pre-invitations on 29 October?

Western Australia’s 29 October round invited construction trade occupations exclusively. It issued a total of 420 pre-invitations, comprising 235 for the Subclass 190 visa and 185 for the Subclass 491 visa. A pre-invitation is not equivalent to a formal invitation.

In Western Australia’s 29 October pre-invitation round, most occupations included applicants living overseas or in other states.

Western Australia announced yesterday on the 29th that the first round of invitations would be issued in October, then went ahead and issued them on the same day. The official report was published today on the 30th — remarkably quick.

The 29 October round —

A total of 420 pre-invitations were issued (these are not equivalent to formal invitations), of which 235 were Subclass 190 visas and 185 were Subclass 491 visas.

The general stream received 221 Subclass 190 invitations and 154 Subclass 491 invitations; the graduate stream was concentrated on VET-course graduates, with 14 Subclass 190 and 30 Subclass 491 invitations issued, while higher-education graduates received just one Subclass 491 invitation.

Western Australian pre-invitation totals by stream for 29 October

The WA state government named this round the trade occupation round

, so only and exclusively construction-trades occupations were invited. One of WA’s priority changes this year is that blue-collar construction trades have been split out as a separate category. They were a priority before as well, included as part of the construction and engineering sector, but this financial year that sector is now divided into trades occupations and other occupations — which clearly shows these occupations now sit at the top of the priority list。

Sure enough, in this first round — which only had an interim quota — WA invited construction-trades occupations only.For these occupations, the main hurdle in points-tested skilled migration is obtaining a skills assessment, so the EOI pool for them isn’t large. To attract the most critically needed talent, WA invited applicants residing offshore or in other states for most of the occupations in this round.

Some analysis:

– We expect the acceptance rate for this round of invitations to be relatively low

WA is still using the federal EOI points system this year, picking candidates from highest score downwards. As you can see, the minimum invited score for most occupations was 85 points — meaning 70+15 to reach 491 or 80+5 to reach 190 — which is not low. Keep in mind that for 189 invitations, these same occupations have consistently been invited at 65 or 70 points year after year, and given that many applicants are likely in other states or offshore, a fair share may already have been invited through another state’s nomination programme or through 189. Even for applicants still waiting, if they sit on a base 70, they can likely wait a bit longer and pick up a 189 at the same score — so they may well decline this 491 invitation.

So in practice this round of pre-invitations won’t actually consume much of WA’s 2025–26 quota.

– This year WA is also going to be all about skilled trades occupations

WA already said last year that construction-trades occupations were its biggest shortage, and this year it has singled them out as a top priority. So as long as you secure a skills assessment and hit at least 65 points on your EOI, an invitation is just a matter of time.If WA wants to keep inviting construction-trades occupations round after round, it will most likely need to keep sourcing candidates from other states or overseas. So for anyone currently in Australia waiting for an invitation, it’s worth considering studying a construction trade — a classic example being carpentry, which we’ve recommended before:Invitations have been stable at 65 points for the past year and a half — even current Business / IT students in Australia can enjoy this “win”! Make full use of your student visa without waiting for graduation!You can also contact us to learn about courses that can serve as alternatives to carpentry, such as wall and floor tiling or joinery.

Related reading on construction trades study and carpentry courses

Information on enquiries about alternatives to carpentry courses

To date, four states have issued new pre-invitations. They are

NSWAustralia Migration Weekly, Issue 399 | NSW 190 invitation summary updated!

VICVIC runs its first round — Accounting / IT / Civil Engineering / Early Childhood Education all invited!

CanberraCanberra rolls out its first round of the financial year!

NT, TAS and QLD have also issued sporadic invitations to individual applicants in special circumstances.

State nomination pre-invitation progress across jurisdictions

Tomorrow marks the last week of October — can we finally expect the state nomination quotas to be announced?

NewStars Group introduction video

(filmed in 2021)

Thinking of visiting Australia for tourism, family or friends? 3–6 months / 1 year / 3 years / 5 years… which visitor visa is best for you?

Related reading on Australian visitor visas for holidays and family visits

WA confirms this year’s state-nomination policy | Construction occupations remain a priority + 190 job-offer exemption retained — core requirements unchanged!