The Department of Home Affairs has published the results of the 15 October 2026 Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) invitation round: 20,000 EOIs invited. That is twice the number invited in June and the largest of the four published rounds from August 2025 to October 2026. Official October results.
The bigger total is only half the story. Solicitor and Environmental Consultant reached 65 points, several nursing and allied-health occupations moved to 70, and core construction trades remained at 65. Yet Secondary School Teacher and Social Worker rose to 80, while Clinical Psychologist rose to 90.
For applicants, the useful question is what changed for your occupation compared with previous official results.
The headline numbers: twice the size of June
| Official round | Subclass 189 EOIs invited |
|---|---|
| 21 August 2025 | 6,887 |
| 13 November 2025 | 10,000 |
| 4 June 2026 | 10,000 |
| 15 October 2026 | 20,000 |
October added 10,000 invitations compared with either June or November: a 100% increase in round size. These are EOI invitations, not visa grants. State and territory nomination invitations are excluded. Sources: previous official rounds and October results.
August, November and June belong to 2025–26; October belongs to 2026–27. The three earlier published totals add to 26,887, so October alone was approximately 74% of their combined total. This compares invitation volumes, not annual migration allocation usage.
The rounds occurred at uneven intervals. Their totals do not establish a monthly pace, the next round’s date or how many invitations it will contain.
1. Healthcare: several minima fell to 70
| Occupation | 21 Aug 2025 | 13 Nov 2025 | 4 Jun 2026 | 15 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (Aged Care) | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| Registered Nurse (Medical) | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| Registered Nurses nec | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| Occupational Therapist | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| Physiotherapist | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| Audiologist | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| General Practitioner | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
These selected occupations each fell five points since June and ten since August 2025. These are official minimum scores invited, not eligibility requirements or promises for the next round.
This is not a blanket easing across healthcare: Clinical Psychologist moved in the opposite direction. The tables do not publish invitation counts for each occupation, so a lower minimum does not establish a larger share of the round.
Sources: Home Affairs historical occupation tables and October table, subclass 189 columns only.
2. Teaching, social work and psychology: not every score fell
| Occupation | 21 Aug 2025 | 13 Nov 2025 | 4 Jun 2026 | 15 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teacher | 85 | 75 | 75 | 80 |
| Social Worker | 85 | 75 | 75 | 80 |
| Clinical Psychologist | 75 | 80 | 75 | 90 |
Secondary teaching and social work rose five points from June, although both remained below August 2025. Clinical Psychologist rose 15 points from June and was higher than in the other three rounds.
Round size and occupation outcomes are different measures. These figures establish that scores rose, not whether the cause was the EOI pool, selection settings or another factor.
Sources: Home Affairs historical occupation tables and October table, subclass 189 columns only.
3. Construction and trades: stability with differences
| Occupation | 21 Aug 2025 | 13 Nov 2025 | 4 Jun 2026 | 15 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Bricklayer | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Electrician (General) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Plumber (General) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Construction Project Manager | 90 | 85 | 80 | 80 |
| Welder (First Class) | 90 | 85 | 80 | 80 |
The four core trade examples continued a stable 65-point pattern. Construction Project Manager and Welder had already fallen from 90 to 80 across earlier rounds and stayed at 80.
Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic fell from 80 in June to 65 in October. Do not confuse it with the separate occupation Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber. Use your exact nominated occupation.
Sources: Home Affairs historical occupation tables and October table, subclass 189 columns only.
4. Professional occupations: no single direction
| Occupation | 21 Aug 2025 | 13 Nov 2025 | 4 Jun 2026 | 15 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solicitor | 90 | 85 | 80 | 65 |
| Environmental Consultant | 90 | 85 | 80 | 65 |
| Management Consultant | 90 | 85 | 80 | 80 |
| Architect | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| Statistician | 90 | 85 | 90 | 85 |
| Biotechnologist | 90 | 85 | 95 | 90 |
Solicitor and Environmental Consultant each fell 15 points from June and 25 from August 2025. Management Consultant and Architect were unchanged from June. Statistician and Biotechnologist fell five points, but their longer histories fluctuate.
Telecommunications Engineer and Telecommunications Network Engineer were both 90 in November, 95 in June and 85 in October: a rise followed by a fall, not a continuous downward trend. No August result is imputed.
These examples make one round a benchmark, not a forecast of the next occupation mix or your individual chance.
Sources: Home Affairs historical occupation tables and October table, subclass 189 columns only.
The tie-break date is part of the result
For equal scores, Home Affairs uses when an EOI reached that score for the relevant subclass, its date of effect. Earlier dates rank ahead of later ones. This is not necessarily when the EOI was created. Official invitation process.
| Occupation | October minimum | Published tie-break date |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitor | 65 | 15 October 2026 |
| Environmental Consultant | 65 | 1 October 2026 |
| Construction Project Manager | 80 | 4 September 2026 |
| Secondary School Teacher | 80 | 4 September 2026 |
| Registered Nurse (Medical) | 70 | 19 November 2025 |
These published dates are not a future-round timetable. Matching a historical minimum score does not guarantee selection.
What this means for your next step
If you have an invitation: work from your own invitation date and deadline. Home Affairs gives 60 days to apply and requires evidence supporting your EOI claims. An invitation is an opportunity to apply, not a grant. Official 189 application steps confirm the deadline. Our 189 invitation-date evidence checklist can help organise that review.
If you are still waiting: compare your exact occupation across several rounds, then check that your EOI and supporting evidence remain accurate. You can update an EOI before an invitation as circumstances change; you cannot update it once invited. EOI submission does not guarantee an invitation. Official after-EOI guidance.
If your occupation is not listed: do not substitute a similar title or turn a missing row into a zero-invitation claim. Check the correct classification and current requirements.
A brief note on earlier community coverage
Our round-day tracker recorded 92 independently unverified reports. Several score levels align with official minima; others differ or cannot be directly matched. They remain an early, incomplete snapshot. This article’s analysis and historical comparisons use Home Affairs figures, not community-derived cut-offs.
Frequently asked questions
How many 189 invitations were issued in October 2026?
Home Affairs publishes 20,000 EOIs invited on 15 October 2026, compared with 10,000 on 4 June 2026.
Did the minimum score fall for every occupation?
No. Some fell, some stayed unchanged and some rose. Secondary School Teacher and Social Worker rose from 75 to 80; Clinical Psychologist rose from 75 to 90.
Does a 65-point result mean I will be invited at 65?
No. It is a historical minimum for a specified occupation and round. It does not guarantee selection in a later round or establish another occupation’s result.
Are 190 and state-nominated 491 results included?
No. State and territory nomination processes are separate. Do not combine their results with the 20,000 subclass 189 total.
Put the official numbers beside your own evidence
October was a much larger round, but its practical meaning depends on occupation and timing. Useful preparation means an accurate EOI, understanding the claims behind your score, and documents ready to support them.
Use our 189 evidence checklist or contact WiseKangaroo about your circumstances.
Related preparation guides
- EOI expiry: what to check before submitting again
- Five application cross-checks before you lodge
- Visa document translations and upload checks
- MD122 skilled-visa processing priorities checklist
Source notes: historical tables use the 189 column only; “nec” means “not elsewhere classified”. These are selected comparisons, not a complete occupation list. The current official page contains apparent date anomalies: Environmental Manager 13/10/206, Forester 01/07/206, Pathologist 18/10/2026 after the round. No corrections have been inferred. Check the live source before relying on these dates.
General information only, checked 2 November 2026. Not personalised migration advice. Past results do not guarantee future selection or a visa outcome. Check current Home Affairs guidance and seek advice from a registered migration agent about your circumstances.
