( Insights · SkillSelect · program year 2025-26 )
Three pulses in a program year
Skilled Independent invitations arrive in discrete rounds, not a steady stream. Here is 2025-26 as it actually ran, and what its rhythm reveals.
( Why rounds matter )
The 189 is an event, not a queue
Between rounds, nothing moves: expressions of interest sit ranked in SkillSelect, waiting. When a round runs, thousands of invitations issue in a single day, sized by occupation ceilings, shaped by the tier model, and gone until the next pulse. Reading the rounds is how you read the program.
( The trend, analysed )
The year in four official findings
26,887 invitations, 162 occupations
Three rounds delivered 6,887, 10,000 and 10,000 subclass 189 invitations, reaching 162 occupations, 112 of them in every round.
The trades owned the floor
Fifteen construction trades, including carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers and drainers, were invited at or near 65 points in all three rounds. Eligibility was effectively the invitation.
Tier 4 received nothing
Across the entire year, not one accountant, auditor, ICT professional, telecommunications engineer or chef received a 189 invitation. The FOI-released throttle is visible, official and total.
Scores moved across every industry
On the tools, Fibrous Plasterer fell from 90 to the 65-point floor. In the classroom, Secondary School Teacher eased 85 → 75. In the office, Solicitor stepped down 90 → 85 → 80. And in the hospital, Thoracic Medicine Specialist tightened from 80 to 95. One round tells you a moment; three tell you the market.
( The year, visualised )
2025-26: three rounds, one rhythm
Each node pulses in proportion to its official invitation volume: 6,887, then 10,000, then 10,000. Hover a round for its detail and tie-break date.
pulse size = invitation volume · hover a round
( The occupation trajectories )
Any occupation, every round
Search an occupation and see its minimum invited points in each of the three rounds on one axis: Solicitor reads 90, 85, 80 across the year; Carpenter holds 65 in every round; Registered Nurse (Aged Care) settles from 80 to 75. Movement markers show who eased and who tightened. Official figures only.
- ActuaryA90N85J90
- Agricultural Consultant▼10A90N85J80
- Agricultural Scientist▼10A90N85J80
- Airconditioning and Mechanical Services PlumberA65N65J65
- Airconditioning and Refrigeration MechanicJ80
- Architect▼5A90N85J85
- Artistic DirectorN85
- Arts Administrator or Manager▼10A90N85J80
- Audiologist▼5A80N75J75
- Automotive ElectricianN85J80
- Barrister▼15A95N90J80
- BiochemistA90N85
- Biotechnologist▲5A90N85J95
- Boat Builder and Repairer▼10A90N85J80
- BotanistN85
- BricklayerA65N65J65
- CabinetmakerN85J80
- CardiologistA80N80J80
- CarpenterA65N65J65
- Carpenter and JoinerA65N65J65
- Cartographer▼5A90N90J85
- Chemical EngineerA90N85
- Chemist▼5A90N85J85
- Child Care Centre Manager▼10A90N75J80
- ChiropractorN85J80
- Civil Engineering DraftspersonA90N85
- Civil Engineering TechnicianA90N85
- Clinical PsychologistA75N80J75
- ConservatorA90
- Construction Project Manager▼10A90N85J80
- Dancer or ChoreographerJ80
- Dermatologist▼15A100N100J85
- Diagnostic and Interventional RadiologistA85N80J85
- DrainerA65N70J65
- Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) TeacherA85N85
- Economist▼10A90N85J80
- Educational PsychologistA85
- Electrical Engineering Draftsperson▼10A90N85J80
- Electrical Engineering Technician▼10A90N85J80
- Electrician (General)A65N65J65
- Electrician (Special Class)A65N70J65
- Electronic Equipment Trades Worker▼30A110N85J80
- Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (General)N95J80
- Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (Special Class)▼15A95N95J80
- Electronics EngineerA95J95
- Emergency Medicine Specialist▼5A80N75J75
- EndocrinologistJ80
- Engineering Manager▼10A90N85J80
- Environmental Consultant▼10A90N85J80
- Environmental Manager▼10A90N85J80
- Environmental Research Scientist▼10A90N85J80
- Environmental Scientists nec▼10A90N85J80
- Fibrous Plasterer▼25A90N65J65
- Fitter (General)N85J80
- Fitter and TurnerJ80
- Food Technologist▼5A90N85J85
- FootballerJ80
- Forester▼10A90N85J80
- Gasfitter▲5A65N65J70
- Gastroenterologist▲5A80J85
- General Practitioner▼5A80N75J75
- Geophysicist▼10A90N85J80
- GlazierA65N65J65
- Hydrogeologist▼10A90N90J80
- Intensive Care SpecialistA80N80J80
- JoinerA65N65J65
- Land Economist▼10A90N85J80
- Landscape Architect▼5A90N85J85
- Life Scientist (General)▲5A90N85J95
- Life Scientists nec▲5A90N85J95
- Lift mechanicJ80
- Management Consultant▼10A90N85J80
- Marine Biologist▲5A90N85J95
- Materials EngineerA90N85
- Medical Diagnostic RadiographerA80N75J80
- Medical Laboratory Scientist▼10A90N85J80
- Medical OncologistN80
- Medical Practitioners nec▼5A80N75J75
- Medical Radiation TherapistA80N75J80
- Metal Fabricator▼25A105N85J80
- Metal Machinist (First Class)A85N95J85
- Metallurgist▼10A90N85J80
- Meteorologist▼10A95J85
- Microbiologist▲5A90N85J95
- Midwife▼5A80N75J75
- Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum)▼10A90N85J80
- Motorcycle MechanicN85
- Multimedia SpecialistN90J95
- Music DirectorJ80
- Musician (Instrumental)▼10A90N90J80
- Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec▼10A90N85J80
- NeurologistA80N80
- Nuclear Medicine TechnologistA80J80
- Nurse PractitionerA80N80J80
- Obstetrician and Gynaecologist▲5A80N75J85
- Occupational TherapistA80
- OphthalmologistA80N80J80
- OptometristA80N75J80
- Organisational PsychologistN80J80
- Orthopaedic SurgeonA85N85J85
- Orthotist or ProsthetistJ80
- Osteopath▼20A100N100J80
- Other Spatial Scientist▼10A90N85J80
- Paediatric SurgeonA85
- Paediatrician▼10A85N75J75
- Painting Trades WorkerA70N70
- Panelbeater▼10A90J80
- PathologistN75
- Petroleum Engineer▼10A90N85J80
- Physicist▼10A90N85J80
- Physiotherapist▼5A80N75J75
- Plumber (General)A65N65J65
- Podiatrist▼5A80N75J75
- Primary Health Organisation Manager▼10A90N85J80
- PsychiatristA80N75J80
- Psychologists nec▼10A85N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Aged Care)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health)A80N75J80
- Registered Nurse (Community Health)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability)A80N80J80
- Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation)A80N75J80
- Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Medical)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Mental Health)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Paediatrics)A80N75J80
- Registered Nurse (Perioperative)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurse (Surgical)▼5A80N75J75
- Registered Nurses nec▼5A80N75J75
- Roof PlumberA65N70J65
- Secondary School Teacher▼10A85N75J75
- Sheetmetal Trades WorkerJ80
- ShipwrightJ80
- Social Worker▼10A85N75J75
- Solicitor▼10A90N85J80
- Solid PlastererA65N65J65
- Sonographer▲5A80N75J85
- Special Education Teachers necN75J85
- Special Needs Teacher▼10A85N75J75
- Specialist Physician (General Medicine)A80N80J80
- Specialist Physicians necA80N85J80
- Speech Pathologist▼5A80N75J75
- StatisticianA90N85J90
- StonemasonA65N65J65
- Surgeon (General)N80J85
- Surveyor▼10A90N85J80
- Telecommunications EngineerN90J95
- Telecommunications Field EngineerN90
- Telecommunications Network EngineerN90J95
- Telecommunications Network PlannerN90
- Telecommunications Technical Officer or TechnologistN90
- Tennis Coach▼15A95N85J80
- Thoracic Medicine Specialist▲15A80N80J95
- University LecturerA85
- Urologist▲20A80N80J100
- Valuer▼10A90N85J80
- Vascular SurgeonN75
- Veterinarian▼10A90N85J80
- Wall and Floor TilerA65N65J65
- Welder (First Class)▼10A90N85J80
- Welfare Centre ManagerN85J85
- ZoologistA90N85
Minimum invited 189 points per official round table. Source: Home Affairs.
( What the rhythm reveals )
Three observations, tied to the model
- 01Not one Tier 4 occupation (accountants, auditors, ICT professions, telecommunications, chefs) received a single 189 invitation all year. The FOI-released throttle is not theoretical; it is visible in the official tables.
- 02Fifteen construction trades were invited at or near the 65-point floor in every round; for carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers, eligibility was effectively the invitation.
- 03Minimum scores moved round by round and across industries: Solicitor eased 90 to 85 to 80 and Secondary School Teacher from 85 to 75, while Thoracic Medicine Specialist tightened from 80 to 95. Reading one round in isolation misreads the program.
Source: Home Affairs.
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