SkillSelect · 2025-26 program year
21 August 2025 invitation round — results
Short answer: First round of the 2025-26 program year: 6,887 Skilled Independent (189) invitations and 150 Skilled Work Regional (491, family-sponsored). Trades cleared at the 65-point floor; registered nurses needed about 80; secondary and special-education teachers about 85; most professional occupations 90 or above.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 28 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - 189 invitations
- 6,887
- 491 family-sponsored
- 150
- Minimum points
- 65–110
- Program year
- 2025-26
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Cut-offs by occupation group
| Occupation group | Minimum points |
|---|---|
| Carpenters, gasfitters, joiners, plumbers | 65 |
| Registered nurses | 80 |
| Secondary / special education teachers | 85 |
| Engineers, scientists, lawyers, consultants | 90+ |
Source: Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect round outcomes. Checked 28 October 2026.
What this round means for your EOI
Read your occupation group's line, not the headline floor. If your score beats the group's cut-off, your EOI was in invitation territory this round — and the tie-break means an earlier-lodged EOI at the same score wins, so lodge before you need it. If you're below the line, the honest options are adding points (superior English, partner points, regional study) or a state nomination / 491 pathway, which change the arithmetic by 5–15 points.
Compare rounds on the full tracker, or check your score on the points calculator.
General information only, not migration advice. Historical round outcomes do not predict future rounds. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
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Questions we get asked first
How many invitations were issued in the 21 August 2025 round?
6,887 Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitations were issued, plus 150 Skilled Work Regional (491) family-sponsored invitations. First round of the 2025-26 program year: 6,887 Skilled Independent (189) invitations and 150 Skilled Work Regional (491, family-sponsored). Trades cleared at the 65-point floor; registered nurses needed about 80; secondary and special-education teachers about 85; most professional occupations 90 or above.
What was the minimum points score in the 21 August 2025 round?
65 points — the legislative floor — for the lowest-clearing occupations, rising to 110 for the most contested occupations. Cut-offs are set per occupation group by demand, so the score that mattered was your occupation's, not the floor.
Does this round predict the next one?
Only loosely. Round sizes swing with program planning — from a few hundred invitations to 15,000 — and cut-offs move with them. What is stable: trades tend to clear near the floor, health and education in the 75–85 band, and general professional occupations at 80–95. If your score sits below your occupation's recent cut-offs, the productive move is adding points (English, partner, regional) or state nomination, not waiting.
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