SkillSelect · 2026-27 program year
15 October 2026 invitation round — results
Short answer: The first Skilled Independent (189) round of the 2026-27 program year, held on 15 October 2026 after the round expected by 30 September was moved; Home Affairs confirmed the date on 9 October. The Department had not published the invitation total, the score distribution or the tie-break date when this page was last checked; practitioner reports put the lowest invited scores at the 65-point floor for construction trades (carpenters, bricklayers, wall and floor tilers, electricians, joiners). Invitees have 60 days to lodge, until 14 December 2026, and the deadline cannot be extended. The date of the next round has not been announced.
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
- not published
- 491 family-sponsored
- not published
- Minimum points
- 65
- Program year
- 2026-27
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 |
|---|---|
| Construction trades (carpenters, bricklayers, tilers, electricians, joiners) — reported | 65 |
Source: Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect round outcomes (official totals for this round were not yet published at our last check — figures above are the reliably reported cut-off ranges). 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 15 October 2026 round?
The Department had not published this round's official totals at our last check. The first Skilled Independent (189) round of the 2026-27 program year, held on 15 October 2026 after the round expected by 30 September was moved; Home Affairs confirmed the date on 9 October. The Department had not published the invitation total, the score distribution or the tie-break date when this page was last checked; practitioner reports put the lowest invited scores at the 65-point floor for construction trades (carpenters, bricklayers, wall and floor tilers, electricians, joiners). Invitees have 60 days to lodge, until 14 December 2026, and the deadline cannot be extended. The date of the next round has not been announced.
What was the minimum points score in the 15 October 2026 round?
65 points — the legislative floor — for the lowest-clearing 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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