SkillSelect 189 round, 15 October 2026: what the results mean for UAE applicants (what we know so far)

Short answer: the Department of Home Affairs ran a Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitation round on 15 October 2026, the first since 4 June 2026. As at 17 October 2026 the official results are not on the SkillSelect invitation rounds page, which still shows the June round as the current one. The figures circulating online come from migration agencies reporting their own clients. We set them out below, clearly labelled, next to the official June benchmarks, so you can judge where your points sit.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Confirmed on official pages, as at 17 October 2026:

• The invitation rounds page was last updated on 14 October 2026 and lists the 4 June 2026 round as current: 10,000 subclass 189 invitations, tie-break date 24 April 2026, with minimum scores across 141 occupations.
• Round mechanics have not changed. The highest points score in each occupation is invited first. Equal scores are separated by “date of effect”, the time your EOI reached that score, so an earlier EOI wins the tie.
• A new processing order, Ministerial Direction 122, has applied to 189, 190, 491 and 186 applications since 19 September 2026 (details below).

Reported by agencies, not yet official:

• A SkillSelect notice dated 9 October 2026 set the round for 15 October. We could not open the notice page ourselves, so we treat the date as reported.
• Invitations went out on 15 October, according to one agency’s client sample updated on 16 October. The same agency estimates 15,000 to 20,000 invitations. That estimate is theirs, not the Department’s.

Home Affairs has not said when it will publish the round results.

June 2026 benchmarks: the only official per-occupation scores

Because the October figures are unofficial, the June table is the safest reference for where the bar sat. Minimum scores invited on 4 June 2026 included:

Just as important is what was absent. Accountant (General), Software Engineer, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Chemical Engineer, University Lecturer and Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher did not appear in the June table at all. If your occupation is one of those, the June round issued no 189 invitations for it, whatever your score.

What agencies are reporting for 15 October (unofficial)

One Australian agency published the scores of its own invited clients on 16 October 2026. Treat these as a sample of one firm’s caseload, not a cut-off list:

• Early Childhood Teacher 90, Secondary School Teacher 80, Social Worker 80
• Registered Nurses nec 75, Registered Nurse (Aged Care) 70, Midwife 75
• Mechanical Engineer 85, Chemical Engineer 85, Telecommunications Engineer 85, Electronics Engineer 100
• Carpenter, Bricklayer and Electrician 65; Painter 75; Welder 80
• No civil engineering invitations seen; nothing reported for accounting or ICT

Two things stand out if the sample holds. First, early-childhood teachers and mechanical and chemical engineers appear to have been invited this time, when none were listed in June. Second, construction trades at 65 points suggests the Department is still clearing trades EOIs at the pass mark. We will replace this section with the official table the day Home Affairs publishes it.

If you were invited on 15 October

• Your invitation gives you 60 days to lodge. For a 15 October invitation that is 14 December 2026, but the date printed on your own invitation is the one that counts.
• Everything claimed in the EOI must be evidenced at lodgement: skills assessment, English test, employment references and the exact age and points position on the invitation date. Points claimed but not proven are a refusal risk, not a rounding error.
• UAE employment letters need the format Home Affairs expects: letterhead, duties, hours, dates and a contactable signatory. A standard HR “experience certificate” is often too thin on duties.
• If you were invited at the pass mark in a trade, lodge early. Under Ministerial Direction 122, construction and healthcare applications sit in the first processing group.

If you were not invited

The 189 is one of three points-tested visas, and for most offshore occupations it is the hardest one. As at 17 October 2026 the Department’s own processing page shows it is working through offshore 189 applications lodged in November 2025, while priority-sector and onshore applications lodged in June 2026 are already being processed. That gap is the practical cost of a general offshore profile.

Three moves that change the maths more than waiting for the next round:

1. English. Superior English (8 in each band of IELTS, or the equivalent) is worth 10 points more than proficient. For a 75-point nurse that is the difference between being inside and outside the June floor.
2. State nomination. A subclass 190 nomination adds 5 points and is not subject to occupation ceilings. Tasmania reopened its program on 17 August 2026 and the ACT ran a 190-only round on 12 October 2026; we cover the state picture in our state nomination comparison.
3. Age timing. Points drop at 33, 40 and 45. If a birthday falls before the next round, model both scores before deciding whether to keep a 189-only EOI.

Our guide to 189 vs 190 vs 491 walks through which visa fits which profile, and the points test explainer shows where each point comes from.

Processing after invitation: Ministerial Direction 122

From 19 September 2026, subclass 189, 190, 491, 186 and several other skilled visas are processed in this order:

1. Applications in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, or in Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests
2. Applicants who were in Australia when they lodged
3. Primary applicants outside Australia whose application is not combined with anyone else’s
4. All other applications

For a UAE-based family applying together in a non-priority occupation, that is the fourth group. We explain the practical effect in our processing priorities post, which is being updated from Direction 119 to Direction 122.

FAQs

Has Home Affairs published the 15 October 2026 round results?
No. As at 17 October 2026 the invitation rounds page still shows 4 June 2026 as the current round. Figures you see online are agency client samples.

How many invitations were issued on 15 October 2026?
Not published. One agency estimates 15,000 to 20,000. Until the Department’s table appears, treat any total as a guess.

My occupation is accounting or ICT. Was I invited?
Nothing official yet. In the June 2026 round no accounting or ICT occupations were listed, and the October client samples do not report any either. State nomination is the realistic route for those profiles right now.

When is the next 189 round?
Not announced. Home Affairs publishes round dates on the SkillSelect page, and the last two gaps were June to October. Keep the EOI current rather than waiting for a date.

Do I have to lodge within 60 days?
Yes. The invitation lapses after 60 days and the EOI returns to the pool. For 15 October invitations that is 14 December 2026, subject to the date on your own invitation.

What to do this week

If your EOI is live, re-check the points claimed against documents you actually hold today, and note the date of effect. If it is not live, or your occupation was missing from June, book a free profile review and we will map the 189, 190 and 491 options against your occupation, English score and age timeline.

Book a free profile review

Last reviewed 17 October 2026. Sources: Home Affairs SkillSelect invitation rounds page (updated 14 October 2026); Home Affairs skilled visa processing priorities page (Ministerial Direction 122); Home Affairs subclass 189 points-tested stream page (updated 1 July 2026); agency client reports dated 16 October 2026, labelled unofficial above. This article is general information, not advice on your individual case.

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