4 June 2026 SkillSelect invitation round: what it means for 189 applicants
The Department of Home Affairs has published the outcome of the 4 June 2026 SkillSelect invitation round, with 10,000 Expressions of Interest invited for the Skilled Independent visa subclass 189.
This is a major round for the 2025–26 program year and gives applicants a clearer benchmark for where different occupations are sitting.
Key result from the round
For the Skilled Independent visa subclass 189, Home Affairs issued:
- 10,000 invitations
- Tie break date: 24 April 2026
- Round date: 4 June 2026
The tie break date matters because SkillSelect ranks EOIs by points first. If multiple applicants have the same points score, the EOI that reached that score earlier can be invited before a later one.
What this means for applicants
This round shows that subclass 189 invitations are still highly occupation-dependent.
Some trade and health-related occupations were invited at lower minimum scores, while many technology, engineering and science-related occupations needed higher scores.
For example, the round showed:
- Several trade occupations such as Carpenter, Electrician, Plumber and Roof Plumber at 65 points
- Many nursing and allied health occupations around 75 to 80 points
- Some science and technical occupations at 90 to 95 points
- Telecommunications Engineer and Telecommunications Network Engineer at 95 points
- Multimedia Specialist at 95 points
This does not guarantee future invitations at the same score. Each invitation round can change based on program needs, available places, occupation demand and the number of EOIs already in the system.
Important note for 190 and 491 applicants
The Home Affairs invitation round mainly affects:
- Subclass 189 Skilled Independent
- Subclass 491 Family Sponsored
It does not directly control state and territory nominations for:
- Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated
- Subclass 491 State or Territory Nominated
State and territory governments manage their own nomination priorities. This means a person who is not competitive for 189 may still have a stronger pathway through 190 or 491, depending on their occupation, state, work location, salary, experience and state nomination rules.
State nomination activity is still important
For the 2025–26 program year, state and territory nominations continued separately from the 189 invitation rounds.
Victoria recorded a strong number of subclass 190 nominations up to 31 May 2026, which is useful for applicants tracking Victorian nomination opportunities. However, nomination numbers alone do not confirm who will be selected. States still choose applicants based on their own priorities.
What applicants should do now
If you have an EOI in SkillSelect, this is a good time to review it carefully.
Check that:
- Your points are correct
- Your English score is updated
- Your skills assessment details are accurate
- Your employment dates are correct
- Your state nomination interest is selected where relevant
- Your partner points, study points and regional points are correct
- Your EOI date of effect is not accidentally changed unless necessary
For applicants close to the minimum invited score in their occupation, even a small points increase can make a big difference.
Eazy Path takeaway
The 4 June 2026 round is a useful benchmark, but it should not be treated as a guarantee.
A strong PR strategy should compare all realistic options:
- 189 for independent invitations
- 190 for state nomination
- 491 for regional pathways
- Employer-sponsored options where relevant
Use Eazy Path to track your points, compare visa options and keep your next action clear.