Subclass 189 June 2026 Invitation Round (Official)

On 4 June 2026, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs released the final Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) invitation round for the 2025-26 financial year. With the program year closing on 30 June, this round carries real weight, both as a snapshot of current workforce priorities and as a signal of where Australia’s skilled migration program is likely to be directed in the year ahead.

The data points to a migration system responding directly to persistent workforce shortages across the skilled trades, healthcare and education. For prospective migrants, the message is clear. Alignment with Australia’s genuine workforce needs remains the most reliable pathway to a Subclass 189 invitation.

Overview of the June 2026 Invitation Round

The June 2026 round saw invitations issued across a range of occupations, with notable strength in the trade, healthcare and education sectors.

The table below sets out the lowest points score invited for each occupation in the June 2026 round:

Skilled Trades: The Standout Performers

Skilled trade occupations were a strong feature of this round. Australia’s infrastructure pipeline, including residential construction, commercial development and energy projects, continues to generate demand for qualified tradespeople that domestic supply cannot meet.

The following trade occupations were invited at 65 points, the floor of the Subclass 189 points test:

• Bricklayer

• Carpenter

• Electrician (General)

• Glazier

• Plumber (General)

• Solid Plasterer

• Wall and Floor Tiler

Welders (First Class) were invited at 80 points.

One point deserves careful attention. Not every trade received invitations in this round. A favourable result for one trade does not guarantee the same outcome for a closely related occupation, which is why occupation specific advice matters.

Healthcare: Sustained and Broad Demand

Healthcare accounted for the broadest representation of any sector in this round, reflecting structural shortages across public hospitals, aged care and community health that domestic training alone cannot meet.

Registered Nurses were invited across a wide range of specialisations:

• At 75 points: Aged Care, Community Health, Critical Care and Emergency, Medical, Medical Practice, Mental Health, Perioperative and Surgical nursing, along with Registered Nurses not elsewhere classified.

• At 80 points: Child and Family Health, Developmental Disability, Disability and Rehabilitation, and Paediatrics.

Allied health and medical occupations were equally well represented. General Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists and Psychologists not elsewhere classified were invited at 75 points, and Medical Laboratory Scientists at 80 points. In social services, Social Workers were among the lower points occupations invited, also at 75 points.

Teaching and Education

In the education sector, Secondary School Teachers were invited at 75 points, placing secondary teaching within the same achievable band as much of the healthcare sector. Candidates in education should read the official table closely. Occupation specific outcomes vary, and a result for one teaching occupation should not be assumed to apply to another.

Other Sectors Invited

Beyond the trade, healthcare and teaching sectors, the June 2026 round also issued invitations across a range of professional, engineering, scientific and environmental occupations, generally at higher points thresholds:

• At 80 points: Construction Project Manager, Economist, Engineering Manager, Environmental Consultant, Environmental Manager, Forester, Geophysicist, Management Consultant, Other Spatial Scientist, Petroleum Engineer, Physicist, Solicitor, Surveyor and Veterinarian.

• At 85 points: Architect, Chemist and Food Technologist.

• At 90 points: Statistician.

• At 95 points: Biotechnologist, Electronics Engineer, Life Scientist (General), Multimedia Specialist and Telecommunications Engineer.

While these occupations were invited at higher points than the trades, their inclusion shows that opportunities remain for highly skilled professionals who can present a competitive profile.

The Round is Becoming More Selective

The June 2026 results make one point unmistakable. While priority occupations in trade, healthcare and teaching were invited at the lower and middle points bands, a number of professional and technical occupations sat considerably higher, at 90 and 95 points. Just as significant is the absence of any invitations under the 491 Family Sponsored stream.

The pattern is clear. Invitations are concentrated, occupation outcomes vary widely, and a points score that was competitive in an earlier round may no longer be enough. Two candidates in the same occupation can receive very different outcomes depending on their total points and the date of effect of their Expression of Interest. Every point, and every day in the pool, can matter.

What This Means For Your Expression of Interest

If you are working toward a Subclass 189 invitation, the official June 2026 data should sharpen your strategy, not discourage it. The practical priorities are straightforward.

• Confirm your occupation and the points level at which it was invited in the official

  table.

• Calculate your current points score accurately and honestly.

• Identify the highest impact improvements available to you, which commonly include English language results, partner skill points, qualifications and skilled employment claims.

• Keep your Expression of Interest complete, accurate and lodged, because rounds occur within scheduled windows and a profile that is not ready is a profile that misses out.

  
  

Where the Subclass 189 threshold for your occupation is out of reach, the Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) and Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) visas may offer a stronger route to permanent residency, depending on your circumstances.

Preparing for the Next Migration Year

With the new program year commencing on 1 July 2026, the June 2026 round offers a useful guide to where demand currently sits. The structural shortages driving invitations in trade, healthcare and education are unlikely to resolve quickly, and preparation takes time. Skills assessment, English testing, Expression of Interest lodgement and points accumulation can take months, and in some cases longer. The time is to act now.

To understand exactly where you stand against the latest official thresholds, and how to strengthen your position before the next round, book a free consultation with our team today. To start a conversation, just say "Hi" (sms/WhatsApp: +61410478759)

At Newsted, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.