After a four-month pause, the Department of Home Affairs has confirmed a fresh invitation round for the coveted Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) permanent-residence visa will run on 13 November 2025. The notice, published on leading immigration-law portal Agape Henry Crux, urges applicants to update their SkillSelect Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to maximise ranking points before the automated draw is executed.
The 189 visa is the backbone of Australia’s points-tested migration programme because it allows highly skilled professionals to live and work anywhere in the country without state nomination or employer sponsorship. EOIs are ranked on factors including age, qualifications, English proficiency and skilled work experience; only the highest-scoring profiles receive invitations to lodge a visa application.
![Home Affairs schedules 13 November invitation round for Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa]()
Immigration lawyers expect strong competition. Earlier rounds this year issued just 9,500 invitations—well below pre-pandemic levels—as the permanent migration ceiling was trimmed from 190,000 to 185,000 places for 2025-26. Occupations facing acute shortages—engineers, health professionals, ICT specialists and secondary teachers—are tipped to dominate allocations.
For multinational employers, the round offers a direct PR pathway for staff already on temporary work visas (Subclass 482/SID) who meet the skills threshold, reducing long-term compliance costs and sponsorship obligations. Candidates should ensure that qualifications are accredited and English-language scores are valid; incomplete or inaccurate EOIs risk being skipped.
Once invitations are issued, applicants have 60 days to submit full documentation and pay the A$4,455 primary applicant fee (indexing to A$4,910 from 1 July 2026). Processing times currently average seven months, but priority may be faster for critical-sector occupations.
The 189 visa is the backbone of Australia’s points-tested migration programme because it allows highly skilled professionals to live and work anywhere in the country without state nomination or employer sponsorship. EOIs are ranked on factors including age, qualifications, English proficiency and skilled work experience; only the highest-scoring profiles receive invitations to lodge a visa application.
Immigration lawyers expect strong competition. Earlier rounds this year issued just 9,500 invitations—well below pre-pandemic levels—as the permanent migration ceiling was trimmed from 190,000 to 185,000 places for 2025-26. Occupations facing acute shortages—engineers, health professionals, ICT specialists and secondary teachers—are tipped to dominate allocations.
For multinational employers, the round offers a direct PR pathway for staff already on temporary work visas (Subclass 482/SID) who meet the skills threshold, reducing long-term compliance costs and sponsorship obligations. Candidates should ensure that qualifications are accredited and English-language scores are valid; incomplete or inaccurate EOIs risk being skipped.
Once invitations are issued, applicants have 60 days to submit full documentation and pay the A$4,455 primary applicant fee (indexing to A$4,910 from 1 July 2026). Processing times currently average seven months, but priority may be faster for critical-sector occupations.
