Applicants waiting for a 189 invitation may first review their EOI. The Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect page currently advises: the next invitation round for the 189 Skilled Independent visa is expected to occur on or before 31 October 2026, reminding applicants to keep EOI details accurate and up to date.

The word “expected” must be emphasised. The announcement does not guarantee invitations will be issued on 31 October. It also does not confirm specific occupations, invitation numbers or the minimum invitation points. Invitation outcomes are subject to actual invitations and official releases.

What to Check Before Receiving an Invitation

Verify that your EOI has been formally submitted, and confirm your selected visa subclass, nominated occupation and personal details are correct. Check that evidence for English proficiency, skills assessment and all claimed points meets relevant requirements. Pay special attention to changes in age, work experience and spousal circumstances. Do not pre-claim points that you have not yet obtained or cannot substantiate.

Points shown in an EOI are indicative scores calculated from declared information. Meeting the 65-point threshold does not guarantee an invitation. Upon receiving an invitation, you generally have 60 days to lodge your visa application, and you must strictly comply with deadlines and requirements stated in the invitation letter.

How Applicants with Lodged 189 Applications Read Processing Progress

The invitation preview applies to candidates waiting for EOI invitations. Those who have already lodged a 189 visa application should monitor processing timelines. The current lodged application months listed on the official 189 Points-tested stream page are shown below.

These months indicate applications lodged in those periods are being worked on by the Department. It does not mean all cases submitted before that month have been finalised, nor that a new lodgement will be approved within a fixed month. Backlogs and case volumes vary across categories, so priority cannot be compared horizontally based solely on these months.

The official website also notes that with the shift to the new MD122 priority order, processing times may fluctuate and some published progress timelines may temporarily regress. Such page changes alone do not indicate an issue with an individual application.Clients awaiting invitations should cross-check their EOI and supporting evidence. Clients who have lodged their visa should monitor ImmiAccount notifications and provide additional documents as requested. Feel free to contact EBP to review your required preparations based on your occupation, points and application stage.