Yes, There Was a 189 Invitation Round on Thursday....
FY25-26 189, 190 and 491 Visa Invitation Update
Last updated: 23 August 2025
Australia’s invitation-based visa program for the 189, 190 and 491 visas runs on the financial year cycle. From July, the federal government sets the number of Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitations for the program year and allocates invitation quotas to each state and territory for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visas.
And this week, we got some early action.
🚨 A Surprise 189 Invitation Round on 21 August
On Thursday, 21 Aug 2025, the Department of Home Affairs ran the first 189 invitation round of the 2025/2026 program year.
This round came earlier than expected as traditionally, we don’t see the first invitations until September or later. In fact, this is the first 189 round since 7 Nov 2024, making it a big deal for applicants in the pool.
What We Know So Far
Round date: Thursday, 21 August 2025
Program year: FY2025/2026
Occupations seemingly targeted:
Education (teachers, early childhood, etc.)
Medical & healthcare professionals
Trades
The above is based on invitations received for our own clients plus feedback from other migration professionals. At this stage, the Department hasn’t released official numbers, so we don’t know how many invitations were issued, the minimum points, or whether any other occupations were included.
Interested in the invitation based visas? NOW IS THE TIME TO GET SORTED! Best to get started as early as possible! We generally suggest that if you are on your last visa and you don’t have an EOI in before Christmas plus extra time to wait for an invitation, then its a no-go. If you’re inviterested in this visa type and haven’t started yet, BOOK A STRAT CHAT WITH US TO DISCUSS OPTIONS AND TIMING
📅 How the Invitation Program Works
If you’re new to Australia’s invitation-based visa system, here’s a quick overview:
189 visas (Skilled Independent)
Allocated at the federal level.
Invitation rounds run randomly throughout the financial year.
Historically, we’ve seen as few as two rounds per year recently, but in previous years rounds were more frequent, sometimes fortnightly in smaller batches.
190 and 491 visas (state-nominated)
Each state and territory controls its own invitations.
Allocations are set by the federal government at the start of the program year, but states decide when and how to use them.
We’re still waiting on many states to update their FY2025/2026 requirements and policies.
🕒 What’s Next
We expect more invitation rounds later in the financial year, though these can happen without warning. Historically:
First rounds usually start September-ish
Invitations dry up from March onwards
Mid-year can be a quiet period
As states update their 190 and 491 programs, we’ll also share summaries here.
Share Your Experience Below
Did you receive an invitation in the 21 August round? Or are you still waiting? Comment below with:
If you received an invite, or are still waiting
Your occupation
Your points score
Disclaimer
This update is for informational purposes only and is based on invitations we received, feedback from other migration professionals and publicly available information. It is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on as migration advice. We don’t have insight into internal processes or invitation timing decisions by the states. We have not taken into account your specific circumstances in providing this information, but if you would like us to you can book in a time with us here.