On 15 October 2026, the Department of Home Affairs held the first Skilled Independent (subclass 189) invitation round of the 2026–27 program year and invited 20,000 people. There were no 189 invitations in July, August or September, and no Family Sponsored subclass 491 invitations have been issued so far this program year.
In each round, Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are ranked by points. When scores are equal, the EOI that reached its score earlier is invited first. That date is called the tie-break date.
Minimum points by occupation
These are the lowest scores invited for occupations common among our clients in Kuwait and the GCC:
| Occupation | Minimum points |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all 13 specialties) | 70 |
| Midwife | 70 |
| Electrician (General), Plumber (General), Carpenter, Bricklayer | 65 |
| Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic | 65 |
| Fitter (General), Fitter-Welder, Welder (First Class), Metal Fabricator | 80 |
| Construction Project Manager, Engineering Manager | 80 |
| Petroleum Engineer, Mining Engineer | 80 |
| Chemical Engineer, Telecommunications Engineer | 85 |
| Electronics Engineer | 95 |
| Secondary School Teacher | 80 |
| ICT Security Specialist | 100 |
For nurses, the tie-break dates at 70 points mostly fall in late 2025. In other words, nurses with 70 points whose EOI reached that score by around November 2025 were invited.
Who was not invited
Several occupations that are common among professionals in the Gulf do not appear in the results for this round, including Accountant, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, and software roles such as Software Engineer and Developer Programmer. Home Affairs notes that this can mean no EOIs were available or none met the parameters for an invitation.
What the numbers tell you
- Healthcare and trades are clearly favoured. This matches the healthcare and construction priorities the government set in September.
- For accountants, most engineers and IT professionals, state nomination is the realistic route this year. A 190 nomination adds 5 points and a 491 adds 15. See our guide to 2026–27 state nomination.
- If you are invited, you have 60 days to lodge your visa application. Have your documents ready before the invitation arrives.
- The next round has not been announced. Rounds are run periodically during the year, so keep your EOI and points up to date.
- The current points test still applies. The changes for trade qualifications announced in September had not taken effect at the time of writing.
- Nurses and tradespeople: 189 is a real option this year. Check your score with our points calculator.
- Every extra 5 points matters. Moving from Proficient to Superior English adds 10 points, which is often the quickest gain. Our PTE and IELTS coaching is built for this.
- Nurses need nursing registration and a skills assessment before applying. See our nurse pathway page.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, SkillSelect invitation rounds (round of 15 October 2026 and 2026–27 monthly totals). Information is current as at 10 November 2026. This article is general information only and is not migration advice for your individual circumstances.