July SkillSelect draw sees another 1,000 candidates invited to apply for Australian permanent residence

Skilled visas- Invitations issued in July 2019

The Department has released the details of SkillSelect’s July 2019 invitation round. The number of invitations for the Skilled Independent 189 visa on this has increased to 1,000 (an increase compared to the last few months of 100 invitations only). The number of invitations for regional skilled visa subclass 489 also increased to 100 (an increase compared to the last few months of 10 invitations only). For the 3rd time, in this round no invitations were issued to applicants with less than 80 points for subclass 189.

Australia’s SkillSelect system manages the profiles of candidates for two of Australia’s skilled visa programs — the 189 and 489 visa.

Candidates are ranked based on a score awarded under SkillSelect’s  Ranking System (EOI) that considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, study in Australia and language ability in English.

A set number of the highest-ranked candidates receive an invitation to apply for Australian permanent residence, through regular draws from the pool, the Department of Home Affairs aims to process applications for permanent residence within 8 months.

The table below shows the number of invitations issued in the SkillSelect invitation round on 11 July 2019.

Visa subclass Number
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) 1000
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) 100

During 2019-20 program year the following numbers of invitations have been issued:

11 July 2019 results

The following graph shows the points for clients who were invited to apply in the 11 July 2019 round.

Graph showing the points for clients who were invited to apply in the 11 July 2019 round

Invitation process and cut offs

The highest ranked clients by points score are invited to apply for the relevant visa. For clients who have equal points scores, the time at which they reached their points score for that subclass (referred to as the date of effect) determines their order of invitation. Expressions of Interest with earlier dates of effect are invited before later dates.

Visa subclass Minimum points score Latest date of effect
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) 80 13/05/2019 7:32pm
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) 80 05/01/2019 12:22pm

Point scores and the dates of effect cut off for the pro rata occupations in the 11 July 2019 invitation round.

Due to high levels of demand, and in keeping with previous years, the below occupation groups will be subject to pro rata arrangements to ensure availability of invitations across the program year.

SkillSelect first allocates available places to Skilled – Independent visas (subclass 189) and then the remaining to Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visas (subclass 489). If all places are taken up by subclass 189 visas then there will be no invitations issued for subclass 489 visas in these occupations.

Occupation ID Description Minimum points score Latest date of effect
2211 Accountants 85 14/12/2018 12:46pm
2212 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 85 9/03/2019 11:46pm
2334 Electronics Engineer 80 5/05/2019 7:01pm
2335 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 80 10/05/2019 2:51pm
2339 Other Engineering Professionals 80 1/04/2019 4:39pm
2611 ICT Business and System Analysts 80 12/04/2019 11:53pm
2613 Software and Applications Programmers 80 13/05/2019 7:10am
2631 Computer Network Professionals 80 13/05/2019 7:32am

Invitations issued during 2019-20 program year

Visa subclass Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) 1,000 1,000
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) 100 100
Total 1,100 1,100

The above figures do not include invitations issued for State and Territory Government nominated visa subclasses. State and Territory Governments nominate throughout the month for specific points tested skilled migration and business innovation and investment visas.