Australia's Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that the next SkillSelect invitation round for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa is expected to be held by September 30, 2026, according to an update on the department's official SkillSelect page.
The department has said not everyone who submits an Expression of Interest (EOI) will receive an invitation, and that the number of invitations issued, and which occupations are prioritised, depends on the needs of the Australian economy at the time. Applicants are advised to review and update their EOI before the round closes.
What happened in the last round
The most recent subclass 189 invitation round, held June 4, 2026, issued 10,000 invitations, with a tie-break date of April 24, 2026. According to an analysis of that round by an Australian migration consultancy, healthcare, education, social work and certain construction trades performed comparatively well some registered nurses, teachers and social workers received invitations at around 75 points, and some construction trades at 65 points. Notably, several ICT, accounting, quantity surveying and engineering-related occupations did not feature significantly among invitations issued, despite being traditionally high-demand fields a reminder that a high points score alone does not guarantee an invitation, since occupation ceilings limit how many EOIs from any single occupation group can be invited.
Applicants preparing for the upcoming round should check whether their nominated occupation still aligns with recent invitation trends, whether their points claims remain accurate and fully documented, and whether their skills assessment, English test scores and work experience are still valid. Migration advisers also recommend considering backup pathways such as state-nominated subclass 190, regional subclass 491, or employer sponsorship, given how competitive and occupation-specific the subclass 189 stream has become.
The bigger picture: a graduate visa surge complicating reform
Separately, new Department of Home Affairs data shows the number of people in Australia on temporary graduate visas (subclass 485) the pathway most international students, including many Nepalis, use to remain in Australia and work after finishing their studies has surged 170 percent since March 2021, a much sharper rise than the 56 percent increase in student visa holders over the same period.
As of June 30, 2026, there were 271,191 people on subclass 485 visas, up more than 18 percent from 228,909 a year earlier. Nearly 73,900 of them were secondary applicants spouses and children of the primary visa holder representing close to 30 percent of the total, and that secondary-applicant group has grown even faster than primary applicants: from roughly 24,200 in June 2022 to 73,897 in June 2026, a 204 percent increase.
A former deputy secretary at the Department of Immigration has warned that this leaves large numbers of temporary graduates in an uncertain position, some enrolled in courses not well aligned with long-term labour market demand, potentially exposing them to exploitation in low-paid work while they wait for a pathway to permanent residency.
What this means if you're a Nepali graduate on a 485 visa, or planning to apply
The government has already tightened this pathway in several concrete ways relevant to anyone currently on, or applying for, a subclass 485 visa:
- The application fee has more than doubled: from AUD $2,300 to $4,600 from March 1, 2026, and further to $5,750 from July 1, 2026.
- "Visa-hopping" is now banned: people on a visitor visa or an existing subclass 485 visa can no longer apply for a student visa while remaining in Australia — a route some previously used to extend their stay.
- The age limit for most graduate visa applicants has been reduced to 35.
The government is also targeting an overall reduction in net overseas migration, from 295,000 in 2025-26 down to 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 by 2027-28, and the opposition and minor parties have separately floated further restrictions, including a proposal to remove secondary-applicant eligibility for the 485 visa altogether a change that, if adopted, could directly affect Nepali graduates whose partners or children are currently included on their visa.
If you are a Nepali student approaching graduation, or already on a 485 visa: confirm your current visa's specific conditions and expiry with a registered migration agent or directly through ImmiAccount, and do not assume settings that applied when you first arrived still apply now fees, age limits and eligibility rules have changed multiple times in the past year alone.
