Executive Summary
The latest skilled migration updates include 20,000 subclass 189 invitations, Queensland’s nomination programme opening and significant restrictions in the Northern Territory. Australian Immigration Agency (AIA) also explains new overseas travel restrictions for protection visa applicants and growing review caseloads at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).
Introduction
This weekly update, dated 7 November 2026, brings together important developments for skilled migrants, protection visa applicants and people seeking review of visa decisions. The practical priorities are to check occupation-specific invitation results, reassess state nomination eligibility and confirm travel arrangements before leaving Australia.
At AIA, we encourage applicants to consider how these changes affect their individual circumstances rather than relying on headline invitation numbers alone.
Subclass 189: 20,000 Invitations and Varying Points Thresholds
Results released this week show 20,000 invitations in the latest Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) round. An invitation is an opportunity to apply, not a visa grant, and not every invited applicant will lodge an application.
Reported invitation thresholds included:
- Registered nurses: as low as 70 points.
- Construction and other trade occupations: some at 65 points.
- Painting trades workers: 70 points, returning after receiving no invitations in the previous round.
- ICT security specialists and urologists: the highest threshold, at 100 points.
- Footballers: 70 points.
Horse trainers, music directors and musicians also received invitations. Jobs and Skills Australia’s shortage information did not identify footballers or horse trainers as shortage occupations for 2026, or music directors and musicians as shortage occupations in recent years. Their inclusion raises questions about how invitation priorities align with construction workforce needs.
These results demonstrate why applicants should assess their nominated occupation rather than assume that one points score applies across the programme.
June invitation data provides further insight
Information released through a freedom of information request provides additional detail about the 4 June invitation round. The round was designed to allocate 78% of invitations to onshore applicants and 22% to offshore applicants.
The top ten passport countries among invitation recipients were India, China, Nepal, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Ireland, Sri Lanka and Iran.
The points distribution included 580 invitations at 65 points, 448 at 70, 585 at 75, 2,512 at 85, 930 at 90, 234 at 95, 79 at 100, 19 at 105 and seven at 110. The largest group received invitations at 80 points.
The largest reported occupational groups included:
- Registered nurses: 2,765 invitations.
- Carpenters and joiners: 862 invitations.
- Secondary teachers: 594 invitations.
Other leading groups included social workers, construction workers, solicitors, general practitioners and resident medical officers, other medical practitioners, management and organisation analysts, and agricultural and forestry scientists.
Other construction trade figures were substantially smaller: 127 electricians, 114 tilers, 104 bricklayers, 53 plumbers, 34 plasterers, 11 glaziers and seven cabinetmakers.
The figures raise important questions about how invitations are distributed across occupations and how skilled migration supports housing construction. However, they do not establish that an invitation issued to one occupation directly displaced an applicant in another.
AIA’s advice: use previous rounds as context, not a prediction of your next invitation opportunity.
Protection Visa Applicants: Bridging Visa B Travel Restrictions
From 1 November 2026, Protection visa (subclass 866) applicants can no longer apply for a Bridging visa B (BVB) to travel overseas and return to Australia.
The announced arrangements distinguish between new applications and those already lodged:
- BVB applications lodged before 1 November 2026 will continue to be processed.
- Applicants whose existing BVB travel facility has expired cannot apply for another BVB or request further travel under these arrangements.
This change has significant consequences for people considering overseas travel while their protection visa application remains unresolved. Do not assume that holding a bridging visa gives you permission to leave and re-enter Australia; obtain advice about your visa and travel facility before making arrangements.
Northern Territory Restricts New Nomination Applications
The Northern Territory has advised that it has received sufficient applications for the 2026–27 programme year.
No new nomination applications are being accepted for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) through either the onshore or offshore streams.
Limited subclass 491 exceptions remain
New Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) nomination applications are limited to certain onshore applicants who meet the Northern Territory graduate or Northern Territory resident eligibility criteria and face a qualifying deadline on or before 30 September 2027.
The qualifying circumstances are:
- A substantive visa expires by that date and the applicant is not eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa.
- The applicant turns 45 by that date, making them ineligible for general skilled migration.
- A birthday by that date would reduce the applicant’s subclass 491 points score below 65.
Applicants should check both the underlying eligibility criteria and the relevant deadline. Meeting a deadline alone is not the complete eligibility test.
Queensland Opens Subclass 190 and 491 Nominations
Queensland has opened its subclass 190 and subclass 491 nomination programme, with more flexible work experience arrangements and a revised Registration of Interest (ROI) system. The changes were outlined in a webinar on Friday.
The ROI requires an ATO notice of assessment as evidence of income. Queensland has separate onshore and offshore occupation lists, containing 209 and 97 occupations respectively, with eligibility also differing between the two visa subclasses.
Work experience requirements
For onshore applicants, the reported Queensland work requirements are:
- Subclass 190: nine months of work in Queensland.
- Subclass 491: six months of work in Queensland.
- Work of at least 20 hours per week in the nominated or a closely related occupation.
- Casual employment is accepted, and multiple jobs can be combined.
International students may submit an ROI while studying where their work experience meets the required skill-level conditions. Queensland graduates also have an advantage: work in any skill level one occupation can satisfy the work experience component, rather than work specifically in their nominated occupation.
Construction pathway and ROI selection
Construction applicants can meet the work experience component with three months of qualifying work for either subclass. That work must be undertaken after qualification, in the nominated or a closely related occupation, for at least 20 hours per week.
Applicants must choose either subclass 190 or subclass 491 in their ROI. This makes pathway selection important: consider your eligibility and willingness to pursue regional migration before submitting your interest. Selecting subclass 190 does not mean Queensland will consider that ROI for subclass 491 instead.
State and territory allocations
The available state and territory invitation data extended only to the end of September. Full nomination allocations were still awaited; the previous year’s allocations were not released until November. Applicants should distinguish between invitations already issued and the places ultimately available for nomination.
ART Caseload Growth Highlights Review Pressures
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) reported an increase in cases on hand from 112,591 on 1 July 2025 to 133,749 on 30 June 2026. Its annual report showed demand for review services growing faster than the tribunal’s capacity to finalise matters.
Migration applications accounted for 55% of lodgements, with protection matters accounting for a further 20%. Together, these categories represented 75% of all lodgements.
Student visa reviews remained a substantial component: 29,346 were lodged during the financial year, and student matters accounted for 60% of the migration caseload on hand. The active student visa caseload grew from 11,528 on 30 June 2024 to 54,176 on 30 June 2026, an increase of 370%.
These figures indicate substantial system pressure, but they do not establish a processing timeframe for any individual review. Applicants should focus on preparing their case carefully and responding to tribunal requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Subclass 189 invitation thresholds vary by occupation: historical results do not guarantee a future invitation.
- Protection visa applicants face new BVB restrictions: check travel eligibility before planning an overseas trip.
- Northern Territory nomination access is restricted: only limited subclass 491 exceptions remain available.
- Queensland has opened nominations: check occupation lists, work experience and ROI pathway selection carefully.
- ART caseloads continue to grow: individual review timeframes cannot be inferred from overall figures.
Speak with AIA
AIA can help you assess skilled visa pathways, state nomination requirements and the implications of these changes for your circumstances. To discuss your options, book a consultation or call 1300 728 634.
