The 189 vs 190 Visa: Why '65 Points' is a Lie in 2026

The '65 Point' Illusion

If you go to the Department of Home Affairs website to look up the Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) or Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) visa, you will see a massive green banner: "Minimum points requirement: 65."

Every year, thousands of international graduates hit exactly 65 points, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) on SkillSelect, and wait for their PR invitation. They wait for two years. Their 485 visa expires. They are forced to leave the country. Why? Because they misunderstood the difference between "eligibility" and "competitiveness."

The SkillSelect Bloodbath

SkillSelect is a ranking system, not a queue. The government does not invite the person who has been waiting the longest; they invite the person with the highest points.

Because of the massive backlog of applicants in Australia, the actual points required to get an invitation (the "cutoff") are astronomically higher than 65 for pro-rata occupations.

The Brutal 2026 Reality for Popular Occupations:

Accountants / Auditors: You need a minimum of 90 to 95 points to even have a chance at a 189 invite.

Software Engineers / IT Professionals: The cutoff hovers around 85 to 90 points.

Registered Nurses / Teachers: These are the only exceptions. Because of severe domestic shortages, nurses and secondary teachers are frequently invited with 65 to 70 points.

189 vs 190: The State Strategy

The 189 Visa is federal. You compete against everyone in Australia, and you can live anywhere.

The 190 Visa requires a specific State (like NSW or Victoria) to sponsor you. In exchange for their sponsorship, you get 5 bonus points and must live in that state for 2 years.

The NSW/VIC Trap: Everyone wants to live in Sydney and Melbourne. Therefore, the state sponsorship requirements for NSW and VIC are incredibly strict. They often require you to have years of post-graduate work experience in your nominated occupation* just to be considered.

How to Stop Wasting Time

If you are an IT graduate sitting on 70 points in Sydney, you are effectively invisible to the immigration system.

You must aggressively hunt for extra points before your post-study visa expires.

Get Superior English (PTE 79+) for +20 points.

Do a Professional Year Program (PYP) for +5 points.

Take the NAATI CCL test for +5 points.

Stop relying on government minimums. Use our Visa Points Calculator to see if your profile is actually competitive for the next invitation round.