Reform Of Skillselect For Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) And Skilled Work Regional (provisional) Visa (subclass 491) Invitation Rounds For Program Year 2025-26 ​

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 28 Feb 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

This minute from May 2025 seeks approval for reforming SkillSelect invitation rounds for skilled independent (subclass 189) and skilled work regional provisional (subclass 491) visas in program year 2025-26. The document establishes that subclass 189 primary visa holders earned a median annual income of $106,800 compared to the national median of $58,260, demonstrating economic value. It notes the Department previously departed from monthly invitation cycles with occupation ceilings during the pandemic to prioritise high-priority sectors, and observed lower conversion rates from invitations to visa applications (30-40%) during this period. The minute requests approval by 21 May 2025 to allow sufficient time for process updates before the next invitation round under the new framework for managing composition, timing, and approach to SkillSelect invitations.