New Subclass 189 Selection Model β Simple Explanation
Australia has a limit (ceiling) on how many people can be invited for each occupation under the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa.
How the occupation limit works:
- First, department fills occupation places through other visas such as: β’ Employer Sponsored visas β’ State Nominated visas (190) β’ Regional visas (491/494)
- Only the leftover places (if any) are then used for the 189 visa.
- β These limits are managed at a broader occupation group level (not very specific job titles).
How department decides how many places each occupation gets;
Department looks at: β’ How many people are already working in that occupation (using government employment data), and β’ Multiplies that number by a percentage, depending on how important or scarce the occupation is.
The result is the maximum number of 189 visas that can be given for that occupation.
Occupation Tiers Explained Simply
π΅ Tier 1 β Most critical occupations β’ Multiplier: 4% β’ These are very important, hard-to-fill jobs. β’ They usually take many years of training. β’ Examples: Doctors, medical specialists, researchers * Highest chance of selection.
π’ Tier 2 β High priority occupations β’ Multiplier: 2% β’ Important jobs needed urgently. β’ Training time is usually shorter than Tier 1. β’ Examples: Teachers * Good chance of selection.
π‘ Tier 3 β General occupations β’ Multiplier: 1% β’ Most occupations fall here. β’ Ensures Australia has workers across many fields. * Moderate to limited number of invitations.
π΄ Tier 4 β Oversupplied occupations β’ Multiplier: 0.5% β’ Jobs where Australia already has many workers or many visa holders. β’ Invites only a small number to avoid oversupply. * Lowest chance under 189.
Example of calculating and filling occupation ceilings - 2411 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers
Tier 1 β Highest Value Occupations Focuses on highly specialised roles with long training times and long-term shortages (mainly medical specialists like cardiologists). These receive the highest priority, with a 4.0% multiplier to maximise invitations.
Medical Diagnostic Radiographer β 251211 Medical Radiation Therapist β 251212 Nuclear Medicine Technologist β 251213 Sonographer β 251214 Optometrist β 251411 Occupational Therapist β 252411 Physiotherapist β 252511 Podiatrist β 252611 Audiologist β 252711 Speech Pathologist β 252712 General Practitioner β 253111 Specialist Physician (General Medicine) β 253311 Cardiologist β 253312 Clinical Haematologist β 253313 Medical Oncologist β 253314 Endocrinologist β 253315 Gastroenterologist β 253316 Intensive Care Specialist β 253317 Neurologist β 253318 Paediatrician β 253321 Renal Medicine Specialist β 253322 Rheumatologist β 253323 Thoracic Medicine Specialist β 253324 Specialist Physicians (nec) β 253399 Psychiatrist β 253411 Surgeon (General) β 253511 Cardiothoracic Surgeon β 253512 Neurosurgeon β 253513 Orthopaedic Surgeon β 253514 Otorhinolaryngologist β 253515 Paediatric Surgeon β 253516 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon β 253517 Urologist β 253518 Vascular Surgeon β 253521 Dermatologist β 253911 Emergency Medicine Specialist β 253912 Obstetrician and Gynaecologist β 253913 Ophthalmologist β 253914 Pathologist β 253915 Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist β 253917 Radiation Oncologist β 253918 Medical Practitioners (nec) β 253999 Midwife β 254111 Nurse Practitioner β 254411 Registered Nurse (Aged Care) β 254412 Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) β 254413 Registered Nurse (Community Health) β 254414 Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) β 254415 Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) β 254416 Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) β 254417 Registered Nurse (Medical) β 254418 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) β 254421 Registered Nurse (Mental Health) β 254422 Registered Nurse (Perioperative) β 254423 Registered Nurse (Surgical) β 254424 Registered Nurse (Paediatrics) β 254425 Registered Nurses (nec) β 254499