Victoria Last Round Invitation Overview

Analysis of the October 9, 2025 Skilled Migration Invitation Round

Onshore Applicant Priority

Most of the invitations I observed are for Onshore applicants. This suggests a strong, ongoing priority to invite candidates who are already living and working in Victoria and can immediately contribute to the local economy.

Strong Emphasis on High Salary and Employment

For many skilled occupations, Victoria is clearly prioritizing applicants with high local salaries, especially in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and professional sectors.

ICT/Professional: The three different invitations for “Information and Organisation Professionals nec” show a descending salary requirement of $150K, $140K, and $135K for points of and . This ties the invitation to a.

Healthcare/Regional: The 491 visa for a Medical Laboratory Scientist had a minimum salary of $78K, and a Pharmacist’s was $110K, reinforcing the demand for high-earners even in regional-focused visas.

Continuing Demand for Healthcare and Professional Services

• Healthcare remains a core priority. Invitations were issued for Registered Nurse (491), Enrolled Nurse (190), Medical Laboratory Scientist (491), and Pharmacist (491), with relatively lower EOI points for nurses compared to other professions ( and ).
• ICT and Engineering are highly competitive. Occupations like Computer Network & Systems Engineer and Telecommunication Network Engineer were invited at very high point thresholds (e.g., ), often requiring a strong salary or partner skills.
• Traditional High-Point Occupations: Accountants were invited, but at an extremely competitive point level () and with additional requirements like a partner skills bonus.

Current Program Context (2025-26 Financial Year)

The invitation round on October 9, 2025, aligns with the very start of the 2025-26 Skilled Migration Program.

Impact of Low Quota (Interim Allocation)

• Victoria officially opened its 2025-26 program on October 2, 2025, with a small initial interim allocation from the Federal Government. The official interim numbers were very low:200 places for Subclass 190180 places for Subclass 491
• This extremely limited quota means that only the most competitive applicants who align perfectly with Victoria’s high-priority requirements (high salary, critical sector, current local employment) were likely to be invited in this first round.

Selection Methodology

Victoria assesses candidates based on a Registration of Interest (ROI) system, ranking them on factors like: Age, English level, years of experience, education level, partner skills, and for onshore candidates, annual salary. The data confirms that high salary is a crucial tie-breaker.

In summary, the trend for the start of the 2025-26 Victoria program is one of intense competition, with a clear and narrow focus on high-earning, locally employed skilled migrants in critical sectors like ICT, professional services, and health, due to a small initial visa quota.