ImmiTrend

SkillSelect EOI Submission Trends (Australia)

Track how Expression of Interest submissions change month-over-month across visa subclasses 189, 190, and 491.

180,651 submitted EOIs sat in the subclass 189 pool as at August 2026 (+1.2% month-over-month).

Latest Month Total

180,651

August 2026

Month-over-Month

+1.2%

vs previous month

Highest EOI Volume

Subclass 189

Highest submissions

Fastest Growing

Registered Nurses nec

+671 EOIs

Submission Trends by Visa Type

Monthly EOI activity for Subclass 189

Dashed lines: 12-month forecast by the ImmiTrend Forecast Engine, fitted per series. Based on the August 2026 snapshot.

Forecasts are estimates with uncertainty; actual pools depend on invitation rounds and policy. How accurate are these forecasts?

Submission Trends by Occupation

Top 10 occupations by total volume

Top 10 Increasing Occupations

Compared with July 2026

Top 25 Hot Occupations

By total submissions in August 2026

Hot Occupations Distribution

Proportion of top 25 submissions

Longest Wait Occupations

Top 10 occupations with the longest estimated queue wait

Shortest Estimated Waits

Top 10 occupations with the shortest estimated queue wait

Estimates based on recent invitation rates and occupation ceilings. Click a bar to view the occupation.
Data source: SkillSelect EOI Data Dashboard — Australian Department of Home Affairs · Data as of August 2026

Largest EOI queues — August 2026

As at August 2026, 180,651 submitted EOIs were awaiting invitation in the subclass 189 pool (+1.2% month-over-month). The ten occupations with the most submitted EOIs:

  1. Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher (241111) — 12,628 submitted EOIs
  2. Chef (351311) — 10,982 submitted EOIs
  3. Software Engineer (261313) — 9,603 submitted EOIs
  4. Civil Engineer (233211) — 8,858 submitted EOIs
  5. ICT Business Analyst (261111) — 7,885 submitted EOIs
  6. Mechanical Engineer (233512) — 7,661 submitted EOIs
  7. Accountant (General) (221111) — 7,377 submitted EOIs
  8. Registered Nurses nec (254499) — 7,188 submitted EOIs
  9. Developer Programmer (261312) — 6,776 submitted EOIs
  10. Engineering Technologist (233914) — 5,900 submitted EOIs

Reading EOI submission trends

Every month, SkillSelect reports how many new Expressions of Interest enter the pool. Tracking the EOI count month over month shows whether submissions for your occupation are rising or easing across subclasses 189, 190 and 491.

Sustained growth in submissions usually means stiffer competition, though future cut-offs also depend on round sizes, selection rules and pool changes. Use these trends to spot occupations where submissions are accelerating.

Last updated 31 August 2026·Sources:Official

General information only — not migration advice.

Compiled by ImmiTrend from official SkillSelect data.

EOI submission trends — frequently asked questions

How many EOIs are in the SkillSelect 189 pool right now?
As at August 2026, 180,651 submitted EOIs were awaiting invitation in the subclass 189 pool (+1.2% month-over-month). The charts on this page track how that pool moves each month across subclasses 189, 190 and 491.
Are EOI submissions going up or down?
This page tracks new Expression of Interest submissions month over month. Rising submissions usually mean more competition; easing submissions can mean slower pool growth. Future cut-offs still depend on round sizes, selection rules and pool changes.
How is the EOI count changing for my subclass?
The trend charts break monthly EOI activity down by subclass 189, 190 and 491. Compare the months to see whether submissions for your visa pathway are growing or easing.
Which occupations have the fastest-growing EOI counts?
The Top Increasing Occupations section ranks occupations by how quickly their EOI submissions are climbing. Fast growth can be an early signal of rising competition, but it doesn't indicate employment demand or government invitation priority.
Related:Invitation roundsEOI pool distributionPoints calculatorBrowse occupations