189 Occupation Ceilings

The Department of Home Affairs uses occupation ceilings to cap the number of 189 invitations per occupation each financial year. These figures are sourced from an FOI document and represent planning figures, not guarantees.

These are the latest official occupation ceilings published by the Department of Home Affairs (FY 2025-26).

Total Occupations

87

occupation groups

Tier 1

13

Highest priority

Tier 2

6

High priority

Tier 3

58

Standard priority

Tier 4

10

Lowest priority
⚠These ceilings are planning figures obtained via FOI (fa-260100545). They represent the Department's internal planning and may not match final invitation outcomes. The multiplier, average stock, and prior grants are used internally to calculate remaining 189 places.

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Data Source: FOI document fa-260100545, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

View FOI document →Read our analysis of the tier system and key findings →

189 occupation ceilings — frequently asked questions

What is a subclass 189 occupation ceiling?
An occupation ceiling is the maximum number of subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) invitations the Department of Home Affairs plans to issue for an occupation group in a financial year. Ceilings are set at the ANZSCO unit-group (4-digit) level, so related occupations share one cap. Once a group nears its ceiling, invitations for it slow or stop until the next program year.
How many 189 places are left for my occupation this year?
The 'Spots left (FY)' figure is a group's year-start 189 budget minus the estimated invitations issued so far this financial year. The year-start budget is derived from the FOI ceiling figures (the ceiling less grants in prior programs), and the result is shown as a range because per-occupation invitations are estimated — so use it to gauge relative competition rather than as a guaranteed count.
Are these occupation ceilings official?
The ceiling figures come from a Department of Home Affairs Freedom of Information release (reference fa-260100545) and reflect the department's internal planning for FY2025-26. They are planning figures, not guarantees — actual invitations depend on the size and competitiveness of the EOI pool, and final outcomes can differ from these figures.