189Federal
80- Est. Invitations
- 5–5
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- 1 Jul 2026
Forester 234113
MLTSSLAssessed by VETASSESS· Unit group 2341 Agricultural and Forestry Scientists·New to this? Start here
As at November 2026, Forester (ANZSCO 234113) is still invited through the subclass 189: the 15 October 2026 round invited it at 80 points, for EOIs with a date of effect up to 1 July 2026 (an estimated 5 invitations, 8.6% of its 58 EOIs at 65+). The October 2026 189 pool holds 58 EOIs (0 at 85+ points), with 59 in 190 and 75 in 491. Latest state cut-offs: 491 at 100 points (14 November 2024), community reported. Four states list the occupation for 190 or 491. The 189 cut-off ranged 80–95 over the last 6 rounds, easing.
An EOI is ranked by points, then date of effect. 190 and 491 cut-offs (state nomination) are community reported.
189Skilled Independent
Every round80pts
15 Oct · DOE 1 July 2026
4–16 visas 2025-26*
190State nominated
4 states list it–pts
no round recorded
2–8 visas 2025-26*
491Regional, state or family
3 states list it100pts
14 Nov 2024 · → from 100
2–8 visas 2025-26*
186Employer sponsored
LargestNo points test
485 → work → 482 or 186
5 visas 2024-25
Every pathway at a glance
October 2026 EOI pool. State rows count the 190 and 491 queues together, and one person can hold several EOIs. State scores are community reported.
| Pathway | In queue | At 85+ | Last invited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189Eligible | 58 | 0 | 80 · 15 Oct 2026 |
| NSWopen | 35 | 5 | – |
| WAopen | 35 | 7 | – |
| VICopen | 24 | 3 | 491 · 100 · 14 Nov 2024 |
| QLDopen | 19 | 3 | – |
| SANot listed | 20 | 4 | – |
| TASNot listed | 17 | 2 | – |
| NTNot listed | 7 | 1 | – |
| ACTNot listed | 7 | 1 | – |
See who gets nominated → community-reported 190 and 491 invitations
Checking your access…
Where do you sit in the 189 queue?
What this means at your score and date of effect
- 80 or more70 EOIs at that score or higher.
- 75Your date of effect decides within the score.
- Below 75Below the recent 189 cut-offs. Check the state lists for nomination.
Subclass 189 wait estimates · October 2026 EOI pool
Not enough recent rounds to compute a wait estimate for this subclass.
How these figures are worked outmethod and limits
189 rank can be estimated from points and DOE; 190 and state/territory-nominated 491 are selected by each jurisdiction under its own policy and priorities, so a national EOI queue rank doesn't apply.
Will I get a 189 invitation as a Forester?
Likely at 80 points or more. Invited in 6 recent 189 rounds.
Last 189 round · 15 October 2026
- Cut-off
- 80 pts
- June: also 80
- Date of effect
- invited at 80 up to here
- Est. invited
- 5
- Agricultural and Forestry Scientists: 240–248
- Queue invited
- 8.6%
- 5 of 58 at 65+
Cut-off and date of effect: Home Affairs. Invited and queue share: ImmiTrend estimates from the 1 Oct 2026 pool (queue = EOIs at 65+).
All 159 occupations in this round →We predicted 85 for this round. See the scorecard →
189 places this financial year
FY2026-27 · estimatedShared by all 3 occupations in Agricultural and Forestry Scientists, not just Forester
500est. ceiling375est. 189 places127–135est. left after 15 Oct
64–66%
125 to 186 / 190 / 491240–248 invited by 189open
15 Oct cut-off for the whole group: 80 pts · DOE 1 July – 4 Sept 2026
Who shares these places · 3 occupations
| Occupation | Est. invited this FY | EOIs ≥ 80 pts | In pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forester234113THIS | 5 | 0 | 58 |
| Agricultural Consultant234111 | 145–150 | 44 | 812 |
| Agricultural Scientist234112 | 90–93 | 20 | 210 |
| 2341 total | 240–248 | 64 | 1,080 |
ImmiTrend estimate — official figures not yet published. FY2025-26 official: 500 ceiling, 322 remaining · How we estimate · All occupation ceilings →
If a round is heldcut-off by round size, custom number, full prediction row
If 10 invited
75DOE ≤ June 26
If 20 invited
70DOE ≤ Jan 26
If 50 invited
65DOE ≤ Oct 26
If 100 invited
All invited (58)
If 200 invited
All invited (58)
If 500 invited
All invited (58)
If 1000 invited
All invited (58)
Or calculate a custom number
189 prediction — full row
| Last round | Cutoff | Oct 26 | Spots left (FY) | If floor invited | If anchored invited | Active EOIs | At/above | Ceiling remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26 | 80 | 5–5 | 74–82 | 75DOE ≤ Feb 26 | 75DOE ≤ Feb 26 | 58 | 0 | 322 |
More 189 chartsqueue age, invitations per round, points gauge
Points reality gaugeyour points against those invited
Point Reality Gauge
- Points are easing. The minimum invited score has moved from 85 to 80 over the past 3 rounds — this can reflect round size, occupation allocation or EOI pool changes.
- Still 15 points above the EOI minimum. Despite easing, Forester remains competitive. Applicants significantly below 80 points are unlikely to receive invitations soon.
- 1 round so far in 2026-27. Forester has been invited in 1 invitation round this financial year. The round count alone doesn't indicate future demand or guarantee invitations.
Which state could nominate a Forester?
Four states list Forester for 2026-27: NSW, VIC, QLD and WA are open.
Program status 2026-27
OpenOnshore onlyOpeningPaused or closedNot listed
New South WalesOpen
190 · since 15 Oct 2026
- This occupation
- Listed for 190
- 190 + 491 queue
- 35 EOIs · 5 at 85+ · most at 70
- Last invited
- No Forester report yet
- Next expected
- Rounds through the year
- Places 2026-27
- 190: – places, 11 used · 491: – places, 0 used
- Grants 2024-25
- 0 × 190 · 1 × 491 · 0 × 186 · 0 × 189
- Note
- NSW Skills List rebuilt to 78 unit groups (16 removed, 15 added). NSW doesn't announce round dates. Allocation not yet published.
Sign in to get an alert when NSW invites a Forester, with your position, the points distribution and the monthly series.Sign in
Status from state program pages. Queues: SkillSelect, 10/2026. An EOI can nominate several states, so state queues add up to more than the national totals.
All states as a tablestatus, listing, queue, last cut-off, places, grants
| State | Status | Listed | 190 queue | 491 queue | 85+ | Last cut-off | State places 190 / 491 (all occupations) | 190 + 491 grants | State page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| open | 190 | 18 | 17 | 5 | – | – / – | 1 | All NSW data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 491 · 100 · 14 Nov 2024 | 900 / – | 0 | All VIC data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 10 | 9 | 3 | – | – / – | 1 | All QLD data | |
| open · onshore only | Not listed | 8 | 12 | 4 | – | – / – | 1 | All SA data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 18 | 17 | 7 | – | – / – | 3 | All WA data | |
| open | Not listed | 8 | 9 | 2 | – | 1,250 / 800 | 1 | All TAS data | |
| closed | Not listed | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | – / – | 0 | All NT data | |
| open | Not listed | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | – / – | 0 | All ACT data |
Per-state queue chartspoints distribution, queue trend, invited and lodged
Pick a state above to see its three charts
All eight states · 24 charts
Who gets nominatedcommunity-reported 190 and 491 invitations
From 2 community-reported 190 and 491 invitations for Forester, the median was 100 points.
Cut-off history
Where it ranks · 189
Outside top 50 by volume
of 170 occupations invited
▼ Falling
⋯
This occupation · most invited →least invited
28 invites last 2 FY · busiest 8,043 · typical 52
Most consistently invited
invited 4 of 4 roundsOccasional
oldest → newest · filled = invited
Year over year
23last FY · 3 rounds
5so far · 1 round
▼ −35% per roundRound to round · last 2 FY
6
8
9
5
90858080
▼ Falling · invites per round · number under a bar = 189 cut-off
Minimum points invited, by source
Dashed line = the 65-point pass mark
Round History
Source:
| Date | Subclass | Source | Points | Est. Invitations | Salary | DOE / EOI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2026 | 189 | Federal | 80 | 5–5 | — | 1 Jul 2026 | |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 189 | Federal | 80 | 8–9 | — | — | |
| 13 Nov 2025 | 189 | Federal | 85 | 7–8 | — | — | |
| 11 Nov 2025 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 85 | — | — | — | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 5–6 | — | — | |
| 14 Nov 2024 | 491 | VICCommunity | 100 | — | — | — | |
| 13 Nov 2024 | 491 | VICCommunity | 100 | — | — | — | |
| 7 Nov 2024 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 3–5 | — | — |
- ··
- 189Federal80
- Est. Invitations
- 8–9
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal85
- Est. Invitations
- 7–8
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189FederalCommunity85
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 5–6
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 491VICCommunity100
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 491VICCommunity100
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 3–5
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
··
FederalSkillSelectOfficialState governmentCommunityCrowdsourced
How many Forester visas are actually granted?
15 skilled visas for Forester in 2024-25, the 276th most of 581 occupations. 2025-26, provisional: 4–16 × 189, 2–8 × 190, 2–8 × 491 (186 and 494 not yet published).
25-26* is provisional: the full year to June 2026 for 189, 190 and 491 from a Home Affairs data release. The official release with every visa is expected in late 2026.
| Visa | Share of total | 2024-25 | 2025-26* | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | — | — | ||
33% | 5 | — | — | |
27% | 42–8* | 2–8 | — | |
20% | 32–8* | 2–8 | — | |
20% | 34–16* | 4–16 | — | |
0% | 0 | — | — |
— means last year had fewer than 20 grants. Tap a colour to show or hide its line. The grey area is the total.
Show the numbers for every year
| Year | Total | 186 | 190 | 491 | 189 | 494 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025-26* | — | — | 2–8 | 2–8 | 4–16 | — |
Where they were granted
Employer location, 2024-25. Coloured by how each state's share of Forester 186 grants compares with its usual share of all 186 grants.
- 1VICToo few to saytoo few to compare2
- 2SAToo few to saytoo few to compare2
- 3TASToo few to saytoo few to compare1
- 4NSWToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- 5QLDToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- 6WAToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- 7ACTToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- 8NTToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- More than usual (1.3× or more)
- About usual
- Less than usual (under 0.75×)
- Too few to say (under 10)
Who was granted
Country of citizenship, 2022-23 to 2024-25 combined.
- 1Nepal18.6%
- 2China11.6%
- 3Brazil11.6%
- 4Vietnam11.6%
- 5Colombia9.3%
Data: July 2015 to June 2025, main applicants only. Occupation is recorded only for main applicants in the Skill stream, so partner, parent, business and 858 visas can't appear here, and temporary visas such as 482 aren't in this data. Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0068 (CC BY). The views expressed are those of ImmiTrend and not necessarily those of the Department.
Your next step
Before you can submit an EOI you need a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS, an English test result and at least 65 points. Study and graduate (485) time in Australia count.
Questions
What points do you need for Forester subclass 189?
Forester last invited (189) 15 October 2026 at 80 points; ranged 80–95 over its last 6 invited rounds. At 80 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 1 July 2026 were invited.
Was I invited in the 15 October 2026 189 round as Forester?
In the 15 October 2026 round, Forester EOIs at 85 points or more were invited; at 80 points, those with a date of effect on or before 1 July 2026; at 75 or less, none. ImmiTrend estimates 5 invitations to this occupation (240–248 to unit group 2341), 8.6% of its 58 EOIs at 65+ points.
Is the Forester subclass 189 cut-off rising or easing?
Easing: across the last 6 189 rounds the Forester cut-off ranged 80–95, from 95 (13 June 2024) to 80 (15 October 2026).
Is 85, 90 or 95 points enough to be invited for Forester (subclass 189)?
Over Forester's last 6 invited 189 rounds (latest 15 October 2026) cut-offs ranged 80–95. Met: 95: 6 of 6, 90: 5 of 6, 85: 3 of 6, 80: 2 of 6. 75 or below: none. At 80 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 1 July 2026 were invited.
What are the latest 190 and 491 cut-offs for Forester?
For Forester: subclass 491 was last invited at 100 points (14 November 2024).
How do I compare to applicants who got invited for Forester?
States and territories issue 190 and 491 invitations under their own policies, not national EOI queue order. Check My Score compares your profile with community-reported invited samples for Forester; samples may be incomplete.
Which states nominate Forester for 190/491?
Forester is on the current 190/491 state nomination lists of: NSW, QLD, VIC, WA. State lists and quotas change each program year — check each state's official list.
How many subclass 189 places are likely left this FY2026-27 for Forester?
About 127–135 subclass 189 places are estimated left in FY2026-27 after the 15 October 2026 round for Agricultural and Forestry Scientists, the unit group's 3 occupations together, Forester included, of 375 for the year. Home Affairs has not yet published FY2026-27 occupation ceilings, so the places are an ImmiTrend estimate.
How often are Forester invitation rounds held?
Subclass 189: 1 federal round so far in FY2026-27 (15 October 2026); Forester received invitations in 1 of them. State nominations in FY2024-25: subclass 190 invitations on no round dates and subclass 491 on 2 round dates (VIC; 100–100 points).
How many Forester visas were granted in 2024-25?
15 main applicants: 5 through 186, 4 through 190, 3 through 491 and 3 through 189.
Last updated 2 November 2026Sources:OfficialEstimatedCommunity-reported
EOI snapshot October 2026
Community-reported and estimated figures are indicative and may be incomplete — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee. Official figures come from Home Affairs / SkillSelect.
General information only — not migration advice.
Compiled by ImmiTrend from official SkillSelect data.