189Federal
90- Est. Invitations
- 19–21
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- 3 Feb 2026
Life Scientist (nec) 234599
As at November 2026, Life Scientist (nec) (ANZSCO 234599) is still invited through the subclass 189: the 15 October 2026 round invited it at 90 points, for EOIs with a date of effect up to 3 February 2026 (an estimated 19–21 invitations, 18.4% of its 103 EOIs at 65+). The October 2026 189 pool holds 96 EOIs (21 at 85+ points), with 170 in 190 and 130 in 491. Latest state cut-offs: 190 at 95 points (1 May 2026), community reported. Three states list the occupation for 190 or 491. The 189 cut-off ranged 85–95 over the last 6 rounds.
An EOI is ranked by points, then date of effect. 190 and 491 cut-offs (state nomination) are community reported.
189Skilled Independent
Every round90pts
15 Oct · DOE 3 Feb 2026
21–30 visas 2025-26*
190State nominated
3 states list it95pts
1 May 2026
8–17 visas 2025-26*
491Regional, state or family
3 states list it–pts
no round recorded
2–8 visas 2025-26*
186Employer sponsored
LargestNo points test
485 → work → 482 or 186
49 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 | 96 | 21 | 90 · 15 Oct 2026 |
| VICopen | 108 | 49 | 190 · 95 · 1 May 2026 |
| QLDopen | 48 | 23 | – |
| WAopen | 39 | 16 | – |
| SANot listed | 76 | 28 | – |
| NSWNot listed | 48 | 19 | – |
| ACTNot listed | 48 | 15 | – |
| TASNot listed | 20 | 7 | – |
| NTNot listed | 15 | 5 | – |
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
- 90 or more96 EOIs at that score or higher.
- 85Your date of effect decides within the score.
- Below 85Below the recent 189 cut-offs. Check the state lists for nomination.
Subclass 189 wait estimates · October 2026 EOI pool
| 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahead | 41 | 21 | 13 | 1 |
| Met the cut-off | 0/6 | 1/6 | 4/6 | 6/6 |
How these figures are worked outmethod and limits
Subclass 189 invitation rounds have paused since 15 October 2026, so a wait estimate can't be reliably projected while rounds are paused. The queue figures above are current; the wait will depend on when rounds resume.
"Met the cut-off" counts how many of the last 6 subclass-189 rounds your points would have been at or above the round's minimum.
Figures describe observed invitation rounds and the current EOI pool — indicative only, not migration advice.
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 Life Scientist (nec)?
Likely at 90 points or more. Invited in 6 recent 189 rounds.
Last 189 round · 15 October 2026
- Cut-off
- 90 pts
- June: 95, so 5 lower
- Date of effect
- invited at 90 up to here
- Est. invited
- 19–21
- Life Scientists: 106–118
- Queue invited
- 18.4%
- 19 of 103 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 8 occupations in Life Scientists, not just Life Scientist (nec)
500est. ceiling262est. 189 places144–156est. left after 15 Oct
40–45%
238 to 186 / 190 / 491106–118 invited by 189open
15 Oct cut-off for the whole group: 90–95 pts · DOE 4 Jan – 9 Feb 2026
Who shares these places · 8 occupations
| Occupation | Est. invited this FY | EOIs ≥ 90–95 pts | In pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Scientist (nec)234599THIS | 19–21 | 13 | 96 |
| Biotechnologist234514 | 37–43 | 46 | 479 |
| Life Scientist (General)234511 | 32–34 | 37 | 284 |
| Microbiologist234517 | 9–11 | 29 | 323 |
| Marine Biologist234516 | 7 | 9 | 54 |
| Zoologist234518 | 2 | 8 | 27 |
| Biochemist234513 | 0 | 8 | 97 |
| Botanist234515 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 2345 total | 106–118 | 150 | 1,377 |
ImmiTrend estimate — official figures not yet published. FY2025-26 official: 500 ceiling, 323 remaining · How we estimate · All occupation ceilings →
If a round is heldcut-off by round size, custom number, full prediction row
If 10 invited
90DOE ≤ July 26
If 20 invited
85DOE ≤ Oct 26
If 50 invited
75DOE ≤ May 26
If 100 invited
All invited (96)
If 200 invited
All invited (96)
If 500 invited
All invited (96)
If 1000 invited
All invited (96)
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 | 90 | 19–21 | 205–217 | 85DOE ≤ Aug 26 | 85DOE ≤ Oct 26 | 96 | 13 | 323 |
More 189 chartsqueue age, invitations per round, points gauge
Points reality gaugeyour points against those invited
Point Reality Gauge
- Points are stable. The minimum invited score has remained consistent over recent rounds, though the next round can still move with round size and EOI pool changes.
- Still 25 points above the EOI minimum. Despite current trends, Life Scientist (nec) remains competitive. Applicants significantly below 90 points are unlikely to receive invitations soon.
- 1 round so far in 2026-27. Life Scientist (nec) 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 Life Scientist (nec)?
Three states list Life Scientist (nec) for 2026-27: VIC, QLD and WA are open.
Program status 2026-27
OpenOnshore onlyOpeningPaused or closedNot listed
VictoriaOpen
190 · since 26 Oct 2026
- This occupation
- Listed for 190 and 491
- 190 + 491 queue
- 108 EOIs · 49 at 85+ · most at 90+
- Last invited
- 190 at 95 · 1 May 2026 (community)
- Next expected
- Rounds through the year; no set dates
- Places 2026-27
- 190: 900 places, 0 used · 491: – places, 0 used
- Grants 2024-25
- 5 × 190 · 0 × 491 · 12 × 186 · 3 × 189
- Note
- First round expected in November, then roughly monthly (15 Oct briefing). ROI $60, once per program year; nomination $180.
Sign in to get an alert when VIC invites a Life Scientist (nec), 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 | Not listed | 31 | 17 | 19 | – | – / – | 1 | All NSW data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 73 | 35 | 49 | 190 · 95 · 1 May 2026 | 900 / – | 5 | All VIC data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 33 | 15 | 23 | – | – / – | 2 | All QLD data | |
| open · onshore only | Not listed | 40 | 36 | 28 | – | – / – | 1 | All SA data | |
| open | 190, 491 | 21 | 18 | 16 | – | – / – | 0 | All WA data | |
| open | Not listed | 10 | 10 | 7 | – | 1,250 / 800 | 0 | All TAS data | |
| closed | Not listed | 6 | 9 | 5 | – | – / – | 0 | All NT data | |
| open | Not listed | 27 | 21 | 15 | – | – / – | 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 1 community-reported 190 and 491 invitation for Life Scientist (nec), the median was 95 points.
Cut-off history
Where it ranks · 189
Outside top 50 by volume
of 170 occupations invited
▼ Falling
⋯
This occupation · most invited →least invited
71 invites last 2 FY · busiest 8,043 · typical 52
Most consistently invited
invited 4 of 4 roundsOccasional
oldest → newest · filled = invited
Year over year
50last FY · 3 rounds
21so far · 1 round
▲ +26% per roundRound to round · last 2 FY
16
31
3
21
90859590
▼ 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 | 90 | 19–21 | — | 3 Feb 2026 | |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 189 | Federal | 95 | 3–3 | — | — | |
| 1 May 2026 | 190 | VICCommunity | 95 | — | — | — | |
| 13 Nov 2025 | 189 | Federal | 85 | 26–31 | — | — | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 14–16 | — | — | |
| 7 Nov 2024 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 5–8 | — | — | |
| 5 Sep 2024 | 189 | Federal | 95 | 2–2 | — | — | |
| 13 Jun 2024 | 189 | Federal | 95 | 4–5 | — | — |
- ··
- 189Federal95
- Est. Invitations
- 3–3
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 190VICCommunity95
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal85
- Est. Invitations
- 26–31
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 14–16
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 5–8
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal95
- Est. Invitations
- 2–2
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal95
- Est. Invitations
- 4–5
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
··
FederalSkillSelectOfficialState governmentCommunityCrowdsourced
How many Life Scientist (nec) visas are actually granted?
65 skilled visas for Life Scientist (nec) in 2024-25, the 141st most of 581 occupations. 2025-26, provisional: 21–30 × 189, 8–17 × 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | — | +171% | ||
75% | 49 | — | +133% | |
14% | 98–17* | 8–17 | — | |
11% | 721–30* | 21–30 | — | |
0% | 02–8* | 2–8 | — | |
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 | 116 | 18 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 143 | 28 | 113 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 67 | 32 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 49 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 37 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 37 | 18 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 44 | 26 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 76 | 54 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 24 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 65 | 49 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2025-26* | — | — | 8–17 | 2–8 | 21–30 | — |
Where they were granted
Employer location, 2024-25. Coloured by how each state's share of Life Scientist (nec) 186 grants compares with its usual share of all 186 grants.
- 1NSWMore than usual45% · usually 33%22
- 2VICAbout usual24% · usually 25%12
- 3QLDToo few to saytoo few to compare7
- 4SAToo few to saytoo few to compare5
- 5WAToo few to saytoo few to compare3
- 6TASToo 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.
- 1India17.6%
- 2Philippines12.7%
- 3United Kingdom8.5%
- 4South Africa7.3%
- 5Brazil6.7%
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 Life Scientist (nec) subclass 189?
Life Scientist (nec) last invited (189) 15 October 2026 at 90 points; ranged 85–95 over its last 6 invited rounds. At 90 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 3 February 2026 were invited.
Was I invited in the 15 October 2026 189 round as Life Scientist (nec)?
In the 15 October 2026 round, Life Scientist (nec) EOIs at 95 points or more were invited; at 90 points, those with a date of effect on or before 3 February 2026; at 85 or less, none. ImmiTrend estimates 19–21 invitations to this occupation (106–118 to unit group 2345), 18.4% of its 103 EOIs at 65+ points.
Is the Life Scientist (nec) subclass 189 cut-off rising or easing?
Flat: across the last 6 189 rounds the Life Scientist (nec) cut-off ranged 85–95, from 95 (5 September 2024) to 90 (15 October 2026).
Is 85, 90 or 95 points enough to be invited for Life Scientist (nec) (subclass 189)?
Over Life Scientist (nec)'s last 6 invited 189 rounds (latest 15 October 2026) cut-offs ranged 85–95. Met: 95: 6 of 6, 90: 4 of 6, 85: 1 of 6. 80 or below: none. At 90 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 3 February 2026 were invited.
What are the latest 190 and 491 cut-offs for Life Scientist (nec)?
For Life Scientist (nec): subclass 190 was last invited at 95 points (1 May 2026). subclass 491 was last invited at 85 points (8 December 2022).
How do I compare to applicants who got invited for Life Scientist (nec)?
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 Life Scientist (nec); samples may be incomplete.
Which states nominate Life Scientist (nec) for 190/491?
Life Scientist (nec) is on the current 190/491 state nomination lists of: 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 Life Scientist (nec)?
About 144–156 subclass 189 places are estimated left in FY2026-27 after the 15 October 2026 round for Life Scientists, the unit group's 8 occupations together, Life Scientist (nec) included, of 262 for the year. Home Affairs has not yet published FY2026-27 occupation ceilings, so the places are an ImmiTrend estimate.
How often are Life Scientist (nec) invitation rounds held?
Subclass 189: 1 federal round so far in FY2026-27 (15 October 2026); Life Scientist (nec) received invitations in 1 of them. State nominations in FY2025-26: subclass 190 invitations on 1 round date and subclass 491 on none (VIC; 95–95 points).
How many Life Scientist (nec) visas were granted in 2024-25?
65 main applicants: 49 through 186, 9 through 190 and 7 through 189.
Last updated 2 November 2026Sources:OfficialEstimated
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.