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Welder (First Class) 322313

MLTSSLAssessed by TRA· Unit group 3223 Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers·New to this? Start here
Where are you?StudyingGraduatedChoosing a visaReady to submitEOI submittedVisa lodged

As at November 2026, Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) 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 September 2026 (an estimated 71–73 invitations, 16.3% of its 435 EOIs at 65+). The October 2026 189 pool holds 473 EOIs (1 at 85+ points), with 923 in 190 and 1,130 in 491. Latest state cut-offs: 190 at 70 points (16 April 2026) and 491 at 80 points (5 March 2025), community reported. Four states list the occupation for 190 or 491. The 189 cut-off ranged 70–90 over the last 6 rounds, rising.

An EOI is ranked by points, then date of effect. 190 and 491 cut-offs (state nomination) are community reported.

189Skilled Independent
Every round
80pts
15 Oct · DOE 1 Sept 2026
22–31 visas 2025-26*
190State nominated
4 states list it
70pts
16 Apr 2026 · ▼ from 80
91–97 visas 2025-26*
491Regional, state or family
4 states list it
80pts
5 Mar 2025 · ▼ from 95
19–31 visas 2025-26*
186Employer sponsored
Largest
No points test
485 → work → 482 or 186
117 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.

PathwayIn queueAt 85+Last invited
189Eligible473180 · 15 Oct 2026
VICopen567122190 · 80 · 17 Mar 2026
WAopen561132–
NSWopen46162190 · 70 · 16 Apr 2026
QLDopen20919190 · 65 · 20 Mar 2026
SANot listed23424190 · 70 · 2 Feb 2026
NTNot listed1028–
TASNot listed856190 · 65 · 20 Mar 2025
ACTNot listed588–

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 more710 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

8085
Ahead161
Met the cut-off4/65/6
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 Welder (First Class)?

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
71–73
Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers: 88–90
Queue invited
16.3%
71 of 435 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 →

Next 189 round

A forecast for the next round is coming.

If a round is held ↓Get your verdict →

189 places this financial year

FY2026-27 · estimated

Shared by all 2 occupations in Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers, not just Welder (First Class)

813est. ceiling361est. 189 places271–273est. left after 15 Oct

24–25%
452 to 186 / 190 / 49188–90 invited by 189open

15 Oct cut-off for the whole group: 80 pts · DOE 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2026

Who shares these places · 2 occupations
OccupationEst. invited this FYEOIs ≥ 80 ptsIn pool
Welder (First Class)322313THIS71–7316472
Metal Fabricator322311174252
3223 total88–9020724

ImmiTrend estimate — official figures not yet published. FY2025-26 official: 775 ceiling, 486 remaining · How we estimate · All occupation ceilings →

If a round is heldcut-off by round size, custom number, full prediction row
Compare all occupations

If 10 invited

80DOE ≤ Sept 26

If 20 invited

75DOE ≤ May 25

If 50 invited

75DOE ≤ Apr 26

If 100 invited

75DOE ≤ Oct 26

If 200 invited

70DOE ≤ Sept 26

If 500 invited

All invited (472)

If 1000 invited

All invited (472)

Or calculate a custom number

189 prediction — full row

Last roundCutoffOct 26Spots left (FY)If floor invitedIf anchored invitedActive EOIsAt/aboveCeiling remaining
Oct 268071–73396–39875DOE ≤ July 2675DOE ≤ Aug 2647216486

Grants (190/491/ENS) · 2025-26

289

FOI source ↗
More 189 chartsqueue age, invitations per round, points gauge
Points reality gaugeyour points against those invited

Point Reality Gauge

  • Points are rising. Recent invited scores for Welder (First Class) are rising, which suggests competition may be increasing. Higher points generally improve 189 ranking; 190/491 outcomes still depend on each state and territory's policy and priorities.
  • Still 15 points above the EOI minimum. Despite current trends, Welder (First Class) remains competitive. Applicants significantly below 80 points are unlikely to receive invitations soon.
  • 1 round so far in 2026-27. Welder (First Class) 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 Welder (First Class)?

Four states list Welder (First Class) for 2026-27: NSW, VIC, QLD and WA are open.

Program status 2026-27
Map of Australia: Status by stateNew South Wales — openVictoria — openQueensland — openSouth Australia — Western Australia — openTasmania — openNorthern Territory — closedAustralian Capital Territory — openNSWopenVICopenQLDopenSAWAopenTASopenNTclosedACTopen
OpenOnshore onlyOpeningPaused or closedNot listed

VictoriaOpen

190 · since 26 Oct 2026

This occupation
Listed for 190 and 491
190 + 491 queue
567 EOIs · 122 at 85+ · most at 65
Last invited
190 at 80 · 17 Mar 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
1 × 190 · 1 × 491 · 32 × 186 · 32 × 189
Note
First round expected in November, then roughly monthly (15 Oct briefing). ROI $60, once per program year; nomination $180.
VIC program page ↗All VIC data
Sign in to get an alert when VIC invites a Welder (First Class), 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
StateStatusListed190 queue491 queue85+Last cut-offState places 190 / 491 (all occupations)190 + 491 grantsState page
open190, 49124122062190 · 70 · 16 Apr 2026– / –6All NSW data
open190, 491322245122190 · 80 · 17 Mar 2026900 / –2All VIC data
open190, 4919811119190 · 65 · 20 Mar 2026– / –1All QLD data
open · onshore onlyNot listed10213224190 · 70 · 2 Feb 2026– / –7All SA data
open190, 491235326132–– / –0All WA data
openNot listed36496190 · 65 · 20 Mar 20251,250 / 8003All TAS data
closedNot listed31718–– / –0All NT data
openNot listed18408–– / –0All 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 21 community-reported 190 and 491 invitations for Welder (First Class), the median was 80 points.

Cut-off history

Where it ranks · 189

Outside top 50 by volume
of 170 occupations invited
▲ Rising
⋯
This occupation · most invited →least invited

159 invites last 2 FY · busiest 8,043 · typical 52

Most consistently invited

invited 4 of 4 rounds

oldest → newest · filled = invited

Year over year

86
last FY · 3 rounds
73
so far · 1 round
▲ +155% per round

Round to round · last 2 FY

5
11
70
73
90858080

▲ Rising · invites per round · number under a bar = 189 cut-off

Compare on the movers board

Minimum points invited, by source

Dashed line = the 65-point pass mark

Round History

Source:
  • 189Federal
    80
    Est. Invitations
    71–73
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    1 Sep 2026
  • 189Federal
    80
    Est. Invitations
    60–70
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190NSWCommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190QLDCommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190VICCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190SACommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190VICCommunity
    85
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 189Federal
    85
    Est. Invitations
    9–11
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
FederalSkillSelectOfficialState governmentCommunityCrowdsourced

How many Welder (First Class) visas are actually granted?

186 skilled visas for Welder (First Class) in 2024-25, the 68th most of 581 occupations. 2025-26, provisional: 91–97 × 190, 22–31 × 189, 19–31 × 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.

Visa2024-25Change
186+16%
117+17%
3522–31*—
15−42%
1019–31*—
991–97*—

494 includes the closed 187 (peak 111 in 2015-16). 491 includes the closed 489 (peak 11 in 2018-19). — 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
Welder (First Class) visa grants to main applicants, by programme year and visa
YearTotal186190491189494
2015-162419311818111
2016-17221961168100
2017-181507499553
2018-19115571811227
2019-2013592136024
2020-2178599316
2021-22954975133
2022-232621044429580
2023-2416110011111326
2024-251861179103515
2025-26*——91–9719–3122–31—

Where they were granted

Employer location, 2024-25. Coloured by how each state's share of Welder (First Class) 186 grants compares with its usual share of all 186 grants.

Map of Australia coloured by where Welder (First Class) 186 grants went compared with usualNew South Wales — 16Victoria — 32Queensland — 26South Australia — 11Western Australia — 29Tasmania — 1Northern Territory — 2Australian Capital Territory — 0NSW16VIC32QLD26SA11WA29TAS1NT2ACT0
  1. 1VICAbout usual27% · usually 25%32
  2. 2WAMore than usual25% · usually 17%29
  3. 3QLDMore than usual22% · usually 15%26
  4. 4NSWLess than usual14% · usually 33%16
  5. 5SAMore than usual9.4% · usually 4.1%11
  6. 6NTToo few to saytoo few to compare2
  7. 7TASToo few to saytoo few to compare1
  8. 8ACTToo 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)
All 186 grants by state

Who was granted

Country of citizenship, 2022-23 to 2024-25 combined.

  1. 1Philippines40.2%
  2. 2India25.1%
  3. 3United Kingdom5.1%
  4. 4South Korea3.8%
  5. 5South Africa3.1%
89%
applied from within Australia in 2024-25165 of 186 main applicants

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 TRA, an English test result and at least 65 points. Study and graduate (485) time in Australia count.

Pre-EOI checklistPoints calculator

Questions

What points do you need for Welder (First Class) subclass 189?

Welder (First Class) last invited (189) 15 October 2026 at 80 points; ranged 70–90 over its last 6 invited rounds. At 80 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 1 September 2026 were invited.

Was I invited in the 15 October 2026 189 round as Welder (First Class)?

In the 15 October 2026 round, Welder (First Class) EOIs at 85 points or more were invited; at 80 points, those with a date of effect on or before 1 September 2026; at 75 or less, none. ImmiTrend estimates 71–73 invitations to this occupation (88–90 to unit group 3223), 16.3% of its 435 EOIs at 65+ points.

Is the Welder (First Class) subclass 189 cut-off rising or easing?

Rising: across the last 6 189 rounds the Welder (First Class) cut-off ranged 70–90, from 75 (5 September 2024) to 80 (15 October 2026).

Is 85, 90 or 95 points enough to be invited for Welder (First Class) (subclass 189)?

Over Welder (First Class)'s last 6 invited 189 rounds (latest 15 October 2026) cut-offs ranged 70–90. Met: 95: 6 of 6, 90: 6 of 6, 85: 5 of 6, 80: 4 of 6, 75: 2 of 6, 70: 1 of 6. At 80 points, EOIs with a date of effect up to 1 September 2026 were invited.

Check how your own points and Date of Effect rank →

What are the latest 190 and 491 cut-offs for Welder (First Class)?

For Welder (First Class): subclass 190 was last invited at 70 points (16 April 2026). subclass 491 was last invited at 80 points (5 March 2025).

How do I compare to applicants who got invited for Welder (First Class)?

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 Welder (First Class); samples may be incomplete.

Which states nominate Welder (First Class) for 190/491?

Welder (First Class) 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 Welder (First Class)?

About 271–273 subclass 189 places are estimated left in FY2026-27 after the 15 October 2026 round for Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers, the unit group's 2 occupations together, Welder (First Class) included, of 361 for the year. Home Affairs has not yet published FY2026-27 occupation ceilings, so the places are an ImmiTrend estimate.

How often are Welder (First Class) invitation rounds held?

Subclass 189: 1 federal round so far in FY2026-27 (15 October 2026); Welder (First Class) received invitations in 1 of them. State nominations in FY2025-26: subclass 190 invitations on 6 round dates and subclass 491 on none (NSW, QLD, SA, VIC; 65–85 points).

How many Welder (First Class) visas were granted in 2024-25?

186 main applicants: 117 through 186, 35 through 189, 15 through 494, 10 through 491 and 9 through 190.

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.

Plain-text version for AI assistants (Markdown)