189Federal
80- Est. Invitations
- 38–44
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
Physicist
As at September 2026, Physicist (ANZSCO 234914) has 76 EOIs in the subclass 189 pool (18 at 85+ points), 122 in 190 and 121 in 491. Last 189 invitation: 80 points on 4 June 2026. Latest state cut-offs: 190 at 75 points (5 March 2026) and 491 at 85 points (8 December 2022). Cut-offs have held steady across recent rounds.
⬡ Personal report
Checking your access…
01
Latest Physicist invitation rounds & points
Subclass 189
Stable80pts
4 June 2026 · ~19 invited
Down from 85 · 3 rounds so far this FY
80–95 pts over last 6 roundsⓘ
Subclass 190
75pts
5 Mar 2026
Down from 80 · 2 rounds so far this FY
75–80 pts over last 2 roundsⓘ
Subclass 491
85pts
8 Dec 2022
Unchanged · 1 round so far this FY
189 places this financial year
FY2026-27 · estimatedShared by all 5 occupations in Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals, not just Physicist
500est. ceiling441est. 189 places409–414est. left after 15 Oct (predicted)
6–7%
59 to 186 / 190 / 491~27–32 invited by 189open
15 Oct cut-off for the whole group: 85 pts (predicted)
Who shares these places · 5 occupationsPhysicist used ~15–18
| Occupation | Est. invited this FY | EOIs ≥ 85 pts | In pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicist234914THIS | 15–18 | 18 | 75 |
| Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec234999 | 5–7 | 9 | 24 |
| Metallurgist234912 | 5 | 6 | 119 |
| Meteorologist234913 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| Conservator234911 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2349 total | 27–32 | 35 | 244 |
ImmiTrend estimate — official figures not yet published. FY2025-26 official: 500 ceiling, 441 remaining · Invited counts from community round reports · EOIs from SkillSelect 9 Oct 2026, before the round · How we estimate · All occupation ceilings →
Subclass 189 wait estimates · September 2026 EOI pool
Physicist shares unit group 2349's 189 places with 4 other occupations — these waits count Physicist invitations only. Check your score for the group view.
80
Points
31
Ahead
about 7 months
1/6
Met the cut-off
85
Points
18
Ahead
about 4 months
2/6
Met the cut-off
90
Points
8
Ahead
about 2 months
4/6
Met the cut-off
95
Points
6
Ahead
about 1 month
6/6
Met the cut-off
These are model averages across the queue — for your personal rank and wait based on your own DOE, jump to Check My Score below.
"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.
02
How this occupation ranks
189
Where it ranks · subclass 189 · last 2 FY
Outside top 50 by volume
of 196 occupations invited
▲ Rising
⋯
This occupation · most invited →least invited
107 invites last 2 FY · busiest 6,052 · typical 48
Most consistently invited
invited 5 of 5 rounds
oldest → newest · filled = invited
Year over year
17last FY
90this FY
▲ +429%Round to round · last 2 FY
6
11
18
28
44
▲ Rising · invites per round
03
Is 80–95 points enough for Physicist?
Can I get invited for Physicist with my points?
04
189 Invitation Predictions
What points and Date of Effect may be needed for Physicist in the next 189 round?
NEXT 189 ROUND · FROZEN 9 Oct 2026projected cutoff 85 pts · DOE 10 Aug 2026 – 9 Sept 2026this group 27–32 invitationsthis occupation est. 15–18Get your verdict →
Calculate invitation predictions
Compare all occupationsSee the predicted cutoff score and Date of Effect for Physicist if a given number of 189 invitations are issued in the next round.
At a glance — by round size
If 10 invited
85DOE ≤ Nov 25
If 20 invited
80DOE ≤ Oct 25
If 50 invited
70DOE ≤ Nov 25
If 100 invited
All invited (75)
If 200 invited
All invited (75)
If 500 invited
All invited (75)
If 1000 invited
All invited (75)
Or calculate a custom number
189 prediction — full row
This occupation's complete row from the 189 invitation-prediction table: latest cutoff, this financial year's estimated round sizes, spots left, and predicted cutoffs at each scenario.
| Last round | Cutoff | Aug 25 | Nov 25 | June 26 | Spots left (FY) | If floor invited | If anchored invited | Active EOIs | At/above | Ceiling remaining | If 10 invited | If 20 invited | If 50 invited | If 100 invited | If 200 invited | If 500 invited | If 1000 invited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 26 | 80 | 15–18 | 24–28 | 38–44 | 266–291 | 75DOE ≤ Mar 26 | 75DOE ≤ Sept 26 | 75 | 31 | 441 | 85DOE ≤ Nov 25 | 80DOE ≤ Oct 25 | 70DOE ≤ Nov 25 | All invited (75) | All invited (75) | All invited (75) | All invited (75) |
05
Cut-offs & capacity
189 Occupation CeilingTier 3
2025-26 · Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals (2349xx)
Ceiling
500
1.0% multiplier
Grants (190/491/ENS)
59
Remaining for 189
441
Spots left (FY)
266 – 291
Minimum Points Invited
All sources · 12 data points
Est. Invitations Per Round
Federal SkillSelect · 10 rounds
Estimated based on this occupation's share of invited EOIs in the backlog. Not official data.
Point Reality Gauge
EOI minimum vs actual invited
Minimum (65)Actual (80)
Key Insights for Physicist
- ↔
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 15 points above the EOI minimum. Despite current trends, Physicist remains competitive. Applicants significantly below 80 points are unlikely to receive invitations soon.
- ℹ
5 rounds so far in FY25-26. Physicist has been invited in 5 invitation rounds this financial year. The round count alone doesn't indicate future demand or guarantee invitations.
06
A profile of the invited
07
Physicist EOI queue & points distribution
How many people are ahead of me in the EOI pool for Physicist?
EOI Pool Distribution (All Subclasses)
09/2026 snapshot · 319 submitted EOIs in queue
Peak Points
80
At 80+ pts
175
Below Cutoff
144
EOI Submission Trends
Feb 24 – Sep 26
Latest
319
MoM Change
-6 (-1.8%)
Peak Month
May 26 (391)
EOI Queue Age
Backlog by submission month — 09/2026 snapshot
Counts may differ from the EOI pool total. "Month Submitted" reflects the last submission date, and the Qlik data model may distribute EOIs across multiple months. Use this chart for relative distribution, not absolute queue sizes.
≥
In Queue
319
Oldest Waiting
Sep 24
Total Invited
156
Likelyⓘ
~14 mo ~ ~15 mo
Dec 2027~14 mo
Jan 2028Likely
Jan 2028~15 mo
Estimated wait based on monthly invitation rate variance. By the 25th percentile mark, there's a 25% chance you'll have been invited. By the 75th percentile, 75% likely.
Invitation Trends
Feb 24 – Sep 26
Latest
59
MoM Change
-3 (-4.8%)
Peak Month
Jun 26 (95)
08
Physicist round history
Round History
Source:
| Date | Subclass | Source | Points | Est. Invitations | Salary | DOE / EOI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 2026 | 189 | Federal | 80 | 38–44 | — | — | |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 85 | — | 💰- | offshore | |
| 5 Mar 2026 | N/A | WAOfficial | 75 | — | — | onshore | |
| 1 Feb 2026 | N/A | WAOfficial | 80 | — | — | in_state | |
| 13 Nov 2025 | 189 | Federal | 85 | 24–28 | — | — | |
| 13 Nov 2025 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 85 | — | 💰- | offshore | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 15–18 | — | — | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 100 | — | 💰- | onshore | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 100 | — | 💰- | onshore | |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 95 | — | 💰- | offshore | |
| 7 Nov 2024 | 189 | Federal | 90 | 7–11 | — | — | |
| 7 Nov 2024 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 90 | — | 💰- | offshore | |
| 5 Sep 2024 | 189 | Federal | 95 | 5–6 | — | — | |
| 13 Jun 2024 | 189 | Federal | 95 | 6–7 | — | — | |
| 13 Jun 2024 | 189 | FederalCommunity | 100 | — | 💰- | onshore | |
| 8 Dec 2022 | 491 | Federal | 85 | — | — | — | |
| 8 Dec 2022 | 189 | Federal | 90 | ~68Est. | — | — | |
| 6 Oct 2022 | 189 | Federal | 65 | ~23Est. | — | — | |
| 21 Apr 2022 | 491 | Federal | 85 | ~1Est. | — | — |
- ··
- 189FederalCommunity85
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- offshore
·· - N/AWAOfficial75
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- onshore
·· - N/AWAOfficial80
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- in_state
·· - 189Federal85
- Est. Invitations
- 24–28
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189FederalCommunity85
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- offshore
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 15–18
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189FederalCommunity100
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- onshore
·· - 189FederalCommunity100
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- onshore
·· - 189FederalCommunity95
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- offshore
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- 7–11
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189FederalCommunity90
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- offshore
·· - 189Federal95
- Est. Invitations
- 5–6
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal95
- Est. Invitations
- 6–7
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189FederalCommunity100
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- 💰-
- DOE / EOI
- onshore
·· - 491Federal85
- Est. Invitations
- —
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal90
- Est. Invitations
- ~68Est.
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 189Federal65
- Est. Invitations
- ~23Est.
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
·· - 491Federal85
- Est. Invitations
- ~1Est.
- Salary
- —
- DOE / EOI
- —
··
FederalSkillSelectOfficialState governmentCommunityCrowdsourced
09
Physicist 190 / 491 state nominations
Which states nominate Physicist for 190 or 491?
190/491 State Nominations
EOI queue & eligibility per state for this occupation
54EOIs
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
32(59%)
31M Trend
↑ 1150%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
62EOIs
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
32(52%)
31M Trend
↑ 5600%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
24EOIs
Peak Bracket
80pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
15(63%)
31M Trend
↑ 1100%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
47EOIs
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
23(49%)
31M Trend
↑ 1950%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
57EOIs
Healthcare and Social Assistance
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
32(56%)
31M Trend
↑ 1567%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
20EOIs
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
12(60%)
31M Trend
↑ 1900%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
16EOIs
Peak Bracket
90+pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
10(63%)
31M Trend
↑ 1500%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
53EOIs
Peak Bracket
80pts
Above Cutoff ≥80
25(47%)
31M Trend
↑ 1433%
Points Distribution
Queue Trend (31M)
Invited & Lodged (31M)
EOI counts may include multi-state nominations.
10
Physicist visa grants
How many Physicist visas were actually granted, and through which visa?
In 2024-25, 29 skilled visas went to Physicist main applicants, the 191st most of 581 occupations. Most came through the independent points test (189: 11) and employer sponsorship (186: 7).
25-26* is provisional: the full year to June 2026 from a Home Affairs data release. Hover for the figures; the official release is expected in late 2026.
| Visa | Share of total | 2024-25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | — | ||
38% | 11 | — | |
24% | 7 | — | |
24% | 7 | — | |
10% | 3 | — | |
3% | 1 | — |
494 includes the closed 187 (peak 8 in 2016-17). — 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 | 64 | 9 | 35 | 1 | 12 | 7 |
| 2016-17 | 69 | 13 | 34 | 0 | 14 | 8 |
| 2017-18 | 41 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 26 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 22 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 29 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 1 |
Where they were granted
Planned place to live, 2024-25. Coloured by how each state's share of Physicist 189 grants compares with its usual share of all 189 grants.
- 1NSWToo few to saytoo few to compare6
- 2VICToo few to saytoo few to compare2
- 3QLDToo few to saytoo few to compare1
- 4WAToo few to saytoo few to compare1
- 5SAToo few to saytoo few to compare0
- 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.
- 1India22.1%
- 2United Kingdom10.3%
- 3Iran7.4%
- 4Nepal7.4%
- 5Pakistan7.4%
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.
11
Common questions about Physicist
What points do you need for Physicist subclass 189?
Physicist was last invited for subclass 189 on 4 June 2026 at 80 points. In the last 6 rounds in which it was invited, the cut-off ranged 80–95 points.
Is the Physicist subclass 189 cut-off rising or easing?
The subclass 189 cut-off for Physicist has held steady across recent rounds.
Is 85, 90 or 95 points enough to be invited for Physicist (subclass 189)?
In the last 6 subclass 189 rounds in which Physicist was invited (most recently on 4 June 2026), the cut-off ranged 80–95 points. Your points would have met the cut-off in: 95 points in 6 of 6, 90 points in 4 of 6, 85 points in 2 of 6, 80 points in 1 of 6. At 75 points or below, none of the last 6 rounds would have been met. Meeting a previous cut-off does not guarantee a future invitation — invitations also depend on your Date of Effect, the round size and other applicants.
Check how your own points and Date of Effect rank →What are the latest 190 and 491 cut-offs for Physicist?
For Physicist: subclass 190 was last invited at 75 points (5 March 2026). subclass 491 was last invited at 85 points (8 December 2022).
How do I compare to applicants who got invited for Physicist?
Subclass 190 and state/territory-nominated 491 invitations are issued by each state and territory under its own policy and priorities — not by national EOI queue order. ImmiTrend's Check My Score compares your points, English, salary, partner status, onshore/offshore status and NAATI against community-reported invited samples for Physicist. Samples may be incomplete — for reference only, not a guarantee.
Which states nominate Physicist for 190/491?
Physicist has state-nomination activity in: 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 Physicist?
Around 441 subclass 189 places are projected for Physicist in FY2026-27. The Department of Home Affairs has not yet published FY2026-27 occupation ceilings, so this is an ImmiTrend estimate based on prior-year ceilings and current pool data.
How long is the wait for Physicist at 80 points (subclass 189)?
At 80 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Physicist is about 7 months, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.
How long is the wait for Physicist at 85 points (subclass 189)?
At 85 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Physicist is about 4 months, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.
How long is the wait for Physicist at 90 points (subclass 189)?
At 90 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Physicist is about 2 months, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.
How long is the wait for Physicist at 95 points (subclass 189)?
At 95 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Physicist is about 1 month, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.
How often are Physicist invitation rounds held?
Subclass 189: no federal rounds have been held yet in FY2026-27; the most recent was on 4 June 2026, and in FY2025-26 there were 3 federal rounds (21 August 2025, 13 November 2025 and 4 June 2026), with Physicist invited in 3 of them. State nominations in FY2025-26: subclass 190 invitations on 2 round dates and subclass 491 on none (WA; 75–80 points).
How many Physicist visas were granted in 2024-25?
29 main applicants: 11 through 189, 7 through 186, 7 through 491, 3 through 190 and 1 through 494.
Related occupations
Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals 2349
Related:Guide: check your 189 invitation chancesFirst 189 round of 2026-27, October update: every occupation’s projected cutoff189 invitation chances
Last updated 30 September 2026Sources:OfficialEstimatedCommunity-reported
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.