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Welder (First Class)

ANZSCO 322313MLTSSLAssessed by TRA

As at September 2026, Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) has 529 EOIs in the subclass 189 pool (17 at 85+ points), 898 in 190 and 1,127 in 491. Last 189 invitation: 80 points on 4 June 2026. Latest state cut-offs: 190 at 70 points (16 April 2026) and 491 at 80 points (5 March 2025). Cut-offs are trending upward across recent rounds.

⬡ Personal report

Checking your access…

invited 5 of 5 rounds last 2 FY▼down 28% vs last FY→ movers board
01

Latest Welder (First Class) invitation rounds & points

Subclass 189

↑ Rising

80pts

4 June 2026 · ~52 invited

Down from 85 · 3 rounds so far this FY

70–90 pts over last 6 roundsⓘ

Subclass 190

↑ Rising

70pts

16 Apr 2026

Up from 65 · 6 rounds so far this FY

65–85 pts over last 6 roundsⓘ

Subclass 491

↑ Rising

80pts

5 Mar 2025 · ~1 invited

Down from 95 · 7 rounds so far this FY

80–95 pts over last 6 roundsⓘ

→ See full round history

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 places165–273est. left after 15 Oct

24–54%
452 to 186 / 190 / 491~88–196 invited by 189open

15 Oct cut-off for the whole group: 75–80 pts

Who shares these places · 2 occupationsWelder (First Class) used ~86–176
OccupationEst. invited this FYEOIs ≥ 75–80 ptsIn pool
Welder (First Class)322313THIS86–176174524
Metal Fabricator3223112–2056257
3223 total88–196230781

ImmiTrend estimate — official figures not yet published. FY2025-26 official: 775 ceiling, 486 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

Welder (First Class) shares unit group 3223's 189 places with 1 other occupation — these waits count Welder (First Class) invitations only. Check your score for the group view.

80
Points
84
Ahead
about 7 months
3/6
Met the cut-off
85
Points
17
Ahead
about 1 month
5/6
Met the cut-off
90
Points
8
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
▼ Falling
⋯
This occupation · most invited →least invited

206 invites last 2 FY · busiest 6,052 · typical 48

Most consistently invited

invited 5 of 5 rounds

oldest → newest · filled = invited

Year over year

120
last FY
86
this FY
▼ −28%

Round to round · last 2 FY

40
80
5
11
70

▼ Falling · invites per round

Compare on the movers board
03

Is 70–90 points enough for Welder (First Class)?

Can I get invited for Welder (First Class) with my points?

04

189 Invitation Predictions

What points and Date of Effect may be needed for Welder (First Class) in the next 189 round?

NEXT 189 ROUND · FROZEN 9 Oct 2026projected cutoff 85 pts · DOE 10 Aug 2026 – 9 Sept 2026this group 14–19 invitationsGet your verdict →

Calculate invitation predictions

Compare all occupations

See the predicted cutoff score and Date of Effect for Welder (First Class) 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 ≤ Feb 25

If 50 invited

80DOE ≤ June 26

If 100 invited

75DOE ≤ Sept 25

If 200 invited

70DOE ≤ Oct 25

If 500 invited

55DOE ≤ Apr 26

If 1000 invited

All invited (524)

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 roundCutoffAug 25Nov 25June 26Spots left (FY)If floor invitedIf anchored invitedActive EOIsAt/aboveCeiling remainingIf 10 invitedIf 20 invitedIf 50 invitedIf 100 invitedIf 200 invitedIf 500 invitedIf 1000 invited
June 26804–59–1160–70378–39480DOE ≤ Aug 2680DOE ≤ Aug 265248548685DOE ≤ Nov 2580DOE ≤ Feb 2580DOE ≤ June 2675DOE ≤ Sept 2570DOE ≤ Oct 2555DOE ≤ Apr 26All invited (524)
05

Cut-offs & capacity

189 Occupation CeilingTier 3

2025-26 · Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers (3223xx)

FOI source ↗

Ceiling

775

1.0% multiplier

Grants (190/491/ENS)

289

Remaining for 189

486

Spots left (FY)

378 – 394

Minimum Points Invited

All sources · 30 data points

Est. Invitations Per Round

Federal SkillSelect · 9 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 Welder (First Class)

  • ↑

    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.

  • ℹ

    9 rounds so far in FY25-26. Welder (First Class) has been invited in 9 invitation rounds this financial year. The round count alone doesn't indicate future demand or guarantee invitations.

06

A profile of the invited

07

Welder (First Class) EOI queue & points distribution

How many people are ahead of me in the EOI pool for Welder (First Class)?

EOI Pool Distribution (All Subclasses)

09/2026 snapshot · 2,554 submitted EOIs in queue

SkillSelect ↗

Peak Points

65

At 80+ pts

785

Below Cutoff

1,765

EOI Submission Trends

Feb 24 – Sep 26

Latest

2,554

MoM Change

+148 (6.2%)

Peak Month

Sep 26 (2,554)

→ SkillSelect EOI data for Welder (First Class)

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.

SkillSelect ↗
≥

In Queue

2,554

Oldest Waiting

Sep 24

Total Invited

621

Likelyⓘ

~3.7 yr ~ ~3.8 yr

Jun 2030~3.7 yr
Aug 2030Likely
Sep 2030~3.9 yr
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

158

MoM Change

-60 (-27.5%)

Peak Month

Jun 26 (342)

08

Welder (First Class) round history

Round History

Source:
  • 189Federal
    80
    Est. Invitations
    60–70
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190NSWCommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 190QLDCommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190VICCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰77000
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 190SACommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190VICCommunity
    85
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189Federal
    85
    Est. Invitations
    9–11
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190SACommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 189Federal
    90
    Est. Invitations
    4–5
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190NSWCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190TASCommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 190SACommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    95
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    90
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰70000
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    90
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    90
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰70000
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    90
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰70000
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491VICCommunity
    90
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰70000
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189Federal
    70
    Est. Invitations
    50–80
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 189FederalCommunity
    75
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189FederalCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189FederalCommunity
    75
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189FederalCommunity
    75
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189FederalCommunity
    75
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189Federal
    75
    Est. Invitations
    33–40
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 189FederalCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 189FederalCommunity
    85
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 189Federal
    85
    Est. Invitations
    5–6
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 190NSWCommunity
    80
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 190NSWCommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190NSWCommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190NSWCommunity
    70
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    offshore
  • 190NSWCommunity
    65
    Est. Invitations
    —
    ·
    Salary
    💰-
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    onshore
  • 491Federal
    65
    Est. Invitations
    ~1Est.
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 189Federal
    65
    Est. Invitations
    ~183Est.
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
  • 189Federal
    65
    Est. Invitations
    ~64Est.
    ·
    Salary
    —
    ·
    DOE / EOI
    —
FederalSkillSelectOfficialState governmentCommunityCrowdsourced
09

Welder (First Class) 190 / 491 state nominations

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

190/491 State Nominations

EOI queue & eligibility per state for this occupation

NSW✓Listed

433EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

113(26%)

31M Trend

↑ 5200%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

VIC✓Listed

568EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

232(41%)

31M Trend

↑ 3843%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

QLD✓Listed

214EOIs

Building & Construction

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

38(18%)

31M Trend

↑ 5767%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

SA?Unknown

236EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

58(25%)

31M Trend

↑ 4080%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

WA✓Listed

554EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

221(40%)

31M Trend

↑ 5360%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

TAS?Unknown

84EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

14(17%)

31M Trend

↑ 3850%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

NT?Unknown

102EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

20(20%)

31M Trend

↑ 3167%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

ACT?Unknown

56EOIs

Peak Bracket

65pts

Above Cutoff ≥80

14(25%)

31M Trend

↑ 5400%

Points Distribution

Queue Trend (31M)

Invited & Lodged (31M)

EOI counts may include multi-state nominations.

10

Welder (First Class) visa grants

How many Welder (First Class) visas were actually granted, and through which visa?

In 2024-25, 186 skilled visas went to Welder (First Class) main applicants, the 68th most of 581 occupations. Most came through employer sponsorship (186: 117) and the independent points test (189: 35), while 494 fell to 15.

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.

Visa2024-25Change
186+16%
117+17%
35—
15−42%
10—
9—

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

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.

11

Common questions about Welder (First Class)

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

Welder (First Class) 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 70–90 points.

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

The subclass 189 cut-off for Welder (First Class) has been trending upward across recent rounds — competition is increasing.

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

In the last 6 subclass 189 rounds in which Welder (First Class) was invited (most recently on 4 June 2026), the cut-off ranged 70–90 points. Your points would have met the cut-off in: 95 points in 6 of 6, 90 points in 6 of 6, 85 points in 5 of 6, 80 points in 3 of 6, 75 points in 2 of 6, 70 points in 1 of 6. 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 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)?

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 Welder (First Class). Samples may be incomplete — for reference only, not a guarantee.

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

Welder (First Class) has state-nomination activity in: 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)?

Around 361 subclass 189 places are projected for Welder (First Class) 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 Welder (First Class) at 80 points (subclass 189)?

At 80 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Welder (First Class) is about 7 months, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.

How long is the wait for Welder (First Class) at 85 points (subclass 189)?

At 85 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Welder (First Class) is about 1 month, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.

How long is the wait for Welder (First Class) at 90 points (subclass 189)?

At 90 points, the estimated subclass 189 wait for Welder (First Class) is about 1 month, based on the September 2026 EOI pool.

How often are Welder (First Class) 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 Welder (First Class) invited in 3 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.

Related occupations

Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers 3223

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.