Move the slider to see how your points would have performed in every invitation round since January 2022, or see every score at once.
At 70 points, you would have cleared the cutoff in 6 of the 14 rounds where Registered Nurses (Surgical) got 189 invitations since 2022. The last actual invitation was 15 October 2026, with the cutoff at 70 points. In 0 of the last 14 rounds, no Registered Nurses (Surgical) were invited at all.
Since January 2022 the 189 cutoff for Registered Nurse (Surgical) has ranged from 65 to 90.
| Points | Rounds this score cleared | Last round this score cleared | Waiting at or above (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 5 of 14 | 18 December 2023 | 349 |
| 70 | 6 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 162 |
| 75 | 10 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 9 |
| 80 | 11 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 1 |
| 85 | 12 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 0 |
| 90 | 14 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 0 |
| 95+ | 14 of 14 | 15 October 2026 | 0 |
These figures come from past invitation rounds and the current EOI pool. They are not a prediction for any round or any person. Waiting counts are EOIs submitted for the 189 at that score or higher, from SkillSelect.
Invited every round. Registered Nurses (Surgical) have been invited in all 14 rounds since January 2022. Cutoff range: 65–90 points.
The cutoff above is what got invited. This is the other half of the picture: how many people are sitting in the pool right now, and where you'd fall among them.
At 70 points, 162 Registered Nurse (Surgical) EOIs in the October 2026 pool are at or above your score. Under the points ranking, higher scores are considered first.
Source: official SkillSelect EOI data, Australian Government · as at October 2026
Highlighted bars are EOIs at or above your points. These counts include only EOIs with a status of Submitted: people still waiting in the pool for an invitation. Once an EOI is invited, lodged, or closed, it has left the queue, so counting those would overstate how many people are actually ahead of you.
473 in the pool. As at October 2026, 473 Registered Nurse (Surgical) expressions of interest were sitting in the 189 pool, waiting for an invitation. The largest cluster sits at 65 points.
The Registered Nurse (Surgical) 189 pool has fallen from 602 in October 2025 to 473 now.
An EOI moves through four stages. This chart counts only the first one. Here's the full picture so the numbers make sense.
Where you stand means how many people could be invited before you. That's only the people still in the queue with you, which is the Submitted pool. Everyone else has already been invited, has applied, or has left. Adding them would either inflate the number or compare people at completely different stages.
Registered Nurse (Surgical) (254424) is on the MLTSSL, eligible for the 186, 189, 190, 482, 491, 494 visa programs. Skills assessment via ANMAC.
Which states nominate Registered Nurses (Surgical) for the 190 and 491? Check all 8 states
Across the 14 fully-itemised invitation rounds since January 2022, Registered Nurse (Surgical) received 189 invitations in 14 of them, and was skipped in 0. Where invitations were issued, the bar has trended downward (from 90 in the first invited round to 70 in the latest, within a range of 65–90 points). The most recent invitation was 15 October 2026, with the cutoff at 70 points. The Department of Home Affairs doesn't publish round-by-round occupation selection logic, so historical patterns shouldn't be read as forecasts.
Registered Nurse (Surgical) has also picked up Subclass 491 (Family Sponsored) invitations in 8 of the 14 rounds since 2022. Cutoff range: 65–85 points. The most recent 491 (FS) invitation was 13 November 2025 at 80 points.
The 491 (FS) is a 5-year provisional visa with different requirements from the 189. It needs an eligible family sponsor (Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible NZ citizen) who lives in a designated regional area, and the visa holder must live and work in a designated regional area for the visa's duration. Pathway to permanent residence is via Subclass 191.
| Round date | 189 cutoff | 491 (FS) cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 15 October 2026 | 70 pts | — |
| 4 June 2026 | 75 pts | — |
| 13 November 2025 | 75 pts | 80 pts |
| 21 August 2025 | 80 pts | 80 pts |
| 7 November 2024 | 75 pts | — |
| 5 September 2024 | 75 pts | — |
| 13 June 2024 | 85 pts | — |
| 18 December 2023 | 65 pts | — |
| 25 May 2023 | 65 pts | 85 pts |
| 8 December 2022 | 65 pts | 65 pts |
| 6 October 2022 | 65 pts | 75 pts |
| 22 August 2022 | 65 pts | 65 pts |
| 21 April 2022 | 90 pts | 65 pts |
| 21 January 2022 | 90 pts | 80 pts |
Refreshed from the official IMMI page · last refresh
The most recent Registered Nurse (Surgical) 189 invitation was 15 October 2026, with the cutoff at 70 points. Across the 14 rounds that invited Registered Nurses (Surgical) since 2022, the cutoff has ranged from 65 to 90 points.
There's no fixed number. The latest round that invited Registered Nurse (Surgical) applicants (15 October 2026) had a cutoff of 70 points. Since January 2022, 70 points was at or above the cutoff in 6 of the 14 rounds that invited this occupation. These are past rounds, not a prediction.
Different visas, different lists, different ends. The 189 is permanent residence, points-tested, employer-independent, and uses the MLTSSL for occupation eligibility. The 482 Skills in Demand is a temporary employer-sponsored visa that uses the Core Skills Occupation List (which also includes Registered Nurse (Surgical)). The 189 sends invitations based on a points ranking. The 482 requires a sponsoring employer who passes labour-market testing.
For the 189 visa, yes. ANMAC is the designated assessing authority for ANZSCO 254424 (Registered Nurse (Surgical)). An EOI submitted without a positive skills assessment can't translate into a granted visa. Skills assessments have their own fees, processing times, and document requirements. Check the assessing authority's website for the current process specific to your qualifications and work experience.
No one can answer that honestly, and anyone selling certainty about future cutoffs is overstepping. What the data shows is the cutoff for Registered Nurses (Surgical) has trended downward since 2022. The Department of Home Affairs sets the program direction. The official SkillSelect page publishes new rounds when they happen.
As at October 2026, 473 Registered Nurse (Surgical) expressions of interest were waiting in the 189 pool: people who have lodged an EOI and not yet been invited. It's a monthly snapshot from official SkillSelect data, and it shows how crowded the pool is at each points score, not who gets invited (the Department of Home Affairs doesn't publish that).
These occupations share the same 4-digit ANZSCO unit group as Registered Nurse (Surgical) and are also eligible for the 189. Cutoffs and invitation rates often diverge sharply between them.
This is general information about historical 189 invitation rounds. It isn't immigration advice for your situation. Only a registered migration agent (MARA) or Australian legal practitioner can advise on whether you meet visa requirements. Find a registered agent at mara.gov.au.
