What is the 189 visa occupation ceiling formula?

The formula estimates subclass 189 invitation limits by multiplying the occupation workforce size by the assigned tier percentage and subtracting visa grants from subclasses 186, 190, 491, and 494.

How can applicants estimate 189 visa invitation limits?

Applicants can estimate invitation limits by multiplying the workforce size of an occupation by its tier percentage and subtracting visa grants from employer and state sponsored migration programs.

Why do some occupations receive no subclass 189 invitations?

High visa numbers across employer sponsorship and state nomination programs can reduce the remaining ceiling for an occupation, leaving no available invitations for subclass 189.

189 Visa Occupation Ceiling Formula

Last Updated: 16 March 2026

Quick Formula Summary

The 189 visa occupation ceiling follows this calculation:

189 Invitations = (Occupation Workforce Size × Tier Percentage) − Previous Visa Grants

Previous visa grants include:

subclass 186
subclass 190
subclass 491
subclass 494

The calculation estimates how many invitations remain available for each occupation in the current financial year.

Overview

The Australian Government sets a limit on invitations for each occupation under the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189). If you want to understand the full visa requirements and process, see the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) guide.

The formula connects three factors:

workforce size in Australia
priority tier percentage
visa grants from the previous financial year

This calculation helps applicants understand why some occupations receive many invitations while others receive very few.

189 Visa Invitation Formula

The formula follows this structure:

189 Invitations = (Occupation Workforce Size × Tier Percentage) − (186 + 190 + 491 + 494 Visa Grants)

Three factors determine the final number:

workforce size for the occupation
tier multiplier
visa grants across other skilled migration programs

The result shows the estimated invitation pool for that occupation.

Step 1 – Find the Occupation Workforce Size

The calculation starts with the number of workers in Australia within the occupation.

Migration analysts obtain this number from:

Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data
Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles

Example:

Early Childhood Teacher workforce size = 79,171

This number represents the employment stock for the occupation.

Step 2 – Apply the Tier Percentage

The migration program places occupations into four priority tiers.

Each tier carries a percentage multiplier.

Multiply the workforce size by the tier percentage.

Example:

79,171 × 2% = 1,583

This result creates the initial occupation ceiling.

Step 3 – Subtract Previous Visa Grants

The final step subtracts visa grants from the previous financial year.

The calculation includes grants across these migration programs:

subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme
subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated visa
subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional visa
subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa

Example:

Initial ceiling = 1,583
Previous visa grants = 556

Calculation:

1,583 − 556 = 1,027

The result shows the estimated invitations available for subclass 189.

Example Calculation – Early Childhood Teacher

Example data:

Calculation:

Occupation Ceiling = (79,171 × 2%) − 556
Occupation Ceiling = 1,583 − 556
Occupation Ceiling = 1,027

Estimated invitations available:

1,027 invitations

This number represents the potential invitation pool for that occupation.

Why Some Occupations Receive No Invitations

Some occupations receive very few or zero invitations.

High visa numbers across employer and state programs reduce the available ceiling.

Example:

Workforce × Tier = 1,000
Previous visa grants = 1,500

Calculation:

1,000 − 1,500 = −500

A negative result leaves no remaining invitations for that occupation.

This situation often affects occupations with strong employer sponsorship demand.

Examples include:

accountant
ICT business analyst
ICT security specialist
chef

These occupations often fall into Tier 4 with a 0.5% multiplier, which produces a smaller ceiling.

You can review the full occupation ceiling list and remaining allocation figures in the 189 visa occupation ceilings guide.

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