The results of Australia’s August Skill Select round were shocking, to say the least. Even though this is the beginning of a new program year, subclass 189 saw only 100 invitations. This was a 90% reduction in the number of invitations compared to the previous draw. In addition, most of the invitations went to candidates scoring 85 points or more. The low invitation numbers can be frustrating for potential migrants to Australia.
Considering the imminent expiry of visas, 100 invitations were issued under the family-sponsored subclass 489 visas. The minimum score for the invitation was 80 points. The latest date of EOI was January 2019.
Businesses whose demand exceeds the number of available visa locations are called pro-rata businesses.
The cut-off scores for pro-rata businesses in the August Skill Select Round are:
| Occ.-ID | Occ.-Name | Minimum-score | Latest-date of (EOI ) |
| 2211 | -Accountants | 90 | 20-07-2019 8:54=pm |
| 2334 | EE-Electronics Engineers | 85 | 15-07-2019 2:50=pm |
| 2212 | ACS-Auditors, Company Secy and Corp. Treasurers | 85 | 11-03-2019 7:14=pm |
| 2335 | IMP-Industrial, Mechanical & Production Engg. | 85 | 31-07-2019 3:21=pm |
| 2611 | ICT Business & System Analysts | 85 | 30-07-2019 12:04=pm |
| 2339 | Other Engg. Professionals | 90 | 07-08-2019 4:41=pm |
| 2631 | CNS-Computer Network Professionals | 80 | 14-07-2019 8:37 =pm |
| 2613 | SAP-Software & Applications Programmer | 85 | 31-07-2019 7:57 =pm |
Given the high cut-off issued, the low scoring candidates should consider a new regional visa which will become effective from November 2019.
Applicants who are living and working in Australia should consider applying under a subclass 190-visa, according to SBS News. However, territories &states may have other requirements such as additional work experience or higher English scores.