189 Visa by Occupation: Software Engineer, Nurse, Accountant, IT Professional

The 189 visa points test applies the same framework to every applicant — age, English, education, experience. But the competitive environment for each occupation is completely different. A Registered Nurse at 80 points has a realistic shot at an invitation. A Software Engineer at 80 points is effectively invisible in the SkillSelect queue.

This post breaks down the 189 visa strategy by occupation, because the right approach depends on which tier you sit in, which assessing authority governs your occupation, and what a realistic maximum points calculation actually looks like for your profile.

Software Engineers and IT Professionals

Tier: 4 (Oversupplied)

Assessing authority: Australian Computer Society (ACS)

Realistic cut-off in 2025–2026 rounds: 95–105+ points

Software engineers (ANZSCO 261313), systems analysts, ICT business analysts, and developers are among the most challenging occupations to gain a 189 invitation in 2026. The Tier 4 designation reflects the Department's assessment that Australia has sufficient domestic and international supply of software development talent.

The ACS deduction problem: ACS does not credit all your work experience for points. They establish a "Skill Level Requirement Met Date" — which deducts 2 years (for a highly relevant degree) to as many as 6–8 years (for RPL without a relevant degree) from your employment history. Only the experience after that date is claimable on your EOI.

A software engineer with a computer science degree and 6 years of post-graduation experience may be able to claim only 4 years of skilled experience (6 minus 2-year ACS deduction) — yielding 5 points for overseas experience (3 to under 5 years), not the 10 points they assumed.

Realistic points calculation for a 28-year-old Indian software engineer:

• Age 25–32: 30 points
• Bachelor's degree (CS): 15 points
• Proficient English (IELTS 7.0): 10 points
• 4 years overseas skilled employment (after ACS deduction): 5 points
• Single: 10 points
• Total: 70 points

That is 25–35 points below the Tier 4 cut-off. Bridging the gap:

• Superior English (IELTS 8.0): +10 points → 80
• NAATI CCL (Hindi/Mandarin): +5 points → 85
• Professional Year (ACS-endorsed): +5 points → 90

Still 5–15 points short. The 190 or 491 pathway should be running concurrently.

The ACS Post Australian Study Pathway: If you completed an Australian IT degree, the deduction is reduced to just 1 year — making more experience claimable, and the Professional Year substitutes for that 1-year requirement.

For offshore IT professionals: Unless you can reach 95+ points, begin pursuing state nomination (190 or 491) immediately alongside your 189 EOI. Western Australia (2,200 491 places) is particularly relevant for tech professionals willing to relocate.

Registered Nurses

Tier: 2 (High Priority — Care Economy)

Assessing authority: ANMAC (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council)

Realistic cut-off in 2025–2026 rounds: 75–85 points

Registered Nurses are among the most prioritized occupations in the 2025–2026 program. The government's explicit care economy focus means nurses receive robust invitation volumes in Tier 2, and cut-offs have remained relatively stable and accessible.

ANMAC assessment pathways:

Modified Skills Assessment (faster): Available to nurses currently registered in the UK, USA, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, or Hong Kong, or who hold current AHPRA registration. This is a streamlined process that takes significantly less time than the Full Skills Assessment.

Full Skills Assessment (for all others): Required for nurses from India, the Philippines, Nepal, and most other countries. Requires evidence of:

• Theoretical syllabus alignment between your nursing degree and Australian standards
• Specific clinical placement hours documented during training
• At least 3 months of paid nursing work within the past 5 years, evidenced by professional references

Realistic points calculation for a 30-year-old Indian nurse:

• Age 25–32: 30 points
• Bachelor's degree (Nursing): 15 points
• Proficient English (IELTS 7.0 — common for non-Superior scorers): 10 points
• Overseas skilled employment (4 years after ANMAC Skill Level Date): 5 points
• Single: 10 points
• Total: 70 points

Boosters:

• Superior English (IELTS 8.0 or PTE 79): +10 points → 80 points

80 points is competitive for most Tier 2 nursing sub-groups. NAATI CCL (+5) can push to 85, which provides further buffer.

Key difference from IT: A nurse at 80 points has a realistic expectation of invitation in the current environment. A software engineer at 80 points does not.

OET as an alternative: For nurses, the Occupational English Test (OET) is accepted and often preferred, as it uses healthcare scenarios. OET C scores are equivalent to IELTS 7.0 (Proficient); OET B scores are required for Superior English recognition. Note: confirm OET Superior equivalence with your specific state nomination program if pursuing 190 concurrently.

Accountants

Tier: 4 (Oversupplied)

Assessing authority: CPA Australia, CAANZ, or IPA depending on your qualifications

Realistic cut-off in 2025–2026 rounds: 95–105+ points

Accountants face the same fundamental problem as software engineers: Tier 4 designation with cut-offs that require near-maximum point accumulation. The situation for accountants is compounded by the fact that accounting degrees from many countries have syllabi gaps (particularly in Australian Taxation Law) that can cause skills assessment rejections.

The syllabus gap problem: CPA Australia and CAANZ assess whether your accounting degree covered specific core knowledge areas. A degree that does not explicitly include Australian Taxation Law as a subject is often assessed as having a deficiency in that area. This does not automatically result in a rejection, but it may require you to nominate a tax-adjacent accounting occupation rather than "Accountant" generically.

Practical points ceiling for accountants: The points calculation structure for accountants is similar to IT professionals — the same age, education, and English tiers apply. With Superior English (20 points), NAATI CCL (5 points), and maximum age points (30), a 28-year-old accountant with a bachelor's degree and 8 years of experience can reach:

• Age: 30
• Bachelor's: 15
• Superior English: 20
• 8 years overseas skilled employment: 15
• NAATI CCL: 5
• Total (single): 95 points (plus 10 for single = but this assumes no partner)

Alternatively, a partnered accountant with a skilled partner (10 partner points) instead of the 10 single points maintains the same total.

95 points is potentially at the cut-off — not comfortable above it. The Professional Year (5 points) for accountants is available and adds the buffer to 100, which is solidly competitive even in a high-cut-off quarter.

190 as the natural pivot: Many accountants find that pursuing the 190 via state nomination — particularly states with an active need for accountants in regional areas — is a faster route to permanent residency than waiting for 189 cut-offs at 95–100+.

IT Professionals Broadly (Non-Developer Roles)

IT professionals in roles other than pure software development — ICT Business Analysts, Project Managers, Network Engineers, Cybersecurity Analysts — sit under different ANZSCO codes with varying Tier placements. Some ICT roles sit in Tier 3 rather than Tier 4, depending on the specific occupation and workforce supply data.

Check your specific ANZSCO code's tier placement before assuming you face the same 95+ cut-off as software developers. An ICT role assessed in Tier 3 may have a cut-off of 85–90, which is meaningfully more achievable.

ACS assesses all ICT occupations, so the deduction mechanics described above apply across the board. Confirm your Skill Level Requirement Met Date before calculating your EOI points.

For a complete breakdown of how the 189 works for your specific occupation — including skills assessment pathway, point calculation template, and whether the 189 or a state-nominated pathway is the faster route to permanent residency — the Australia Skilled Independent Visa (189) Guide covers all major occupation groups with detailed worked examples.