Migration analytics firm VISA AI quietly pushed an updated “Australia PR for Software Engineers” report to its platform on 28 June 2026. The deep-dive—reviewed by the company’s in-house research desk—confirms that invitation cut-offs for ANZSCO 261313 have climbed to 85–95 points for subclass 189 and 190 visas this program year. The report attributes the surge to a mid-June SkillSelect round that issued 10,000 invitations across all occupations but only 50–150 slots for software engineers, leaving tens of thousands of EOIs in the pool. Competition is being fuelled by a wave of applicants from India and Bangladesh, many of whom hold master’s degrees and top-band English scores.
![Points race heats up: new guide shows software engineers now need 85-95 points for Australian PR]()
If the tightening score requirements have you reassessing your migration strategy, VisaHQ’s Australia hub (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can streamline the paperwork, flag alternative visa subclasses, and keep you up to date on state nomination windows—all from a single dashboard.
For multinational tech firms the message is two-fold. First, employer sponsorship (via the new Skills-in-Demand 482 stream) is increasingly the faster route for talent relocating to Australia. Secondly, internal mobility candidates who still prefer the independent pathway must plan for English test resits or state nomination to lift their points. The guide also warns that salary expectations for senior engineers have risen to AUD 115k–190k in Sydney and Melbourne—figures that corporate relocation budgets will need to match to remain competitive. VISA AI recommends companies pre-screen candidates’ points profiles before committing to relocation packages. Mobility managers should note that the Department of Home Affairs has not signalled an additional invitation round before the 30 June fiscal year-end, meaning the high thresholds are likely to persist into July.
If the tightening score requirements have you reassessing your migration strategy, VisaHQ’s Australia hub (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can streamline the paperwork, flag alternative visa subclasses, and keep you up to date on state nomination windows—all from a single dashboard.
For multinational tech firms the message is two-fold. First, employer sponsorship (via the new Skills-in-Demand 482 stream) is increasingly the faster route for talent relocating to Australia. Secondly, internal mobility candidates who still prefer the independent pathway must plan for English test resits or state nomination to lift their points. The guide also warns that salary expectations for senior engineers have risen to AUD 115k–190k in Sydney and Melbourne—figures that corporate relocation budgets will need to match to remain competitive. VISA AI recommends companies pre-screen candidates’ points profiles before committing to relocation packages. Mobility managers should note that the Department of Home Affairs has not signalled an additional invitation round before the 30 June fiscal year-end, meaning the high thresholds are likely to persist into July.
