The skills assessment requirement for the Subclass 189 visa is assessed at the “time of invitation” (clause 189.222(1), formerly 189.212(1)), not at the time of lodging the visa application. If your skills assessment was valid on the date your invitation was issued and only expired subsequently, this requirement was satisfied on that day, and you may not need a new assessment at all.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi, Registered Migration Agent (MARA 0854826), in response to this common question from applicants in technical and electronics fields, advises that the first step is clear: compare the date of your invitation exactly against the expiry date of your assessment. Many applicants worry unnecessarily, assuming the document must remain valid until the moment the application is lodged; however, the legal benchmark is the moment of invitation.
Cases where the assessment expired before the invitation was issued follow a different path. In the matter of Thapa [2021] FCCA 686 — a single-judge decision in the Federal Circuit Court — the Department of Home Affairs changed its approach. As a matter of administrative policy, a skills assessment obtained during the 60-day invitation period is accepted; however, the Department has reserved the right to argue in future litigation that this ruling was incorrect. Therefore, we are not dealing with an immutable judicial obligation, but rather a reliable, yet not permanent, policy position.
Take the timing constraints seriously: the 60-day deadline begins from the date of the invitation and cannot be extended. Nevertheless, missing this round does not mean the end of the road; one can obtain a new assessment, lodge a new EOI, and receive another invitation in future rounds — provided, of course, that your points, occupation list status, and age are considered at that time.
Before relying on renewing your assessment in the remaining days, verify the correct assessing authority and its processing time for your specific ANZSCO code; the difference between “electronics technician” and “electronic equipment trades worker” can change the assessing body and the processing duration. The current text on the Department of Home Affairs’ official skills assessment page should also be reviewed before making any final decisions.
If you would like your invitation date, expiry date, and occupation code to be assessed with legal precision so you can make decisions with peace of mind, feel free to share your case with us for a personalised, one-on-one review.
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This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on October 29, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.