The DIBP has released the 18 October 2017 SkillSelect invitation round’s result recently. The below set out some key points observed in this month:
The number of invitations issued in October decreased by around 1000 compared with that in September
Similar to previous months, there were two rounds of invitation held in October. A total of 2500 and 57 invitations were issued for subclasses 189 (point tested stream) and 489 (family sponsored stream) respectively. This represents a reduction of 1000 and 36 invitations for subclass 189 and subclass 489 when compared with September rounds.
Only 700 invitations will be issued for each of the November rounds
It is worth noting that the DIBP further disclosed that they only schedule to invite 700 and 5 EOIs for each round in November subclasses 189 and 489.respectively. One of the invitation rounds was conducted on 8 November, while another one will be held on 22 November.
Based on the unofficial statistics, most, if not all invitations, in 8 November 2017 round were allocated to the “pro-rata” occupations with a point score of 70 or above. Bear in mind that in a “full” invitation round, there are around 956 invitations are allocated to pro-rata occupations.
In other words, all non pro-rata EOI applicants with points less than 70 are expected to wait for a longer time to get invited.
For the eight occupations subject to pro-rata quota arrangement, the competition remains tough. The table below summarises occupations which require pro-rata arrangement:
| Occupation | Required points | No. of invitations for 18/10/17 round | Quota filled up | Remaining quota (%) | Approx. Waiting time |
| Accountants (2211) | 75 | 239 | 1663 | 3122 (60%) | Next round |
| Auditors (2212) | 75 | 66 | 528 | 799 (60%) | 11 weeks |
| Electronics Engineers (2334) | 65 | 50 | 400 | 600 (60%) | 4 weeks |
| Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers (2335) | 65 | 108 | 864 | 1,314 (60%) | 43 weeks |
| Other Engineering Professionals (2339) | 70 | 50 | 400 | 600 (60%) | Next round |
| Software and Applications Programmers (2613) | 65 | 310 | 2,480 | 3,722 (60%) | 26 weeks |
| ICT Business and System Analysts (2611) | 70 | 78 | 624 | 950(60%) | 13 weeks |
| Computer Network Professionals (2631) | 65 | 65 | 520 | 798 (60%) | 33 weeks |
For intended migrants who work in the above eight occupations but with lower points, you may wish to consider other visa options, such as migration via state nomination. You are strongly encouraged to discuss your situation with registered migration agents.
Popular Occupations in Hong Kong with low filled up rate
The table below sets out some Hong Kong popular occupations with low filled up rate.
| Occupation | Quota for the financial year | No. of invitations up-to-date for 2017/18 | Filled up rate (%) |
| Architects and Landscape Architects | 1,474 | 81 | 5.5 |
| Civil Engineering Professionals | 3,296 | 314 | 9.5 |
| Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers | 2,639 | 41 | 1.6 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 7,910 | 134 | 1.7 |
| Occupational Therapists | 1,109 | 15 | 1.8 |
| Physiotherapists | 1,464 | 29 | 2.0 |
| General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers | 3,495 | 79 | 2.2 |
| Registered Nurses | 16,741 | 628 | 3.8 |
| Psychologists | 1,750 | 14 | 0.8 |
| Social Workers | 1,562 | 65 | 4.2 |
The above source is extracted from DIBP website: 18 October 2017 invitation round
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