Few good options left

I am in the process (again!) of gathering prerequisites (IELTS etc.) to submit an EOI. With superior English (fingers crossed!) and family sponsorship, I will just manage to squeak through with 60 points for a 489 (unfortunately 189/190 are out due to lack of points). However, I see that my occupation has been on the pro-rata list for some time, and furthermore there is a little note on the SkillSelect results page that states "If all places are taken up by subclass 189 visas then there will be no invitations issued for subclass 489 visas in these [pro-rata] occupations."

Am I right to assume that my chances of ever getting an invitation at this stage are next to nil and that I would be better off trying a different route (such as direct sponsorship, as difficult as that may be)? I had state sponsorship and 70 points 4.5 years ago but the family was against moving then. Being over 45 is a real bummer!

If your occupation is pro rata, then the reality is that you may never receive an invitation for a 489 visa. Perhaps arranging a consultation with a migration agent would be useful to set up a strategy on how to proceed.

Thank you. I didn't see before that you have a separate forum for asking a migration agent. Perhaps that should be my next stop.