Australian Skilled Occupation Lists Explained

Australia's occupation lists were significantly reformed when the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa on 7 December 2024. For employer-sponsored migration, a single new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) replaced the former MLTSSL, STSOL and ROL.

The CSOL is maintained by Jobs and Skills Australia and is reviewed at least once a year against genuine labour-market demand. Unlike the old system, it is not split into 'short-term' and 'long-term' tiers and there is no cap on the number of visas granted against it.

Which list matters to you depends on the visa you're targeting. Employer-sponsored and points-tested pathways use different lists, so identify your pathway first.

The Skills in Demand visa does not use a points test at all. Instead, eligibility for its Core Skills stream requires your occupation to be on the CSOL, an employer sponsor, and a salary that meets the Core Skills Income Threshold — set at AUD 73,150 for 2025–26.

By contrast, the independent and state-nominated visas (189, 190 and 491) remain points-tested and continue to rely on the MLTSSL and related lists. Knowing which system applies to you determines whether you should focus on your points score or on securing an employer sponsor.

Every occupation has a six-digit ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) code. Search the official lists for the occupation that best matches your actual duties — not just your job title — because your skills assessment is judged against the ANZSCO description, not the name of your role.

If your day-to-day work spans two occupations, choose the one whose listed duties most closely reflect what you actually do and can evidence. Picking the wrong code is one of the most common reasons skills assessments are refused.

This is where most UK applicants lose time. ANZSCO classifies work by duties, not by job title, and British job titles frequently have no direct Australian equivalent. A UK 'Chartered Accountant' is not an ANZSCO occupation; the accountant occupations are split by function. A 'Staff Nurse' or 'Sister' maps to a specific registered nurse division. A UK 'Solicitor' maps cleanly, but a 'Legal Executive' does not.

Work from your actual duties. Take the ANZSCO description for the occupation you think fits, read the listed tasks, and check that a majority describe what you genuinely did and can evidence with references. If your role spans two occupations — common for UK job titles that bundle responsibilities — choose the one you can evidence most strongly, not the one that sounds more senior.

Verify the current six-digit code on the official ANZSCO listing before you rely on it. Codes are periodically restructured, and quoting a superseded one on an application creates avoidable delay.

UK professional registration does not transfer automatically, but it usually shortens the path. The assessing authority is determined by your nominated occupation, not by your nationality — however, several authorities operate recognised pathways that UK-qualified applicants can use.

Skills assessments fail on evidence far more often than on eligibility, and the documents that satisfy an Australian assessor are not always the ones a British worker has kept. Assessors want proof that employment was skilled, paid and continuous — three separate things.

The specifically British advantage is that the paper trail exists even when the employer does not. HMRC holds your employment history and will provide a record of it on request, which is the single most useful document for anyone whose former employer has closed, been acquired or simply stopped answering emails. Assemble the following before you apply rather than after an assessor asks:

The Government and Jobs and Skills Australia review the lists to reflect shifting labour-market needs, so occupations can be added, removed or moved between lists. This means an occupation that is eligible today may not be in a future review.

The practical takeaway is to confirm your occupation's current status immediately before lodging an Expression of Interest or nomination, and to act promptly once you are eligible rather than waiting, since list changes are not always announced far in advance.