Australia Skilled Occupation List (SOL): Full MLTSSL, STSOL, CSOL & ROL Guide

If you’re planning to migrate to Australia through skilled migration, the first thing to check isn’t a visa subclass — it’s whether your occupation appears on Australia’s Skilled Occupation List (SOL). Your occupation determines which visas you can apply for, whether you need state or employer sponsorship, and how direct your path to permanent residency will be.

This guide breaks down all four occupation lists Australia currently uses — the MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL, and the newer Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) — with ANZSCO codes, assessing authorities, and which visas (189, 190, 491, 482, 186) each one unlocks.

What Is the Australia Skilled Occupation List?

The Skilled Occupation List is not one single document — it’s a combined list published by the Department of Home Affairs that tells you, for every eligible occupation:

• Its ANZSCO code (a 6-digit classification used across Australian immigration and labour data)
• Which list(s) it appears on
• The assessing authority that evaluates your qualifications and experience for that occupation
• Any caveats restricting how it can be used (relevant mainly for employer-sponsored and Skilled Independent visas)

If your occupation isn’t on any current list, most points-tested and employer-sponsored skilled visa pathways aren’t available to you — which is why checking this before you invest time or money in a skills assessment is the essential first step.

Why the Occupation List Matters for Your Visa

Your occupation’s list placement directly decides:

• Which visa subclasses you can apply for (189 vs 190 vs 491 vs 482 vs 186).
• Whether you can migrate without sponsorship (only MLTSSL occupations unlock the sponsorship-free 189 visa).
• How direct your path to permanent residency is (some pathways lead straight to PR; others are temporary with no guaranteed PR route).
• Which states can nominate you, since states manage their own nomination priorities on top of the national lists.

ANZSCO Codes Explained

Every occupation is tied to an ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) code — a 6-digit number that defines the exact tasks, skill level, and qualifications associated with a role. Job titles are not reliable on their own: two people with the title “Business Analyst,” for example, might be correctly assessed under completely different ANZSCO codes (e.g., 261111 ICT Business Analyst vs 224711 Management Consultant), each sitting on a different list with different visa outcomes.

Before you pay for a skills assessment, confirm which ANZSCO code genuinely matches your day-to-day duties — not just your job title — using the official Home Affairs occupation list tool.

The 4 Skilled Occupation Lists in Australia (2026)

Australia currently runs four occupation lists side by side, each tied to different visa programs:

Occupation counts fluctuate as the Department of Home Affairs reviews the lists — treat these as approximate and always verify your specific occupation on the official Home Affairs page before making decisions.

MLTSSL – Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List

The MLTSSL is the most valuable list for independent migrants. If your occupation sits on the MLTSSL, you’re eligible for the 189 Skilled Independent visa — the only points-tested pathway that requires no state nomination, no employer sponsorship, and no regional commitment. MLTSSL occupations also open the door to the 190, 491, and the medium-term/Core Skills stream of employer sponsorship.

STSOL – Short-term Skilled Occupation List

STSOL occupations can still lead to permanent residency, but the pathway is narrower. STSOL roles are eligible for state-nominated (190) and regional (491) visas, and for the short-term stream of employer sponsorship — but not for the 189 visa, and the short-term 482 stream doesn’t offer a direct PR pathway on its own.

ROL – Regional Occupation List

The ROL adds occupations specifically identified as needed in designated regional areas of Australia. It’s the backbone of the 491 visa’s regional pathway and also supports the 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa and regional use of the 482.

CSOL – Core Skills Occupation List (new since December 2024)

The CSOL is the newest and most significant addition to Australia’s occupation-list system. Launched on 7 December 2024 alongside the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482), the CSOL consolidated the old TSS 482 lists into a single list of 456 occupations. It’s the occupation list for:

• The Core Skills stream of the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa (the most commonly used 482 stream), and
• The Direct Entry stream of the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa

To use the Core Skills stream, the sponsored role must also meet the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) — AUD 76,515 for the 2025–26 program year, rising to AUD 79,423 from 1 July 2026. Roles paying above the higher Specialist Skills threshold (AUD 141,210) may qualify for the Specialist Skills stream instead, without needing to be on the CSOL at all.

Note: MLTSSL and STSOL still exist and remain relevant for the 189, 190, and 491 visas — CSOL didn’t replace them. It specifically replaced the old 482/TSS occupation lists.

Which Visa Can You Apply For? (List-to-Visa Mapping)

In-Demand Occupations by Category (2026)

IT & Technology

Software Engineer (261313), Developer Programmer (261312), ICT Business Analyst (261111), Cybersecurity Specialist (262112), Systems Analyst (261112), Data Analyst — assessed via ACS depending on duties. Most core software and analysis roles sit on the MLTSSL, giving access to the 189 visa; some roles like Web Developer sit on the STSOL only.

Engineering

Civil Engineer (233211), Mechanical Engineer (233512), Electrical Engineer (233311), Structural Engineer (233214), Mining Engineer (233611) — assessed by Engineers Australia. Broadly MLTSSL-listed, with strong regional demand in WA and QLD.

Healthcare & Nursing

Registered Nurse (various specialisations, 2544xx), Medical Practitioner (253111), Physiotherapist (252511), Occupational Therapist (252411), Midwife (254111) — assessed by ANMAC, AMC, APC or OTC. Healthcare consistently sees the strongest invitation rates and some of the lowest points thresholds due to persistent national shortages.

Accounting & Finance

Accountant – General (221111), Management Accountant (221112), Taxation Accountant (221113), External Auditor (221213) — assessed by CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA. On the MLTSSL, but historically high-competition, with points thresholds often 90+.

Trades & Construction

Electrician – General (341111), Plumber – General (334111), Carpenter (331212), Chef (351311), Welder (322313) — assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). Trades face strong nationwide demand, particularly in regional areas, with comparatively lower competition than professional occupations.

Education & Teaching

Secondary School Teacher (241411), Early Childhood Teacher (241111), Special Needs Teacher (241511) — assessed by AITSL. Growing demand, with state-based registration requirements on top of the skills assessment.

Agriculture & Regional Roles

Agricultural/dairy/livestock roles, seasonal supervisors, and various trades feature heavily on the ROL — check your state’s regional nomination priorities for the strongest invitation chances.

Full Skilled Occupation List Australia 2026

Best Occupations for Indian Applicants in 2026

India remains one of the largest source countries for Australian skilled migration, and demand clusters strongly around a handful of sectors:

• IT & Software — Software Engineers, ICT Business Analysts and Cybersecurity Specialists remain among the most commonly assessed occupations for Indian applicants via ACS, with strong MLTSSL/CSOL overlap giving multiple visa options.
• Engineering — Civil, mechanical and electrical engineers assessed through Engineers Australia continue to see solid invitation activity, especially through state nomination and regional (491) pathways.
• Nursing & Healthcare — Registered Nurses assessed via ANMAC are in persistent national shortage, often with lower points thresholds than IT or accounting.
• Accounting — A traditionally popular choice for Indian applicants, though points competition is high; state nomination or the regional 491 pathway is often more realistic than the 189 for this occupation.

If your occupation sits only on the STSOL or CSOL (not MLTSSL), state nomination or employer sponsorship — rather than the sponsorship-free 189 — will usually be your most realistic route.

State & Territory Occupation Lists

On top of the national lists, each state and territory manages its own nomination priorities for the 190 and 491 visas:

• New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory each publish and update their own skilled occupation lists, which determine which occupations they’ll actively nominate in a given program year.
• A state list is typically a subset of the national MLTSSL/STSOL/ROL — being on the national list doesn’t guarantee a state will be nominating your occupation this year.
• Check your target state’s current list and any occupation caps before submitting a Registration/Expression of Interest.

How to Check If Your Occupation Is On the List

• Identify your ANZSCO code based on your actual duties, not your job title.
• Cross-check that code against the MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL and CSOL on the official Home Affairs occupation list tool.
• Confirm your assessing authority (ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ANMAC, CPA/CA/IPA, TRA, AMC, etc.) and their specific documentation requirements.
• Check the points test and occupation ceiling — being listed doesn’t guarantee an invitation; you also need a competitive points score and available places in the annual occupation ceiling.

What If Your Occupation Isn’t Listed?

• Check state-specific lists — some states nominate occupations outside the national MLTSSL/STSOL/ROL under their own arrangements.
• Consider a closely related occupation — a different but genuinely accurate ANZSCO code may be eligible even if your exact job title isn’t.
• Explore labour agreements, which cover some industries and roles not on the standard lists.
• Partner visa pathways, if your partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or has an eligible occupation.
• A strategic career pivot toward a listed occupation is a legitimate (if longer-term) option for some applicants.

How the Skilled Occupation List Changes Over Time

Occupation lists are reviewed regularly — not on a fixed annual schedule — based on labour market data from Jobs and Skills Australia, industry consultation, and government migration priorities. Occupations can be added, removed, or moved between lists at any time.

Two related concepts matter here:

• Occupation list — determines whether you can apply at all.
• Occupation ceiling — determines how many people in that occupation can be invited within a program year (1 July–30 June). Even a listed occupation can stop receiving invitations once its ceiling is reached for the year.

If your occupation is removed from a list after you’ve already been invited or have an active application, this generally does not affect your existing application — but if you haven’t yet been invited, a removal can prevent you from receiving one.

Skilled Occupation List vs Points Test — How They Work Together

Being on the list is a prerequisite, not a guarantee. You also need to score at least 65 points on Australia’s points test (based on age, English proficiency, skilled employment, education and other factors) to be eligible to submit an Expression of Interest — and in practice, competitive invitation rounds for popular occupations often require significantly more.

Why Choose Pi Overseas?

Checking your occupation against the right list is only the first step — getting the ANZSCO code, assessing authority, and visa pathway wrong at this stage is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes applicants make. Pi Overseas helps you get it right from the start:

• 15+ years of experience guiding skilled migration applications to Australia.
• 95% + successful visa applications lodged, across skilled independent, state-nominated, regional and employer-sponsored pathways.
• End-to-end support — from your first occupation and points check, through skills assessment coordination, EOI lodgement, state/employer nomination, and visa application, to post-grant guidance.
• Dedicated experience with Indian applicants — we understand the specific assessing-authority quirks, documentation gaps, and timeline pressures that come up most often for applicants from India (ACS documentation formatting, VETASSESS employment reference requirements, WES/IELTS-PTE strategy, and more).
• Transparent, occupation-first advice — we tell you clearly if your occupation isn’t currently competitive for your target pathway, rather than taking on cases that are unlikely to succeed.
• Free initial eligibility check and points assessment.

If you are willing to know more about the Australia Visa & SOL guidance, you can certainly contact us by writing us an email at mail@pioverseas.com and one of our experts will help you out in every possible way. Call us at +91-9310-10-6988 or you can also receive a call back from our expert once you fill out the inquiry form. You can also talk to our experts directly through our live chat feature and clear your doubts instantaneously.

We at Pi Overseas have a team of dedicated experts that cater to every need of the clients. We have a proven track record in the immigration industry which was achieved in a very short span of time. Our experts will help and guide you through every step of the filing process and keep you posted throughout the whole cumbersome process of visa filing.