482 Visa Occupation List: Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) 2026

One of the most common points of confusion for 482 visa applicants is which occupation list applies to them and what it actually means for their visa prospects. The old system had two lists — the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) — each with different visa durations and PR eligibility. That structure is now replaced.

Under the Skills in Demand (SID) framework fully in operation from 2026, there is one core list: the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

What the CSOL Is and How It Works

The CSOL is a consolidated list of 456 occupations that Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has identified as being in genuine shortage in the Australian labour market. These range from software engineers and registered nurses to chefs, electricians, and civil engineers.

If your occupation is on the CSOL, you are eligible to apply under the Core Skills stream of the SID visa — provided your employer meets all sponsorship requirements and your salary meets the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of $76,515 (rising to $79,499 in July 2026).

The list is reviewed quarterly by JSA, meaning occupations can be added or removed based on emerging labour market data. An occupation that was on the list when you started planning your application may have a caveat added, or in rare cases, may be removed entirely in a subsequent review. Checking the current list at the time of nomination (not when you first researched the visa) is essential.

How the CSOL Replaced the Old STSOL and MLTSSL

Under the old TSS framework, the STSOL and MLTSSL distinction mattered enormously. Workers on the STSOL were stuck in the short-term stream: a maximum visa duration of two years, no transition to permanent residency, and limited options beyond reapplication. Workers on the MLTSSL got the medium-term stream: four years and a pathway to the 186 ENS permanent visa.

The CSOL eliminates this distinction. All occupations on the CSOL are now treated equally — all eligible for the Core Skills stream, all carrying a clear two-year pathway to permanent residency through the 186 TRT stream, all eligible for the full visa duration of up to four years.

This is a significant improvement for the many workers who were previously trapped in the short-term stream with no clear route forward.

The Specialist Skills Stream: No Occupation List Required

If your annual salary will exceed the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) — currently $141,210 — you do not need to be in an occupation on the CSOL at all. The Specialist Skills stream is income-based rather than list-based.

The one constraint is that your role must fall within ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6:

• Group 1: Managers
• Group 2: Professionals
• Group 4: Community and Personal Service Workers
• Group 5: Clerical and Administrative Workers
• Group 6: Sales Workers

Trade occupations (Group 3), machine operators (Group 7), and labourers (Group 8) are not eligible for the Specialist Skills stream, regardless of salary.

Occupation Caveats: The Hidden Complexity

The CSOL is not simply a yes/no list. Many occupations carry caveats — specific conditions that restrict when and how a business can nominate for that occupation. Common caveat types include:

Turnover requirements: Some managerial and executive occupations require the nominating business to have an annual turnover above $1 million. A small startup cannot nominate a Chief Financial Officer under these caveats regardless of the salary offered.

Minimum employee count: Certain roles require the nominating entity to have at least five employees, ensuring the role exists within a genuine business structure rather than being created specifically for the visa.

Regional restrictions: Some occupations are available only in designated regional postcodes (Category 3 areas), directing labour to areas that most need it. These roles cannot be used for metro Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane nominations.

Nature of role restrictions: A few occupations explicitly exclude roles that involve low-skill components — for example, a hospitality management role that includes front-of-house serving work may be flagged as mismatched.

Failing to check whether a caveat applies to your occupation and business type is one of the leading causes of nomination refusal. A refusal means the employer loses the $330 nomination fee and the SAF levy payment, neither of which is refundable.

How to Find Your Occupation Code

Every occupation in the Australian system is mapped to a six-digit ANZSCO code. Finding the correct code for your role matters because:

1. The CSOL is structured by ANZSCO code, not job title
2. Some job titles map to multiple ANZSCO codes (for example, a "Software Developer" might be 261313 Software Engineer or a different code depending on their actual duties)
3. Skills assessment bodies like ACS or Engineers Australia assess against specific ANZSCO codes, and the code on your visa nomination must match your assessment

The Department of Home Affairs publishes the ANZSCO occupation search tool online. When checking your code, read the full occupation description and the "Tasks" listed for that code — your actual job duties should match the majority of listed tasks for the code to be valid.

Common Occupations on the CSOL

While the full list has 456 entries, some of the most commonly nominated categories include:

• ICT sector: Software Engineers, ICT Business Analysts, Database Administrators, Cyber Security Specialists
• Engineering: Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers
• Healthcare: Registered Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, General Practitioners (via specific streams)
• Construction trades: Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Bricklayers (typically with TRA skills assessment required)
• Accounting and finance: Accountants (General), Management Accountants, External Auditors
• Education and training: Secondary School Teachers, Special Education Teachers

For your specific occupation — including the exact ANZSCO code, any applicable caveats, and whether a skills assessment is required — the Australia TSS 482 Visa Guide contains a structured checklist that walks through the occupation verification process step by step.

What the Quarterly Review Means for You

Because JSA reviews the CSOL quarterly, there is always a small risk that an occupation will be removed or a new caveat added before your nomination is lodged. This is not common, but it has happened.

The practical implication: once you and your employer decide to proceed, move as quickly as possible. Do not delay gathering documents or completing the skills assessment while waiting to see if conditions improve. Labour market conditions that make the government want to add your occupation to the list can also drive the list to tighten restrictions if a genuine shortage is resolved.

Checking the current CSOL directly on the Department of Home Affairs website at the time of nomination lodgement — not relying on a snapshot from several months earlier — is the safest approach.

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