Australia Skilled Occupation Lists 2025: MLTSSL, WA SNMP, and NSW Priority List

The first question any Kenyan professional asks when researching Australian PR is straightforward: "Is my job on the list?" The answer depends on which list — and Australia runs several. The national lists determine visa eligibility. The state lists determine who gets nominated and when. Getting them confused wastes months.

Here is a clear breakdown of each list, what it means for your visa pathway, and specifically which occupations Kenyan professionals most commonly qualify under.

The National Occupation Lists

The Department of Home Affairs publishes two primary occupation lists that govern General Skilled Migration:

MLTSSL — Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List

This is the more valuable list. Occupations on the MLTSSL are eligible for all three skilled visa subclasses: the Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), Subclass 190 (State Nominated), and Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional). If your occupation is on the MLTSSL, you have the maximum number of pathway options available to you.

Kenyan professionals typically qualify under these MLTSSL occupations:

• Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313)
• ICT Security Specialist (ANZSCO 262112)
• Systems Administrator (ANZSCO 262113)
• Registered Nurse — various specializations (ANZSCO 254xxx)
• Civil Engineer (ANZSCO 233211)
• Mechanical Engineer (ANZSCO 233512)
• Electrical Engineer (ANZSCO 233311)
• Accountant — General (ANZSCO 221111)
• Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241411)

STSOL — Short-Term Skilled Occupation List

Occupations here are eligible for the 190 and 491 visas only — not the 189. This list is still useful, particularly for 491 regional applicants who get the 15-point bonus that can make a competitive profile out of a borderline one. The STSOL covers occupations where Australia anticipates shorter-term shortages, including some hospitality management, specialist trades, and certain health science roles.

Western Australia's Skilled Nominated Migration Program

WA is the most significant state destination for Kenyan professionals. The 2021 Census puts 28.4% of Kenya's Australia-based community in Western Australia — largely drawn by mining, engineering, and construction in Perth and regional WA. WA allocated 10,000 places in the 2024-25 financial year and has historically treated offshore applicants with the same priority as onshore candidates, which benefits Kenyan applicants applying from Nairobi.

The WA SNMP operates through two schedules:

Schedule 1 — WA Nominated Occupations (higher demand) These occupations receive the most nominations and typically have the fastest processing. Healthcare dominates: Registered Nurses, Midwives, Medical Practitioners. Engineering roles in civil, electrical, and mechanical fields are also strong. ICT roles appear here but face high competition from global applicants.

Schedule 2 — General Stream (lower demand) A broader list covering roles where WA has identified a need but demand is less acute. For Kenyan applicants with a valid skills assessment and Proficient English (PTE 65, IELTS 7.0), Schedule 2 is often the accessible entry point. The English requirement is lower than for independent 189 applications, and the 5-point nomination bonus means a 70-point profile can still secure an invitation.

WA also operates a Graduate Stream for people who have completed studies in WA — relevant for Kenyans who first came on a student visa and are transitioning to permanent residency.

What WA actually wants from Kenyan applicants: Mining companies and construction firms in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions consistently report shortages in civil, structural, and mechanical engineering. Nurses for regional hospitals and aged care facilities are among the highest-priority occupations. Perth's technology sector has grown but is smaller than Sydney or Melbourne — ICT applicants may find nomination harder in WA than in NSW.

New South Wales Priority Occupation List

NSW is the most popular destination state for the Kenyan diaspora overall, with Sydney concentrating ICT, finance, and specialized healthcare. The NSW Priority Occupation List for 2024-25 reflects the state's economic mix:

• Healthcare: Registered Nurses (all specializations — Aged Care, Critical Care, Mental Health), Midwives, General Practitioners
• ICT: Software Engineers, ICT Security Specialists, Business Analysts, Network Engineers
• Engineering: Civil Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Structural Engineers
• Education: Secondary School Teachers (particularly Science and Mathematics)

NSW uses a two-tier system. Occupations on the Priority List receive nominations first and at lower points thresholds. Occupations not on the priority list may still receive nominations but typically need higher points scores and wait longer.

For accountants: NSW nominates under the national program but accounting occupations have historically faced high competition given the volume of applicants with CPA qualifications. ICPAK members using the CPA Australia streamlined assessment pathway are in a strong position relative to self-assessed applicants, but should still target at least 85 points before relying on NSW nomination to fill the gap.

How to Use the Lists Strategically

The strategic approach for a Kenyan professional is to work backwards from their points total:

If you score 85+ points: Apply via SkillSelect EOI for state nomination (190). Also consider a 189 EOI if your occupation is on the MLTSSL and competitive thresholds have recently dropped for healthcare.

If you score 70-84 points: The 491 regional visa becomes your primary pathway. The 15-point bonus turns 70 into 85. Apply for WA regional nomination through the SNMP — WA's regional streams include areas outside Perth that qualify for the 491 pathway.

If you score 65-69 points: You can submit an EOI but should not expect an invitation through the 190 or 189 streams. Use this period to increase your score — most commonly by retesting English to reach Superior (20 points vs 10 points) or by accumulating additional work experience.

The distinction between which list covers your occupation matters when you are on the 65-70 points boundary. An STSOL-only occupation eliminates the 189 pathway entirely, narrowing your options to states that nominate your specific role.

Checking Your Occupation

The ANZSCO code (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) is the identifier that links your job title to the occupation lists. The same real-world role can have multiple ANZSCO codes depending on duties, and the choice of ANZSCO code affects which assessing body handles your case and which visa subclasses are available.

A software developer with significant systems architecture responsibility might legitimately claim ANZSCO 261313 (Software Engineer) rather than 261312 (Developer Programmer) — and 261313 appears on the MLTSSL while 261312 is STSOL-only. The ACS will assess which code is appropriate based on your actual duties, so accurate job descriptions in your application matter.

The Kenya → Australia Skilled Migration Guide covers ANZSCO code selection for the seven most common Kenyan occupations, along with documentation strategies for making your Nairobi work history map cleanly to Australian classification standards — including how to document M-Pesa salary payments and how to frame work done at Kenyan SMEs where job titles did not match actual responsibilities.

The Bottom Line on Lists

Most Kenyan professionals in ICT, healthcare, engineering, and accounting will find their core occupation on the MLTSSL. The question is not usually eligibility — it is points competitiveness. Getting onto the WA or NSW list helps more than being on the national list alone.

WA is the friendlier target for Kenyan engineers and nurses: large regional need, offshore-friendly, and an existing community that makes settlement easier. NSW is where the salary ceiling is higher for ICT and finance roles, but competition is correspondingly tougher.

Know your list, know your points, and build the English score that turns an eligible profile into an invited one.

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