Skilled Occupation List Australia 2026: MLTSSL, ANZSCO Codes, and the 189 Visa

Before you calculate your points or contact a skills assessment authority, you need to confirm that your occupation qualifies for the Subclass 189 visa. The 189 pathway is tied to a specific list of occupations — and if your occupation is not on it, you are looking at a different pathway entirely.

The MLTSSL: The Subclass 189 Occupation List

The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) is the occupation list that governs eligibility for the Subclass 189 visa. It currently contains 212 skilled occupations, identified by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Home Affairs as facing long-term structural shortages in Australia.

The MLTSSL is distinct from other occupation lists used in the skilled migration program:

• CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List): Used primarily for employer-sponsored visas (Skills in Demand — Subclass 482). Not relevant to the 189 visa.
• STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List): Previously used for temporary employer sponsorship. If your occupation is only on the STSOL or CSOL and not on the MLTSSL, you are ineligible for the Subclass 189.
• ROL (Regional Occupation List): Relevant for regional visa pathways (491/494), not the 189.

If your occupation appears on the MLTSSL, you can apply for the 189. If it only appears on other lists, you need state/territory nomination (190) or employer sponsorship (482/186).

How ANZSCO Codes Work

Every occupation in the Australian labour market is assigned a code from the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). Skills assessment authorities, the Department of Home Affairs, and the SkillSelect system all use ANZSCO codes as the common reference point.

When you submit your EOI, you nominate a specific ANZSCO occupation code. Your skills assessment must be for that code (or a closely related one, generally within the same ANZSCO unit group). Your work experience claims must relate to that code.

The ANZSCO code has six digits. The first digit is the major group (e.g., "2" for Professionals), the first three digits form the minor group, and all six digits identify the specific occupation. For example:

• 233211 — Civil Engineer
• 233512 — Mechanical Engineer
• 261313 — Software Engineer
• 261312 — Analyst Programmer
• 251111 — Registered Nurse (General)

The ANZSCO dictionary (available on the ABS website) lists the tasks and duties associated with each code. Skills assessment authorities use this task list to verify that your actual work experience aligns with the nominated occupation — not just that you held a job title that sounds similar.

ANZSCO Code Traps

Nominating the wrong ANZSCO code is more common than people expect. Job titles in practice often do not map neatly to a single ANZSCO code, and choosing the wrong one can result in:

• A negative skills assessment (because your duties don't match the code's task list)
• Points miscalculation (because the assessing authority deems your experience only partially relevant)
• Selecting an occupation that is not on the MLTSSL, making you ineligible for the 189

Software-related roles: Many applicants nominate 261313 (Software Engineer) when they should nominate 261312 (Analyst Programmer) or 261111 (ICT Business Analyst), depending on their actual duties. The ACS assesses all these codes, but the deduction rules and assessment outcomes differ.

Engineering roles: Civil engineers (233211) and structural engineers (233214) are separate ANZSCO codes with separate occupation ceilings. If you design structures, nominating the wrong code can mean your occupation ceiling is different from what you expect.

Management roles: The line between a Marketing Specialist (225113) and a Marketing Manager (131011) is meaningful to VETASSESS. The Manager code requires evidence of strategic responsibility and staff oversight — if you did not have those, the Specialist code may be more appropriate and more likely to result in a positive assessment.

Checking the Current MLTSSL

The MLTSSL is a live document, updated periodically. Before spending money on a skills assessment, verify your occupation is currently listed. The Department of Home Affairs publishes the current MLTSSL on the skilled occupation list page of their website.

Key things to check:

1. Is your nominated ANZSCO code on the MLTSSL? (Not just the CSOL or STSOL)
2. Which skills assessment authority is listed for your code?
3. Is the occupation in Tier 1, 2, 3, or 4 under the current invitation priority framework?

The tier your occupation sits in will directly determine the points score you need to realistically receive an invitation.

What If Your Occupation Is Not on the MLTSSL?

If your occupation does not appear on the MLTSSL, the Subclass 189 is not available to you. Your options are:

• Check whether a closely related ANZSCO code does appear on the MLTSSL and whether your duties could support that code in a skills assessment
• Pursue the Subclass 190 (state-nominated) pathway — states often have separate occupation lists that include roles not on the MLTSSL
• Pursue employer-sponsored migration (Skills in Demand visa / Subclass 482, leading to Subclass 186)
• Pursue the Subclass 491 regional pathway, which also has its own occupation list distinct from the MLTSSL

The Australia Skilled Independent Visa (189) Guide includes a framework for verifying your ANZSCO code, cross-referencing with the current MLTSSL, and identifying which occupation code gives you the best combination of assessment viability and invitation prospects under the current tier system.