Australia Skilled Occupation Lists [2026]: In-Demand Occupations, Invitation Scores and Routes After TAFE

October 19, 2026

Taiga Sato

To obtain permanent residence in Australia through skilled migration, your occupation must appear on the government's occupation lists. The independent permanent visa (subclass 189) uses the MLTSSL; the state-nominated visas (190 and 491) use the MLTSSL and STSOL (and the ROL for the 491); and the employer-sponsored visas (482 and 186) use a separate list, the CSOL. In the 189 invitation round of June 4, 2026, construction trades such as electricians and carpenters were invited at the minimum score of 65 points, while nurses and secondary school teachers were mostly invited at 75 points, and major IT occupations such as software engineer, as well as accountants and chefs, did not appear in the list of invited occupations at all. Being on a list and actually being likely to receive an invitation are two different things. For TAFE (vocational college) graduates, the usual path is to gain experience on the post-study work visa (485), pass a skills assessment and then aim for permanent residence through state nomination or employer sponsorship.

*Rules and amounts are as of October 9, 2026. Occupation lists and invitation scores change every year and every round, so check the latest information from the Department of Home Affairs before applying. This article is an English version of our Japanese guide, adapted for foreign residents of Japan and international investors.

For an overview of moving to Australia and a list of related articles, see Moving to Australia and permanent residence requirements.

Contents

Summary: the occupation list for each visa, and the occupations most likely to be invited in 2026
Types of occupation list: MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL and CSOL
Easier occupations: scores in the June 2026 subclass 189 round
Listed but rarely invited: IT, accounting and chefs
Skills assessment: assessing authorities and fees by occupation
The 65-point minimum, and the age and English requirements
State nomination status (October 2026)
Routes to permanent residence after TAFE
FAQ
Summary

Summary: the occupation list for each visa, and the occupations most likely to be invited in 2026

Australia's Department of Home Affairs brings its occupation lists together on a single search page, but in practice each visa uses a different list.

Visa	Description	Occupation list used	Application fee (main applicant, from July 2026)
189 Skilled Independent	Invited on points; permanent from the start	MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List)	AUD 6,135
190 Skilled Nominated	Nominated by a state; permanent from the start	MLTSSL + STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List) + each state's list	AUD 6,140
491 Regional	Five-year provisional visa for living in a regional area with state nomination; permanent via the 191 after three years	MLTSSL + STSOL + ROL (Regional Occupation List)	AUD 6,140
482 Skills in Demand	Temporary work visa with employer sponsorship (up to four years)	CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List), etc.	AUD 4,015
186 Employer Nomination	Permanent residence through employer nomination	CSOL (Direct Entry stream)	AUD 6,140

The occupations most likely to be invited in 2026 are construction trades, health occupations such as nursing, and teaching. In the 189 round of June 4, 2026, electricians and carpenters were invited at 65 points, and nurses and secondary school teachers mostly at 75 points. In July and September 2026, the Australian government also signaled that it would prioritize processing for occupations in construction, health, education and similar fields (mainly for applicants already in Australia).

On the other hand, software engineers and accountants, although they are on the occupation lists, were not among the occupations invited in the June 2026 round of the 189. In addition to checking which list your occupation is on, always check the scores at which it has recently been invited. We compare all the routes to permanent residence in Moving to Australia and permanent residence requirements.

Types of occupation list: MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL and CSOL

Australia has four occupation lists, and two editions of the occupation classification (ANZSCO) are in use.

List	Full name and description	Main visas	Occupation classification
MLTSSL	Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List: occupations in long-term shortage	189, 190, 491, 485	ANZSCO 2013
STSOL	Short-term Skilled Occupation List	190, 491	ANZSCO 2013
ROL	Regional Occupation List	491, 494	ANZSCO 2013
CSOL	Core Skills Occupation List: in effect from December 7, 2024; about 456 occupations	482 (Core Skills stream), 186 (Direct Entry stream)	ANZSCO 2022

If you are aiming only for the points-tested 189, your occupation must be on the MLTSSL. For state nomination (190 and 491), STSOL and ROL occupations are also eligible, but whether a state actually issues a nomination depends on that state's own list and whether it is accepting applications.

The CSOL is the list used for employer sponsorship and was newly created in December 2024. It includes chefs, cooks, motor mechanics, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, nurses, early childhood teachers, software engineers, accountants and more. The Department of Home Affairs states that if an occupation is removed from the list after you apply, applications already lodged will not be disadvantaged.

In the 2025 Occupation Shortage List published by Jobs and Skills Australia, a government agency, 293 of 1,022 occupations (29%) were assessed as in shortage. Shortages persist in health and care, early childhood education, and construction and automotive trades – about half of all trades are in shortage – while many professional occupations in business, finance, engineering and IT dropped off the shortage list.

Easier occupations: scores in the June 2026 subclass 189 round

Under the 189, eligible candidates register their points and the Department of Home Affairs invites them in order of score. In the invitation round of June 4, 2026 (10,000 invitations), the minimum scores for the main occupations were as follows (compiled by an immigration law firm).

Occupation	Minimum score invited
Electrician (general and special class)	65 points
Carpenter	65 points
Registered nurse (most specialties)	75 points (80 points for some specialties)
Secondary school teacher	75 points
Child care centre manager	80 points
Nurse practitioner	80 points
Automotive electrician	80 points
Electronics / telecommunications engineer	95 points

Those invited at the minimum of 65 points were mainly construction tradespeople. Housing construction is a policy priority in Australia, and on September 17, 2026, the government announced plans to award additional points to construction tradespeople (not yet reflected in legislation as of October 2026). The May 2026 Budget also set aside funding to speed up skills assessments for tradespeople.

Score thresholds change with every round. Check the results of rounds from July 2026 onward on the Department of Home Affairs' SkillSelect page.

Listed but rarely invited: IT, accounting and chefs

The following occupations are on the lists but have recently been difficult to get invited in the 189.

Occupation	Occupation list	June 2026 subclass 189 round
Major IT occupations such as software engineer	On the MLTSSL and CSOL	Not among invited occupations (some IT occupations invited at 95 points)
Accountant	On the MLTSSL and CSOL	Not among invited occupations
Chef / cook	Chef on the MLTSSL; both on the CSOL (with conditions)	Not among invited occupations
Early childhood (pre-primary) teacher	On the MLTSSL and CSOL	Not among invited occupations
Motor mechanic	On the MLTSSL and CSOL	Not among invited occupations

Also, cook is not on the MLTSSL (it is on the STSOL), so you cannot apply in that occupation for the 189 or for the 485 stream for vocational graduates. If you are studying cookery, check whether you can be assessed as a chef instead.

IT and accounting are also fields that dropped off the 2025 shortage list. If you are aiming for permanent residence in these occupations, it is more realistic to consider state nomination (190 or 491) or employer sponsorship (482 leading to 186) than to wait for a 189 invitation. Employer sponsorship requires a salary at or above a threshold; for the Core Skills stream, the threshold from July 2026 is AUD 79,423.

Skills assessment: assessing authorities and fees by occupation

In skilled migration, you must have passed a skills assessment by the assessing authority designated for your occupation by the time you are invited. The main assessing authorities and approximate fees are as follows.

Occupation	Assessing authority	Approximate fee
IT occupations	ACS (Australian Computer Society)	AUD 1,498 (excluding tax)
Nurses	ANMAC	AUD 595
Trades (electricians, carpenters, etc.)	TRA (Trades Recognition Australia)	From AUD 795
Accountants	CPA Australia and others	AUD 514 (from overseas)
Engineers	Engineers Australia	AUD 1,034 (including tax)
Teachers	AITSL	AUD 1,154
Many other professional occupations	VETASSESS	AUD 1,146 (for applicants who are not Australian tax residents)

Fees vary by type of assessment, and trade assessments can run to AUD 2,000–5,000 or more depending on the pathway (VETASSESS amounts are from its official website; others are compiled by a migration agency, as of August 2026). Assessments require evidence of your education and work history, and you may be asked for English translations or certification of documents issued in Japan.

The 65-point minimum, and the age and English requirements

The basic requirements for the 189, 190 and 491 are:

Under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
English at "Competent" level or higher
An occupation on the relevant list, with a positive skills assessment
At least 65 points on the points test (state nomination adds 5 points for the 190 and 15 points for the 491)

65 points is the minimum needed to register; actual invitation scores range from 65 to 100 points depending on the occupation. Points are based on age (highest for ages 25–32), English ability, work experience, education, study in Australia and other factors. In May 2026, the Australian government announced plans to revise the points test to place more weight on younger, highly educated and highly skilled candidates, but details had not been released as of October 2026.

The 2026–27 permanent migration program has 185,000 places: 21,090 for the 189, 35,500 for the 190 and 14,110 for regional visas (such as the 491). The regional allocation fell sharply from 33,000 the previous year.

State nomination status (October 2026)

If you are aiming for the 190 or 491, each state's intake status matters a great deal. The situation in early October 2026 was as follows (compiled by a migration agency and from the official announcement of New South Wales).

State / territory	2026–27 intake
New South Wales	Closed (previous year's allocation used up; 2026–27 allocation and criteria not yet announced; announced September 4)
Victoria	2026–27 intake not yet opened
Queensland	Not yet opened
Western Australia	Open (invitations since mid-September)
South Australia	Reopened on August 26
Tasmania	Opened on August 17
Northern Territory	Reopened on August 21
Australian Capital Territory	Application system opened on July 30

States set their own criteria, such as occupations in shortage in that state, a record of living and working there, and graduation from a university or TAFE in the state. Opening dates and allocations can change mid-year, so check the official website of the state you are considering.

Routes to permanent residence after TAFE

For people who have gained a qualification at TAFE (a vocational college) in fields such as cookery, automotive or construction and want permanent residence, the typical path is as follows.

Stage	Details
1. Post-study work visa (485)	Stream for vocational education graduates. Requires a qualification related to an MLTSSL occupation and a skills assessment. Must be 35 or under at the time of application; up to 18 months; application fee AUD 5,750
2. Work and skills assessment in Australia	Tradespeople go through TRA's Job Ready Program: at least 12 months of paid employment (around 38 hours per week on average) and a workplace assessment (total cost about AUD 3,540)
3. Applying for permanent residence	State nomination (190 or 491), the 189 (for MLTSSL occupations), or employer sponsorship (482 leading to 186)

Pay attention to costs and deadlines. The 485 application fee rose from AUD 2,300 to AUD 4,600 in March 2026, and then to AUD 5,750 in July. The student visa (500) application fee is now AUD 2,500. The 485 must be applied for within six months of completing your course.

In addition, from October 2, 2026, new student visa (500) applications can, in principle, no longer include a spouse or children (with exceptions such as doctoral students). Many temporary visa holders in Australia can also no longer apply for a student visa from within Australia. If you plan to move from TAFE study to permanent residence, assume that the rules will keep changing and allow plenty of margin in your timeline and budget.

FAQ

Which occupations make it easiest to get permanent residence in Australia?

In the June 2026 subclass 189 round, construction trades such as electricians and carpenters were invited at the minimum of 65 points. Nurses and secondary school teachers were mostly invited at 75 points. The Australian government has also indicated that it will prioritize construction, health, education and similar fields. However, invitation scores change from round to round.

If my occupation is on the list, will I get permanent residence?

Not necessarily. Being on the list is a prerequisite for applying, and the 189 invites candidates in order of score. Some occupations, such as IT and accounting, are on the list but have not been invited in recent 189 rounds. Consider state nomination and employer sponsorship as well.

Can I get permanent residence after graduating from TAFE?

Graduating alone is not enough. You need to gain experience while working on the post-study work visa (485), pass a skills assessment, and then obtain state nomination, employer sponsorship or a 189 invitation. The 485 is open to those who are 35 or under at the time of application and hold a qualification related to an MLTSSL occupation.

Can I get permanent residence if I am over 45?

The 189, 190 and 491 require you to be under 45 at the time of invitation. If you are 45 or older, options include exemptions under employer sponsorship (186) or a partner visa. For the requirements of each route, see Moving to Australia and permanent residence requirements.

Can a working holiday lead to permanent residence?

Japanese nationals aged 18 to 30 can apply for a Working Holiday visa (417) (application fee AUD 840); eligibility and age limits depend on your passport, so check the conditions for your nationality. A working holiday alone will not meet the requirements for permanent residence, but work experience in Australia can lead to employer sponsorship. In September 2026, the government announced plans to allocate second- and third-year visas by ballot (not yet reflected in legislation, and it is not yet confirmed whether this will apply to the 417).

Summary

The 189 uses the MLTSSL, the 190 the MLTSSL + STSOL, the 491 additionally the ROL, and employer sponsorship (482 and 186) the CSOL
In the June 2026 subclass 189 round, construction tradespeople were invited at 65 points and nurses and teachers mostly at 75 points. Major IT occupations such as software engineer, accountants and chefs were not among the invited occupations
The basic requirements are a skills assessment, being under 45, Competent English or higher and at least 65 points. Regional places were cut sharply for 2026–27
State nomination intake differs from state to state; New South Wales was closed as of October 2026
After TAFE, gain experience on the 485, pass a skills assessment and aim for state nomination or employer sponsorship. The 485 application fee has risen to AUD 5,750

Our office offers consultations comparing permanent residence and long-stay visas in Australia and other countries, and handles the translation and apostille of Japanese documents needed for applications (graduation certificates, employment certificates, police certificates, etc.). If you would like to work out which route is open to you based on your occupation, age and family situation, please use our free consultation. We can assist in English and Japanese, and we never use pushy sales tactics.