The Core Skills Occupation List is the Australian government’s register of skilled jobs eligible for employer sponsorship under the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). To use it, three things have to line up: your occupation appears on the list, an approved employer nominates you into that role, and the guaranteed annual salary meets the Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD 76,515 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The visa runs for up to four years and can lead to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme.
Who Decides What Goes on the List
Jobs and Skills Australia runs the labour market analysis behind the list, and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship makes the final call on which occupations are included. The list is drawn from jobs classified at skill levels one through three under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), which broadly covers professional, managerial, and technical roles. More than 800 skilled occupations are considered each year; the published list is shorter after filtering for genuine shortages.1Jobs and Skills Australia. 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) Consultations
Occupations Covered
The list spans a wide range of professions. Examples on the current CSOL include software engineers, cyber security analysts, civil engineers, general practitioners, registered nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, construction project managers, data scientists, and mining engineers.2Department of Home Affairs. Core Skills Occupation List
Trades workers, machinery operators, and labourers (ANZSCO skill levels four and five) are not on this list. Those roles are handled through separate visa streams, so if your work sits in that category the Core Skills pathway is not the right entry point.
The Salary Your Employer Has to Offer
The salary test for the Core Skills stream is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), not the older Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold. For nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, the CSIT is AUD 76,515 per year, and the guaranteed annual earnings offered by your employer must meet or exceed that at the time of lodgement. Non-monetary benefits like accommodation or a company car do not count toward the figure; they have to sit on top of the cash salary.3Department of Home Affairs. Salary Requirements to Nominate a Worker
A separate stream exists for workers earning above AUD 141,210 (the Specialist Skills Income Threshold for 2025–26), and that stream does not require the occupation to appear on the CSOL. If your salary sits between AUD 76,515 and AUD 141,210, the Core Skills stream and this list are where your application belongs.3Department of Home Affairs. Salary Requirements to Nominate a Worker
Work Experience, Skills Assessment, and English
You need at least one year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field at the same skill level. That experience must have been gained within the last five years. Full-time, part-time, or casual work all count, provided part-time or casual hours add up to the equivalent of 12 months full-time.4Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Core Skills Stream
A skills assessment is mandatory for some occupations and not others, based on the legislative instrument IMMI 18/039. When required, it’s done by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS, and it must have been undertaken or started within three years before lodging the visa application. Even when not mandatory, the Department can ask for one during processing. A skills assessment is separate from any registration you may need with a professional regulatory body.4Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Core Skills Stream
English proficiency has to be shown through an approved test taken within three years before applying. For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025, the Core Skills stream minimums are:5Department of Home Affairs. English Proficiency (Subclass 482)
- IELTS (Academic or General Training): 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing, and speaking
- PTE Academic: Listening 33, Reading 36, Writing 29, Speaking 24
- TOEFL iBT: Listening 8, Reading 8, Writing 9, Speaking 14
Online or at-home versions of these tests are not accepted. If you sit the TOEFL iBT on or after 21 January 2026, you must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” at registration for the result to count. A limited set of exemptions from the English requirement exists.
Health, Character, and Insurance
You and any family members applying with you must meet health and character requirements. The specific medical examinations depend on your age, the country you’re coming from, and your intended occupation, with additional testing (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, latent tuberculosis) for those who will work in healthcare, aged care, or disability services.6Department of Home Affairs. What Health Examinations You Need
For character, you and all family members aged 16 or older must provide police clearance certificates from each country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last ten years since turning 16. You also need to maintain adequate health insurance for the whole stay.4Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Core Skills Stream
How the Application Works
Two linked applications sit at the centre of the process. The employer must already be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (or have an application pending) before they can nominate you. The nomination, lodged through the Department of Home Affairs online system using the employer’s ABN and the ANZSCO code for the role, identifies the occupation on the CSOL and the terms of employment, and it must show the position is genuine and that the salary meets the CSIT.
Once you’re nominated, you apply through ImmiAccount, upload supporting documents, and pay the visa application charge. Supporting documents include your passport, employment contract, any skills assessment results, English test scores, health examination results, and police certificates. Details in the application need to match the evidence exactly, because discrepancies slow processing.4Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Core Skills Stream
Fees
Several fees apply, and they’re paid by different parties:
- Visa application charge: AUD 3,210 for the main applicant and each dependant aged 18 or over; AUD 805 for each dependant under 18.4Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Core Skills Stream
- Nomination fee: AUD 330, paid by the employer.
- Skilling Australians Fund levy: AUD 1,200 per year (or part year) for small businesses with annual turnover under $10 million, or AUD 1,800 per year for larger businesses. Paid in full at nomination by the employer, who is prohibited from passing the cost on to you.7Department of Home Affairs. Cost of Sponsoring
On top of the government charges, budget for English tests, health examinations, police certificates, biometrics, and any document translations.
Visa Length and Job Conditions
The visa allows a stay of up to four years. Hong Kong passport holders may be granted up to five. You must work for your nominating employer in the occupation specified in the nomination. Australian business sponsors can allow you to work in the sponsor’s business or an associated entity; overseas business sponsors limit you to the sponsoring business only.8Department of Home Affairs. Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)
If you leave the job, you have 180 days to find another sponsoring employer, and during that window you can work for any employer in any occupation. The total grace period across the life of the visa is capped at 365 days. That’s a real improvement on the 60-day limit under the former Temporary Skill Shortage visa.
Moving to Permanent Residency
The Core Skills stream can lead to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), most often via the Temporary Residence Transition stream. That pathway generally requires a set period of employment with your sponsoring employer, meeting age and English requirements, and a second nomination from your employer for a permanent role. The Direct Entry stream under subclass 186 is a separate option for applicants who meet its criteria without the prior employment period.
If permanent residency is your goal, raise it with your employer before accepting the initial sponsorship. Some requirements, like continuous employment with the same sponsor, are easier to plan for than to fix after the fact.