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Mandatory skills assessment for the Subclass 482 visa.
Check whether your occupation and passport need a skills assessment before a Subclass 482 application, and which exemptions the law recognises.
Information current as at 11 October 2026. General information only, not migration advice. Requirements change, so we confirm them against the law before any application is lodged.
For the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa, a skills assessment is mandatory for some occupations. Whether it applies to you depends on three things: your occupation, the passport you hold, and whether you are an exempt applicant. The table below sets out the occupations and passport countries in the legislative instrument that applies.
Occupations and passports
This table reflects the Migration (IMMI 18/039: Mandatory Skills Assessment, Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2018, Compilation No. 2, compiled 14 December 2024. For the occupations in the table, the requirement applies to a person who holds a passport issued by a listed country and who is not an exempt applicant. For program or project administrator it applies to every passport, unless an exemption applies. The skills assessment must have been made in the 3 years before the visa application.
| Occupation | ANZSCO code | Assessing authority | Passports to which the requirement applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive electrician | 321111 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe |
| Baker | 351111 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, China, Papua New Guinea |
| Cabinetmaker | 394112 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil |
| Carpenter | 331212 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Papua New Guinea |
| Carpenter and joiner | 331211 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil |
| Chef | 351311 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea |
| Cook | 351411 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea |
| Diesel motor mechanic | 321212 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe |
| Electrician (general) | 341111 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Vietnam |
| Electrician (special class) | 341112 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Vietnam |
| Fitter (general) | 323211 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Fitter and turner | 323212 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Fitter-welder | 323213 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Joiner | 331213 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil |
| Metal fabricator | 322311 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Metal fitters and machinists (nec) | 323299 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Metal machinist (first class) | 323214 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Motor mechanic (general) | 321211 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe |
| Panelbeater | 324111 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, China |
| Pastrycook | 351112 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China, Papua New Guinea |
| Program or project administrator | 511112 | VETASSESS | All passports, unless an exemption applies |
| Sheetmetal trades worker | 322211 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Toolmaker | 323412 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
| Welder (first class) | 322313 | TRA | Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China |
TRA is Trades Recognition Australia. VETASSESS is Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services. For the trades, the assessment is a Skills in Demand (SID) Skills Assessment or a Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Skills Assessment. For program or project administrator it is the Skills Assessment for General Professional Occupations.
Exempt applicants
A person is not subject to the requirement if they are an exempt applicant. The instrument sets out these categories:
- The person holds a Subclass 457, Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage or Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, met its primary criteria, and works in Australia in the nominated occupation.
- The person is employed by a company with an established business overseas in the same or a similar occupation, and is nominated by that company or an associated entity as a standard business sponsor.
- For occupations other than program or project administrator: the person holds a relevant qualification, commensurate with the ANZSCO requirement, from a course of study or training in Australia or a permitted country. A permitted country is any country not listed for that occupation.
- For occupations other than program or project administrator: the occupation needs a licence, registration or membership, and the person holds it.
- For occupations other than program or project administrator: the person has met the standards of the TRA Offshore Skills Assessment Program for the nominated occupation.
- For program or project administrator: the person holds a relevant qualification, will earn at least AUD 180,000 a year, and is nominated by an accredited standard business sponsor.
Other employer sponsored visas: Subclass 186 and Subclass 494
The skills assessment position is different for the Subclass 186 (Direct Entry stream) and Subclass 494 (Employer Sponsored stream) visas. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, an applicant in these streams generally needs a skills assessment for the nominated occupation from the relevant assessing authority, made within the previous 3 years, but there are exceptions, including circumstances the Minister specifies in writing. The assessing authority for each occupation is set by legislative instrument:
- Subclass 186: Migration (Specification of Occupations and Relevant Assessing Authorities, Subclass 186 Visa) Instrument 2024 (Core Skills Occupation List with assessing authorities). Compilation No. 4, 28 March 2026. PDF and Word downloads.
- Subclass 494: Migration (LIN 19/260: Assessing Authorities for Subclass 494 Visas) Instrument 2019 (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List and Regional Occupation List with assessing authorities). Compilation No. 5, 28 March 2026. PDF and Word downloads.
Check the instrument
The 482 table above is taken from Migration (IMMI 18/039: Mandatory Skills Assessment, Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2018 on the Federal Register of Legislation. The version used is Compilation No. 2, compiled 14 December 2024. PDF and Word downloads. Check the Federal Register for the current version before you rely on it.
If you would like a registered migration agent to look at your occupation, passport and circumstances, you can request our free written eligibility assessment, or book a paid consultation (AUD 165 for 30 minutes or AUD 330 for 1 hour, including GST, credited against our fees if you engage us).
Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1797395. Migration Star.