Architect (ANZSCO 232111): the code, the state-board assessment, and CSOL status

Architect, ANZSCO 232111

Architect is ANZSCO code 232111, skill level 1. The ABS describes the role as planning and designing buildings — providing concepts, plans, specifications and detailed drawings, negotiating with builders, and advising on the procurement of buildings. Registration or licensing is required. Skill level 1 means the work is typically at degree level or higher; for architects, the entry qualification is normally an accredited five-year-equivalent course (commonly a Bachelor plus Master of Architecture).

The record also carries the alternative title Conservation or Heritage Architect, which falls under the same code.

Find the full occupation detail at Architect (232111).

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Where it sits in the structure

The code sits in Major Group 2 (Professionals) → Sub-major Group 23 Design, Engineering, Science and Transport Professionals → Minor Group 232 Architects, Designers, Planners and Surveyors → Unit Group 2321 Architects and Landscape Architects. Its one sibling in that unit group is Landscape Architect (232112) — a separate code, covered below.

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Who assesses it — and why it is not VETASSESS

This is the part applicants most often get wrong. Many professional and general occupations route to VETASSESS for their skills assessment. Architect does not. The assessing authority is the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA), working alongside the state and territory architect registration boards.

The occupation record confirms this: it names AACA assessment plus state architects board registration, and it flags registration as mandatory to practise. The AACA runs the migration assessment through two main pathways — an Overseas Qualifications Assessment for qualifications gained outside Australia, and a verification route for those holding an Australian (or New Zealand, Hong Kong or Singapore) accredited architecture qualification. Registration to actually use the title “architect” and offer architectural services is then a separate step handled by the relevant state or territory board.

Because authorities and their scope can change, confirm the current assessing body on the Architect (232111) occupation page and check the requirements directly with the AACA before you start an application.

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Which lists it sits on

Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). Architect is on both, per the record. The CSOL is the list Home Affairs uses for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream and the ENS subclass 186 Direct Entry pathway; the MLTSSL supports the points-tested General Skilled Migration visas (subclasses 189, 190 and 491). The record also marks 232111 as eligible via these lists for subclasses 485 (Temporary Graduate) and 887 (Skilled Regional). The current skill occupation list shows which subclasses each list supports. List membership is reviewed and can change, so check the live page before relying on it.

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Shortage status

In the most recent Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List, Architect is rated No shortage nationally, and No shortage in every state and territory. That is a recent shift: the record shows the occupation was rated Shortage nationally in both 2023 and 2024, then dropped back to No shortage. Longer term, the projections in the record point to growth — around 19% over ten years on the Jobs and Skills Australia employment projections.

Note the distinction: CSOL or MLTSSL membership opens a skilled-migration pathway, while the shortage rating is a separate, point-in-time labour-market read. The two are related but not the same. The current rating is shown on the occupation page.

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Near-miss codes to check

Two codes are easy to confuse with Architect:

• Landscape Architect (232112): the sibling code in the same unit group. The work centres on planning and designing land areas and outdoor spaces — parks, developments, site layouts — rather than designing buildings. Different code, and a different scope of assessment.
• Architectural Draftsperson (312111): a Major Group 3 (Technicians and Trades Workers) code, skill level not at the professional architect level. The focus is preparing detailed drawings and plans under direction, not the design, specification and registration-bearing responsibility of an architect. It routes through a different assessing authority and a different set of lists.

If your role sits across these boundaries, the right code is the one that matches where most of your time goes. The exact 6-digit code matters more than the job title on your contract.

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A note on the record

The occupation record’s task list for 232111 mixes in land-development items — analysing site and community data, landforms, soils and vegetation, and ground modelling — that read as landscape-architect work rather than building architecture. We have relied on the ABS description (planning and designing buildings) for this post, which is the authoritative summary of the role.

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Find your code

Browse all ANZSCO 2022 occupations at /en/anzsco/2022/. If you are unsure whether your background reads as Architect, Landscape Architect, or Architectural Draftsperson, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com matches your CV to the closest codes and shows its working.

For advice on which visa to apply for, speak to a registered migration agent. We find codes and show sources. We do not give migration advice.