Optometrist (ANZSCO 251411): code, assessment authority, and visa lists

Optometrist, ANZSCO 251411

Optometrist (251411) is a skill level 1 occupation. Optometrists perform eye examinations and vision tests to find visual, ocular, and other abnormalities, including ocular diseases and systemic diseases with ocular effects. They prescribe lenses and other optical aids based on those findings.

The full group is Optometrists and Orthoptists (2514), which covers this role and the related occupations in that family.

Who assesses it

Skills for this occupation are assessed by the Optometry Board of Australia, operating under AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency). The assessing body is listed as AHPRA OptomBA.

For the current assessment criteria, unit requirements, and application process, check the occupation page directly. Assessment requirements do change over time, so always read the primary source before you apply.

Which visa lists it sits on

Optometrist (251411) is on two Australian skilled migration lists, as of the Department of Home Affairs skill occupation list:

• Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). This is the primary list for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and related pathways. Being on the CSOL means the occupation is eligible for those visa streams.
• Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). The MLTSSL covers several visa subclasses, including the skilled independent visa (subclass 189) and others. Inclusion on this list opens additional permanent residency pathways.

Being on a list opens a pathway. It does not guarantee any visa outcome or that you will receive a favourable skills assessment.

Shortage rating. We do not have a verified 2025 Occupation Shortage List rating for this code to include here. The current rating, from the 2025 Occupation Shortage List (released October 2025), is shown on the occupation page.

List membership and shortage rating are two separate things. A code can be on the CSOL without a current shortage, or have a shortage rating without being on every list. Read them as distinct facts.

Near-miss: Orthoptist (251412)

The most common mix-up in this group is Orthoptist (251412). Orthoptists diagnose and treat disorders of eye movement and binocular vision, rather than prescribing lenses and optical aids. The work overlaps in setting but the scope and assessment path are different. If your role is closer to eye movement therapy, 251412 may be the right code.

Find your exact code

Browse all occupations at /en/anzsco/2022/ to check the full list and confirm your code.

If you are unsure which code fits your role, paste your CV into the CV matcher and see which codes it returns, with the matched skills shown.

For advice on which visa to apply for, whether you meet the criteria, and how to lodge, speak with a registered migration agent. We find codes. We do not give visa advice.