Which visa can my ANZSCO code get me? 189 vs 190 vs 491 vs 482 vs 186

Start from your six-digit ANZSCO code, not your job title. The code decides which skilled visa subclasses are even on the table. Three questions sort the main ones — 189, 190, 491, 482 and 186 — for any code.

The five subclasses in one line each

• 189 Skilled Independent — points-tested, no sponsor. Your code must be on the MLTSSL. See SkillSelect.
• 190 Skilled Nominated — points-tested, needs a state or territory nomination and your code on that state’s list (+5 points).
• 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) — points-tested, needs state or family sponsorship in a regional area (+15 points).
• 482 Skills in Demand — employer-sponsored. The Core Skills stream needs your code on the CSOL; the Specialist Skills stream has no list but takes only Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 at a higher salary.
• 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (Direct Entry) — permanent, employer-sponsored. Your code must be on the CSOL, with a positive skills assessment and three years of relevant experience.

For the points-tested 189/190/491, the floor to be invited is 65 points, though real cut-offs sit higher. The list and the points are separate gates — clearing one does not clear the other.

Three questions, from the code outward

1. Is your code on the CSOL? If yes, the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry pathway are open in principle — both also need a relevant skills assessment, and 186 needs three years’ experience. Check the live CSOL before relying on it; it is a 456-occupation list and Home Affairs can change it.

2. Is your code on a state list? State and territory lists are separate from the federal lists and from each other. A code on the MLTSSL but absent from your target state’s list will not open a 190 or 491 there. State lists move often, so check the relevant state nomination page.

3. Will an employer nominate it? 482 and 186 need a sponsoring employer and a genuine position. 482 also needs the salary to clear both the Annual Market Salary Rate and the relevant income threshold — the Core Skills Income Threshold for the Core Skills stream, the higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold for the Specialist stream. Thresholds index every 1 July; confirm them on the salary requirements page.

Every occupation page on this site lists the subclasses its code is eligible for, with the list each one comes through — so you can read the answer straight off the code rather than guessing.

Worked examples

• Software Engineer (261313) — Major Group 2, on the CSOL and the MLTSSL. That opens the full set in principle: 189 and (state-list permitting) 190/491 on points, plus 482 and 186 with an employer. The skills assessment route is ACS. The breadth here comes from sitting on both federal lists.
• Civil Engineer (233211) — Major Group 2, also on the CSOL and MLTSSL, and commonly carried on state lists, which strengthens the 190/491 path. The assessing authority is Engineers Australia. Same five subclasses are reachable; the state-list presence is what makes the nominated routes practical.
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412) — Major Group 2, on the CSOL and MLTSSL too, but with an extra gate the code alone does not show: nursing requires AHPRA registration, with ANMAC as the skills-assessment authority. The visa list is necessary but not sufficient when an occupation is regulated.

Three codes, three different authorities and a different binding constraint each — list breadth, state-list presence, mandatory registration. The subclass list is the start of the analysis, not the end.

Check before you rely on it

List membership, state lists, income thresholds and points cut-offs all change. Always check the skill occupation list page, the CSOL PDF, the 482 visa page and your target state’s nomination page before acting on anything here.

To find your ANZSCO code and see the subclasses it is eligible for, browse the occupation index. If you are unsure which code fits your background, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com shows your closest matches with a confidence score.

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.