Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List: what the data actually shows

Jobs and Skills Australia released the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, covering assessed occupations across skill levels 1 to 4.

The short version

• Ratings are S (national Shortage), M (Metropolitan), R (Regional), or NS (No Shortage). Only skill levels 1 to 4 are in scope.
• The list covers two versions: ANZSCO 2022 and OSCA 2024. For migration purposes, the ANZSCO basis is the one to check.
• Being on a shortage list and being on a skilled occupation list (such as the Core Skills Occupation List) are two separate things. One does not confirm the other.
• Some results are counter-intuitive. Software Engineer (261313) is rated NS (No Shortage) in the 2025 list, despite sitting on the CSOL and New Zealand’s Green List Tier 1.

What it means for you

If you work in hospitality or food preparation: Cook (351411) is rated S (national shortage) in the 2025 list. Note that Chef (351311) is rated R (regional only). The two roles are easy to mix up. The distinction matters because the shortage rating, the occupation list, and the visa stream are all separate questions. Check which code matches your actual duties before relying on either rating.

If you work in software or IT: Software Tester (261314) is rated S (national shortage) in the 2025 list. Developer Programmer (261312) and Software Engineer (261313) are both rated NS. This is worth knowing if your job title says “engineer” but your day-to-day work is testing, quality assurance, or automation. If you do testing work, your code may matter more than your job title suggests. If you are not sure which code fits your role, you can browse occupations or check your CV against the full ANZSCO index at app.anzscofinder.com.

If you work with a migration agent: The shortage rating is one input to a visa assessment, not the whole picture. A national S rating does not confirm list membership, visa eligibility, or assessment outcome. Bring both the shortage data and the occupation list membership to your agent so they can read them together.

Check before you rely on it

The 2025 list reflects a point-in-time assessment. Ratings change each year. The current list is at the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation shortage page.

For visa list membership, check the skill occupation lists on Home Affairs separately. The two sources answer different questions.

A useful next step: find your six-digit ANZSCO code first, then check both sources against it. Start at /en/anzsco/2022/. For advice on what the data means for your situation, speak to a registered migration agent.