Migration still runs on ANZSCO, not OSCA: what that means right now

On 6 December 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released OSCA 2024 v1.0, a new classification that officially replaces ANZSCO for use in Australian statistics. Skilled migration has not followed, at least not yet.

The short version

• The ABS released OSCA on 6 December 2024. Their own wording: “OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) for use in Australia.”
• New Zealand went a different way. Stats NZ is developing a separate National Occupation List (NOL). The two countries no longer share a single classification.
• Skilled migration still uses ANZSCO. The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) is benchmarked to the November 2022 release of ANZSCO, confirmed by the ABS. The MLTSSL, STSOL, and ROL also still use ANZSCO codes.
• No switch date is confirmed. Whether or when the Department of Home Affairs moves migration to OSCA has not been announced on any primary government source. Do not rely on speculation.
• OSCA is still early. The roadmap shows public consultation running March to April 2026, a draft revision due August 2026, and OSCA 2027 expected around March 2027.

What it means for you

If you are a skilled worker looking at Australia: your ANZSCO code still matters. Every occupation-linked visa pathway, including the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), relies on the ANZSCO-based lists. Until Home Affairs announces a change, the code you find today is the one that counts.

Take Software Engineer (261313) as an example. It sits on the CSOL under ANZSCO 2022, it is on New Zealand’s Green List at Tier 1, and its shortage rating comes from the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, also ANZSCO-based. All three data points use the same classification. That alignment holds across the 2613 software and applications group and the broader database.

If you are a migration agent: the relevant occupation lists have not changed their classification basis. The ANZSCO codes your clients have used remain valid. Watch the Home Affairs skill occupation list page for any announced transition.

Check before you rely on it

Classification changes move slowly, but they do move. OSCA 2027 is on the roadmap. A future edition of the CSOL could be built on OSCA codes instead of ANZSCO codes. When Home Affairs confirms any change, the occupation lists will update and we will publish a news item.

Until then, the facts on every anzscofinder occupation page carry their source and date. You can see exactly which list an occupation is on, and when we last checked. Browse all occupations to find your code, or check the Home Affairs skill occupation list to confirm list membership. If you are not sure which occupation fits your background, paste your CV into the CV matcher for a starting point. For advice on how this affects your visa application, speak to a registered migration agent.