Who this may suit
Skilled workers, graduates and employers checking STSOL occupations, assessing authorities and visa-specific eligibility.
Key considerations
- Choose the visa and stream before checking list membership. An eligible occupation is one part of the requirements.
- STSOL, MLTSSL, ROL and CSOL serve different visa-specific purposes. Do not transfer eligibility from one list to another.
- Use the official search, current instrument and appropriate ANZSCO version rather than an undated copied occupation table.
Find your occupation on the official STSOL
Use these steps before paying for an assessment or preparing a visa application:
These links provide access to the full official reference without relying on an undated copy of hundreds of occupations.
- Search your occupation title or six-digit ANZSCO code in the Home Affairs skilled occupation search. Compare your actual duties with the occupation, rather than relying on your job title alone.
- Read the result's list membership, visa entries and assessing authority. An occupation can appear in more than one visa-specific list.
- For points-tested STSOL pathways, open the current LIN 19/051 instrument. Section 9 contains the STSOL; section 10AA identifies current assessing authorities and section 11 explains their abbreviations.
- Record the date and source you checked. Recheck the rules when your plans or the relevant visa program change.
Sources: Home Affairs: official occupation search and ANZSCO versions · LIN 19/051: points-tested occupation lists and assessors, compilation 28 March 2026
Search occupations, visa entries and assessors at Home Affairs →
Open the current STSOL: LIN 19/051, section 9 →
STSOL, MLTSSL and ROL: which pathways use them?
Under LIN 19/051, the principal points-tested pathways use the lists as follows:
An occupation appearing only on the STSOL therefore does not establish occupation eligibility for the 189 Points-tested or family-sponsored 491 pathway.
State nomination is a further assessment. Check the chosen state or territory's current program, your skills assessment and the visa requirements before preparing an Expression of Interest. A list entry does not secure nomination or an invitation.
- Subclass 190, state or territory nominated: MLTSSL and STSOL.
- Subclass 491, state or territory nominated: MLTSSL, STSOL and ROL.
- Subclass 189, Points-tested stream: MLTSSL.
- Subclass 491, eligible family-sponsored pathway: MLTSSL.
Sources: LIN 19/051: points-tested occupation lists and assessors, compilation 28 March 2026 · Home Affairs: subclass 190, nomination, EOI and lawful-stay guidance
Regional Occupation List guide →
Does the STSOL still apply to employer sponsorship or training?
For a new Skills in Demand subclass 482 Core Skills nomination, check the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and any occupation caveats in the subclass 482 occupation instrument. The subclass 186 Direct Entry instrument also uses the CSOL. The CSOL has not replaced the STSOL across all skilled visas.
The former TSS subclass 482 program was replaced by Skills in Demand on 7 December 2024. Historical references to the TSS Short Term stream should not be used to assess a new Skills in Demand application. Existing or transitional cases need their own review.
Training subclass 407 has a separate occupation instrument, LIN 19/050, which includes an STSOL. Occupation eligibility is relevant to the training-to-improve-skills category; the nomination requirements also depend on the type of occupational training.
Regional employer-sponsored subclass 494 has its own occupation instrument. STSOL membership alone is not a 494 eligibility test. Use the Home Affairs visa-specific instrument directory and select the current version on the Federal Register.
Sources: Subclass 482 occupation instrument: CSOL and caveats, compilation 7 November 2025 · Subclass 186 occupation and assessor instrument: compilation 28 March 2026 · Official explanatory statement: Skills in Demand transition on 7 December 2024 · LIN 19/050: subclass 407 occupation lists, compilation 14 December 2024 · Home Affairs: occupational training types for subclass 407 · Home Affairs: visa-specific occupation instrument directory
Check the ANZSCO version and assessment requirements
Home Affairs uses ANZSCO 2022 for subclasses 186 and 482, and ANZSCO 2013 for other skilled visa subclasses. Codes and occupation boundaries can differ between versions. Check the applicable classification before carrying a code across from an earlier application.
Read the relevant assessor's current instructions for the particular assessment you need. A classification description of qualifications or experience is not a substitute for the assessment authority's evidence requirements. Assessment purpose, validity and timing must also fit the intended visa.
Sources: Home Affairs: official occupation search and ANZSCO versions · Home Affairs: skills-assessment requirements
Plan the next step and protect your lawful stay
Bring your CV, main duties, qualifications, assessment history and current visa details to a consultation. This gives the discussion a useful starting point beyond an occupation title. Keep any current visa deadline separate from your migration research: an Expression of Interest is not a visa application and does not provide a bridging visa.
Sources: Home Affairs: subclass 190, nomination, EOI and lawful-stay guidance
How we can help
Ausdirect can help compare your duties with the relevant occupation, identify assessment requirements and consider how these fit your visa circumstances and timing.
Questions to consider
Does an STSOL occupation qualify for subclass 189?
For the 189 Points-tested stream, LIN 19/051 uses the MLTSSL. An occupation appearing only on the STSOL does not establish occupation eligibility for that pathway.
Has the CSOL replaced the STSOL everywhere?
No. The CSOL is used for specified employer-sponsored streams, including 482 Core Skills and 186 Direct Entry. STSOL remains relevant to specified points-tested and training pathways.
Where can I see the full official STSOL?
Use the Home Affairs occupation search and section 9 of the current LIN 19/051 instrument for points-tested pathways. Check the visa entry, code and assessing authority together.
Does list membership guarantee state nomination?
No. Nomination and visa requirements still apply, and each state or territory has its own program. An Expression of Interest does not itself provide a visa or bridging visa.
Your next step
Bring a current CV, qualification details, a description of your main duties, any skills-assessment results and your current visa position to a consultation. General information; official sources checked on 19 October 2026 (UTC). Requirements can change.