Nominated Occupation for Australian Skills Visa

Skills Occupation List for Australian Visas (STSOL, MLTSSL) - how do you pick the best occupation ?

Nominated occupation for visa purposes

• Your nominated occupation is a critical and vital part of your application
• The nominated occupation has to be in "the right occupations list", have a realistic chance of securing an invite for a visa, and obviously, you have to be absolutely certain that you will satisfy the criteria set by your occupation's skills assessment authority
• You have to also consider whether the occupation is on the STSOL or MLTSSL (Skills Occupation Lists), and whether there are state sponsorship options available if the occupation is on the STSOL or 489 list

To nominate an occupation, you have to first "pass" a skills assessment.

• The skills assessment is conducted by a relevant authority, and that assessment is based on the assessment of your qualifications AND your work experience
• Your work experience must match the requirements of the occupation we nominate for you (requirements are set by the specific authority responsible for the skills assessment of your nominated occupation). For instance, your qualifications / training must satisfy the qualification requirements and then we look at your work experience, and there, it should match those of the occupation nominated for the visa application.

People are often under the impression that you have to work in your nominated occupation or that your visa is tied to that occupation.

• This is not the case. The occupation nominated for a visa does NOT mean that is the occupation you must work in, in Australia. (there are some exceptions eg. employer nominated visas)
• It has no bearing whatsoever on the work you do / can not do / occupation you follow in Australia. It is based on the historical data at time of application for the visa only.
• It is important therefore to nominate an occupation, where you will pass the skills assessment and where you will satisfy the requirement of the Migration Act, and where you have a realistic and feasible pathway towards a visa grant (and invite during the EOI)

How do you "pick" your nominated occupation ?

As outlined above:

• ensure that you will satisfy the skills assessment criteria,
• ensure that you will get to at least the pass mark (or higher for some occupations) with that nominated occupation
• ensure that your work experience (tasks & duties) line up with those of the nominated occupation
• ensure that any official reference you provide will confirm your employment details and will confirm that your usual tasks & duties matches those of the occupation we nominate by at least 70 - 75% (and that your recent work experience is closely related to your nominated occupation)

Have a look at the tasks and duties and overall description of your potential nominated occupation. This is provided in the ANZSCO definitions

Check whether your your tasks and duties, for the last 3 or 5 or 8 years matches those of the intended nominated occupation (by 70% or more)

We will work with you when you select your nominated occupation, and ensure that you pick the correct occupation, and that you will satisfy all other requirements and criteria during our assessment service