Studying in Australia & the skilled visa system
A plain-English map of how the pieces fit together — courses, the Student and Temporary Graduate visas, skills assessments, the occupation lists, and the skilled visa subclasses — with links to the official source at every step. This page explains the system; it never assesses anyone's situation.
Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Compiled from official sources — the Department of Home Affairs, the CRICOS register (Department of Education) and the ABS ANZSCO classification — practitioner verification pending.
1Choosing a registered course
International students in Australia study courses registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). The official register at cricos.education.gov.au lists every registered provider and course. Which course suits a particular person's goals — and how it relates to any later visa plans — is exactly the kind of question to put to a registered practitioner or the institution itself.
2The Student visa
Study of a registered course generally happens on a Student visa (subclass 500). Guardians and some exchange arrangements have their own subclasses — the Visa Explorer covers them.
3After graduation
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is the subclass the Department provides for recent graduates of Australian institutions to remain and work for a period after their course. Its streams, eligibility rules and current settings are set out on the official pages linked from that explorer entry.
4Skills assessments
The skilled visa subclasses generally require a skills assessment from the assessing authority named in the legislative instruments for the nominated occupation. Every authority, with links to its official site, is on the assessing authorities page.
5The skilled occupation lists
Which occupations can be nominated for which visa subclass is set by the Commonwealth occupation lists (MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL and the Core Skills Occupation List), plus each state and territory's own nomination lists for subclasses 190 and 491. All of them are browsable on the occupations & lists page, exactly as the instruments publish them.
6The skilled visa subclasses
The points-tested subclasses — Skilled Independent 189, Skilled Nominated 190 and Skilled Work Regional 491 — run through SkillSelect invitation rounds (published round results here). The employer-sponsored subclasses — Skills in Demand 482, Employer Nomination 186 and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional 494 — need a sponsoring employer and use the Core Skills and related lists.
Browse skilled occupations by field of work
The skilled lists grouped by ANZSCO major group — the top level of the official occupation classification. Counts reflect the instruments as parsed on 14 July 2026.
Managers
94 occupations across the skilled lists
Professionals
329 occupations across the skilled lists
Technicians and Trades Workers
194 occupations across the skilled lists
Community and Personal Service Workers
46 occupations across the skilled lists
Clerical and Administrative Workers
20 occupations across the skilled lists
Sales Workers
10 occupations across the skilled lists
Questions about your own situation?
Whether a particular course, occupation or visa makes sense for you depends on your circumstances — and under Australian law, advice about that can only come from a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner. Find a verified practitioner in the directory.