Occupation codes
ANZSCO Code — how to find yours and use it for a skilled visa
Every skilled visa starts with one occupation and its six-digit ANZSCO code. Pick it from your duties, check it against the right version for your visa, and the rest of the application follows. Pick it from your job title and a skills assessment, an EOI or a nomination can fail on it.
What is an ANZSCO code?
An ANZSCO code is the six-digit number the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations gives each occupation. Home Affairs uses it to identify your nominated occupation on the skilled occupation lists. Your skills assessment, EOI and any nomination must all use the same code, chosen from your actual duties.
Key facts
- ANZSCO 2022 has 1,076 occupations, each with a six-digit code. The code sits under a unit group, minor group, sub-major group and major group.
- Home Affairs uses two versions of ANZSCO. The 2013 version applies to the 189, 190 and 491 lists; the 2022 version applies to the 482 and the 186.
- The ABS released OSCA, the classification that replaces ANZSCO, on 6 December 2024. The visa lists we hold are still set in ANZSCO, not OSCA.
- An OSCA code is not an ANZSCO code, even though both have six digits. Software Engineer is 261313 in ANZSCO and 273333 in OSCA.
- The code is chosen by duties, not job title. Your tasks must match the occupation's description and task list.
- An ANZSCO skill level describes the occupation, not you. The ABS calls it indicative, and your assessing authority applies its own criteria.
How is an ANZSCO code structured?
Each digit narrows the group. Read from the left, the code moves from a broad field to one occupation. In Software Engineer 261313, the first digit 2 is the major group Professionals, and the full six digits are the ANZSCO occupation code for that one occupation.
| Level | Digits | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Major group | 1 | 8 |
| Sub-major group | 2 | 43 |
| Minor group | 3 | 99 |
| Unit group | 4 | 364 |
| Occupation | 6 | 1,076 |
Some codes are not occupations you can nominate. A code ending in 99 is “not elsewhere classified”, a catch-all for work that fits no other occupation in the group. Codes described as “not further defined” are for statistics only and are never nominated. A major group is also not a skill level: occupations inside one major group sit at different skill levels.
How do I know my ANZSCO code?
Knowing what is ANZSCO code in general is the easy part. Finding yours means starting from what you do, not what you are called. The same job title can sit under different occupations once the tasks are read. Work in this order.
- Write down your dutiesList what you actually do each week, with rough hours. Leave the job title aside for now.
- Find candidate unit groupsSearch ANZSCO by task, not by title. You may find two or three possible matches.
- Read the ABS entryOpen each candidate on the ABS ANZSCO 2022 pages. Read the description, the tasks and the skill level.
- Use the right versionFor the 189, 190 or 491, check the 2013 code. For the 482 or 186, use the 2022 code. They can differ.
- Check the occupation listA perfect match on an occupation that is not listed for your visa does not help. See our skilled occupation list guide.
- Check the assessing authorityThe body that assesses your occupation has its own rules. See our skills assessment guide.
If you search for an ANZSCO code list or run an ANZSCO code search online, check which version the tool shows. It is often misspelt as the ANZCO code or ANSCO code, and some tools now show OSCA numbers instead.
Is ANZSCO still valid?
Yes, for visas. The ABS released the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) on 6 December 2024. It now serves OSCA as its latest release and ANZSCO 2022 as an archive. The migration lists we hold still use ANZSCO codes, not OSCA codes.
This creates a trap that does not look like an error. OSCA renumbered occupations while keeping the six-digit shape. Bricklayer is 331111 in ANZSCO and 371131 in OSCA. An OSCA code in a visa application looks plausible and is simply the wrong number. If the ABS page you land on says OSCA at the top, go back to the ANZSCO 2022 archive.
What does an ANZSCO skill level mean?
Each occupation carries a skill level from 1, the highest, to 5. The ABS says the allocation is indicative only and applies to the occupation, not to the person doing it. An anzsco skill level is not a score you hold.
| Skill level | Usual qualification | Experience that may substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Bachelor degree or higher | At least five years, where the unit group allows it |
| Level 2 | Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma | At least three years |
| Level 3 | Certificate III with two years' on-the-job training, or Certificate IV | At least three years |
| Level 4 | Certificate II or III | At least one year |
Experience substitution is set unit group by unit group. Some Skill Level 1 groups allow five years of experience in place of a degree; others do not. Read the statement for your own unit group before relying on it.
Why does the right ANZSCO code matter for your visa?
The code carries three separate questions, and each has its own rules.
| Question | Who decides it |
|---|---|
| Is the occupation on a list for my visa? | Home Affairs, through the skilled occupation lists |
| Will my skills assessment be positive? | The assessing authority, under its own published criteria |
| Which of my work counts for points? | The points test, applied by Home Affairs |
Common mistakes
Choosing the wrong code. An Accountant and a Finance Manager can look alike on a CV and sit in different occupations. Job duties not matching the ANZSCO description. This is the usual reason a skills assessment comes back negative. Using the wrong version. A 2022 code on a 189 claim, or an OSCA code anywhere, is the wrong code. Employers copying generic job ads. A nomination needs a position description whose tasks match the occupation.
ANZSCO code — frequently asked questions
How do I know my ANZSCO code?
List your actual duties first, then search ANZSCO by task, not by job title. Open each candidate occupation on the ABS ANZSCO 2022 pages and compare its description, task list and skill level with your work. Choose the occupation your duties match best. Then check the version your visa uses, confirm the occupation is on the list for that visa, and check your assessing authority's criteria before you apply for a skills assessment.
What is ANZSCO in Australia?
ANZSCO is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It groups every occupation by skill level and specialisation and gives each a six-digit code. Home Affairs uses ANZSCO codes to identify occupations on the skilled occupation lists, and assessing authorities assess your skills against a named occupation. For migration, ANZSCO is the shared language between your application, your assessment and the lists.
Is ANZSCO still valid?
Yes, for visas. The ABS released OSCA, the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, on 6 December 2024, and now shows ANZSCO 2022 as an archive release. The migration instruments we hold still use ANZSCO codes: the 2013 version for the 189, 190 and 491, and the 2022 version for the 482 and 186. Do not use an OSCA number in a visa matter. It is a different code.
What are the ANZSCO occupations for 2026?
There is no 2026 edition of ANZSCO. ANZSCO 2022 is the latest version, with 1,076 occupations, and OSCA has since replaced it at the ABS. For a visa, the real question is which occupations are on the skilled occupation list for your subclass. That list changes by legislative instrument. Check the Home Affairs list, and read our skilled occupation list guide for how the four sub-lists work.
How many ANZSCO codes can I choose?
Only one per visa application, and it must match your skills assessment. Your EOI, your assessment and any state or employer nomination should all name the same occupation. If your work fits two occupations, choose the one your duties match best and that opens the visa you want, rather than switching codes between steps. Keep every document describing the same duties, so each step supports the others.
Can I use a different code than my job title?
Yes. Your job duties must align, not the title. Employers use titles loosely, and the same title can describe very different work. What matters is whether the tasks you perform match the description and task list for the occupation. Keep evidence that shows those tasks, such as a detailed employer reference or position description, because the assessing authority will look at the duties.
Do I need to match every single duty listed?
Not usually every one, but your work must clearly fit the occupation's description and its main tasks. Each assessing authority sets its own test, and some are stricter than the ANZSCO wording. Occupations in a miscellaneous or other group carry no task list at all, so a duties comparison works differently there. Read your assessing authority's criteria for the occupation before you rely on a partial match.
What if my role overlaps two ANZSCO codes?
Pick the one with the best duty match and most visa options. Compare both occupations' task lists against how you spend your time. Then check which of the two is on the list for the visa you want and which assessing authority assesses each one. Test the stronger option and write down why you rejected the other, so your evidence supports one clear occupation throughout.
What does ANZSCO skill level 2 mean?
In Australia, Skill Level 2 is commensurate with an Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma. At least three years of relevant experience may substitute for those qualifications, and some occupations need experience or on-the-job training as well. The ABS says skill levels are indicative and describe the occupation, not the person. Your assessing authority decides what it will accept for your occupation.
Is my OSCA code the same as my ANZSCO code?
No. OSCA renumbered occupations while keeping six digits, so the numbers look alike but are different. Bricklayer is 331111 in ANZSCO and 371131 in OSCA, and Software Engineer is 261313 in ANZSCO and 273333 in OSCA. The visa lists we hold use ANZSCO codes. If a code came from a page headed OSCA, find the matching ANZSCO occupation before you use it.
Get the occupation right before you pay for an assessment.
A free eligibility check tells you whether your occupation fits the visa you want, and what to confirm first.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW, advising skilled and employer-sponsored applicants across Australia and offshore.
Sources and last checked dates
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — ANZSCO 2022, Classification structure and Definitions chapters held verbatim 24 August 2026 · checked 23 September 2026 open ↗
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — ANZSCO First Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1220.0), skill level statements held verbatim · checked 23 September 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — OSCA 2024 version 1.0 structure and identifiers held verbatim 24 August 2026
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled occupation list (ANZSCO versions by visa; search-indexed page text) checked 23 September 2026 open ↗
- Migration (Specification of Occupations—Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2024, LIN 24/089 (F2024L01620) — s 4, ANZSCO as in force 23 November 2022 read 23 September 2026 open ↗
Information is general only and is not migration advice for your circumstances. Confirm your occupation with your assessing authority and the current Home Affairs list before you act. Visa Advisor Pty Ltd · ABN 48 684 870 415 · MARN 0852408.