Consultations to inform Jobs and Skills Australia’s advice to Government on the 2025 Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) opened on 25 August 2025.
The CSOL is not a prioritised list in any way. This is because there are no limits on how many occupations are allowed to be on the list. There is no limit on the number of visas that can be granted for any one occupation under the employer-sponsored temporary Skills in Demand visa. The number of visas granted will be driven by the level of demand from approved employer sponsors, not by an assessment of priority by Jobs and Skills Australia.
Whether an occupation is recommended by Jobs and Skills Australia to be included on the 2025 CSOL in its final advice will be determined by reference to two key criteria:
- The Occupation Shortage List (OSL) developed by Jobs and Skills Australia using in-depth analysis of business recruitment activity; and
- An extensive range of other economic data (covering labour market and migrant outcomes), as well as stakeholder input through surveys; submissions; and feedback from meetings with businesses, unions, industry associations, state and territory governments and other stakeholders (including Australian and migrant workers and jobseekers).
Analysing whether migration is an appropriate path to address the identified shortages in skilled occupations includes considering whether migrants stay in their nominated skilled occupation in the years after arrival; how important sponsored skilled visa holders are to the workforce relative to total employment and job vacancies; the pipeline of graduates from the Australian education and training sectors; and the market salary for occupations.
There are over 800 skilled occupations (i.e. Skill Level 1 to 3) in scope of analysis for potential inclusion on the 2025 CSOL. While Jobs and Skills Australia has identified a group of occupations which are targeted for stakeholder consultation, most Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations are open for consultation and all stakeholder feedback will be considered before Jobs and Skills Australia finalises its advice to Government.
Some occupations must be included on CSOL in line with Australia’s existing international trade obligations (see FAQ below for details).
About the consultation CSOL
The Migration Strategy released on 11 December 2023 provides a roadmap for the future reform of Australia’s migration system. The Strategy also establishes a formal role for Jobs and Skills Australia in defining Australia’s skill needs using evidence and advice from tripartite mechanisms.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is the decision maker on the final CSOL and Jobs and Skills Australia is responsible for labour market analysis and stakeholder engagement which will inform the Government’s final decisions on the 2025 CSOL that will target the employer-sponsored skilled migration system to Australia’s workforce needs. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is also the decision maker on the timeframe and frequency of future updates to the CSOL, and its application to other skill-related visa programs.
Jobs and Skills Australia has developed a Migration Labour Market Indicator Model (the JSA Migration Model), that combined with proactive and comprehensive stakeholder engagement, will inform its advice to the Government on the CSOL:
- Appendix D to the 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report outlines in detail the methodology that informed Jobs and Skills Australia’s advice to Government on the 2024 CSOL, including the datasets that are inputs to the JSA Migration Labour Market Indicator Model (including scorings and weightings) and the treatment of submission, surveys and other stakeholder feedback.
- Jobs and Skills Australia’s advice to Government on the 2025 CSOL will provide an update on refinements to the methodology, including the treatment strategy for the transition from ANZSCO to OSCA.
The JSA Migration Model supports the Migration Strategy which specifies that the CSOL will be a single consolidated list, developed by Jobs and Skills Australia, which:
- Starts with the Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List (OSL), constructed through a comprehensive evidence-based process that takes account of a range of factors and includes extensive tripartite engagement and input from across Commonwealth and state and territory governments.
Note — In 2024, the Skills Priority List (SPL) was renamed the Occupation Shortage List (OSL). - Analyses whether migration is an appropriate path to address the identified shortages, considering how well migrants do in the labour market upon arrival, reliance on sponsored skilled visa holders relative to employment size and vacancy data, the likelihood of domestic supply for those occupations and the market salary for occupations
- Follows proactive stakeholder engagement, including with business and unions.
- Supplies a list of occupations that the Government considers are required to be on the list to fulfil Australia’s obligations under international trade agreements.
Note — the final advice provided by Jobs and Skills Australia to Government on the 2025 CSOL may exclude specialisations or occupation titles within a 6-digit OSCA occupation. There is a longstanding practice for migration occupation lists to include such caveats for integrity purposes and/or to meet community expectations.
The consultation process on the CSOL includes surveys, submissions and bilateral meetings. Jobs and Skills Australia is interested in obtaining feedback from businesses both with and without skill shortages, and from Australian and migrant workers and job seekers. We will also consult with state and territory governments, academics and researchers, unions and employee bodies, and organisations providing services to potential and recent migrants (such as skill assessing, licensing and registration bodies).
2025 CSOL Consultation Format
The 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group is not the final advice that Jobs and Skills Australia will provide to Government and is not a decision of Government. The table below outlines the approach for the 2025 CSOL consultations where 2024 CSOL status is referenced to the 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report. This table should be read in consultation with the explanation below and stakeholders can provide feedback on all OSCA Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations that are in scope of CSOL analysis.
Jobs and Skills Australia encourages stakeholders with an interest in OSCA “not elsewhere classified (nec)” occupations—particularly those in the “targeted for consultation” group—to provide evidence-based submissions to Jobs and Skills Australia as part of the 2025 CSOL consultation process. Submissions should clearly identify the occupation titles and specialisations of interest associated with an “nec” occupation.
Occupations on the 2024 CSOL which have not been substantially affected by the transition from ANZSCO to OSCA have not been targeted for consultation. This is because JSA believes the CSOL has not been in effect for long enough to warrant changes to its 2024 advice to Government, and that these occupations should remain on the CSOL for 2025. Advice that JSA provides in later years will include a more detailed evaluation of the labour market for all occupations that are on the 2024 CSOL (and the 2025 CSOL), particularly those where the labour market data and stakeholder feedback was less compelling (i.e. those identified with a diamond in Appendix A of the 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report).
| 2024 CSOL Status (Final per Legislative Instrument) | 2025 CSOL Targeted for Consultation Group* |
|---|---|
| Appendix A occupations from 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report | Occupation included on this group if impacted by ANZSCO to OSCA changes** and includes all not elsewhere classified (nec) occupations that cover multiple occupation titles and specialisations. |
| Off list—Appendix B contained new ANZSCO occupations with limited data coverage and stakeholder feedback was not compelling | Occupation is included on this group unless JSA Migration Model shows an overall change in the labour market (i.e. improvement or softening). |
| Off list—Appendix C occupations that were not supported by JSA Migration Model and stakeholder feedback was not compelling | Only occupations where the refreshed JSA Migration Model suggests an overall positive change (or improvement) in the labour market are included on this group. |
* Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations that were demoted to Skill Level 4 or 5 in the transition from ANZSCO to OSCA are not in scope of the 2025 CSOL analysis.
** Includes OSCA Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations without a 1:1 link to a 2022 ANZSCO occupation and occupations promoted from Skill Level 4 and 5 to Skill Level 1 to 3 (i.e. occupations included due to a lack of relevant data and no previous stakeholder consultation for CSOL purposes).
The 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group is not readily comparable to the 2024 CSOL or the 2019 Skilled Migration Occupation Lists (SMOL). In addition to variations to the methodology (to reflect Jobs and Skills Australia’s commitment to the ongoing refinement of the JSA Migration Model, including the use of new datasets), these lists reflect different visa policy settings. It is also important to note the 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group:
- Is benchmarked to OSCA 2024 (which includes new and changed occupations) and not ANZSCO 2022 and/or ANZSCO 2013 (which preceded the targeted Skill Level and phased reviews of ANZSCO).
- Is generated from the most up-to-date datasets, while the 2024 CSOL used 2023 datasets and the 2019 SMOL used 2018 datasets and stakeholder consultations (i.e. pre-COVID pandemic).
- Does not include occupations for which Australian citizenship is a pre-requisite for employment, engagement or appointment under the Australian Constitution; federal, state and territory laws and/or for national interest reasons etc.
Note – Jobs and Skills Australia’s advice to Government on the 2025 CSOL will include additional occupations (including two Skill Level 4 occupations) to give effect to Australia’s long standing international trade obligations which precede the introduction of CSOL (December 2024) and the SMOL (April 2017).
The 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group is based on labour market analysis for ANZSCO Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations and does not reflect other skilled migration measures in the Migration Strategy. For example, occupations where the median salary in the Australian labour market is above $141,210 (i.e. salary threshold for the Specialist Skills Stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) visa) and below $76,515 (i.e. salary threshold for the Core Skills Stream of the SID visa) may appear in JSA’s CSOL analysis.
2025 CSOL Targeted for Consultation Group.xlsx
2025_csol_targeted_for_consultation_group.xlsx19876
DownloadSurvey and Submissions
The 2025 CSOL consultations commenced on 25 August 2025. The survey and submissions will be open until midnight on Friday 26 September 2025 Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Timeline
Stage 1
Release CSOL targeted for consultation group (based on the JSA Migration Model which includes analysis of relevant labour market data and indicators).
Stage 2
Survey (includes modules for businesses; organisations; and Australian and migrant workers and jobseekers); submission and stakeholder consultation period opens. For the 2025 CSOL, the:
- Stakeholder surveys and submission process will close at midnight on Friday 26 September 2025 Eastern Standard Time (EST). Submissions should have an evidence base and not refer to Jobs and Skills Australia or National Skills Commission research and analysis (which is already an input to CSOL). See Submission Guidelines to assist in developing an evidence-based submission.
- Stakeholder consultation will end at 5PM on Friday 26 September 2025 EST. This consultation will include bilateral meetings conducted by JSA with a wide range of parties to obtain insights on current, future and emerging workforce needs for occupations on the 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group.
Stage 3
Jobs and Skills Australia will analyse survey results and submissions received, including data and evidence provided, to inform its advice to Government. Jobs and Skills Australia may also refresh the Jobs and Skills Australia Migration Model to reflect recently released datasets and preliminary 2025 OSL analysis.
Stage 4
The Jobs and Skills Australia Commissioner provides advice to Government on the composition of the 2025 CSOL to the Government for the employer-sponsored skilled migration program.
Stage 5
The Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs releases the 2025 CSOL with legislative instruments on the Federal Register of Legislation. Jobs and Skills Australia will concurrently release its advice to Government, noting the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs is the decision maker on the CSOL and may release reasons for variations to the advice from Jobs and Skills Australia.
FAQs
The Migration Strategy notes the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa includes a Specialist Skills Stream, a Core Skills Stream and an Essential Skills Stream.
The CSOL is one of the criteria for the SID visa and targets the Core Skills Stream to Australia’s skilled workforce needs. The CSOL operates in a similar manner to the Skilled Migration Occupation Lists as it applied to the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa.
Jobs and Skills Australia has developed a Migration Labour Market Indicator Model, that it will use alongside deep stakeholder engagement, to develop and then provide advice to the Government on the CSOL. This model builds on the Occupation Shortage List (OSL), also taking into consideration how well migrants do in the labour market on arrival, reliance on sponsored skilled visa holders relative to employment size, vacancy data, domestic labour market supply and other relevant factors.
It is important to note that no one factor in the Model is determinative. For information on the methodology, see Appendix D to the 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report.
The JSA Migration Model is benchmarked to the December 2024 release of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA). The 2024 CSOL was benchmarked to the November 2022 edition of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO 2022).
OSCA 2024 includes a number of new and changed occupations which resulted from a comprehensive review of ANZSCO and follows a targeted ANZSCO Skill Level review (results released in November 2019) and a phased review of ANZSCO (results released in November 2021 and November 2022).
The recognition of an occupation in OSCA is not a guarantee that an occupation will be included on the CSOL. Rather, OSCA and ANZSCO are statistical classification frameworks (or taxonomies) used for the collection of survey and administrative data which is input to the JSA Migration Model.
The Occupation Shortage List is an input to the JSA Migration Model, but is not determinative for the CSOL. For example:
- Occupations are excluded where Australian citizenship is a prerequisite for employment, engagement or appointment under the Australian Constitution; federal, state or territory laws; or for national interest reasons.
- Some occupations that are in shortage on the OSL do not have a strong evidence base to support inclusion on the CSOL. This may occur where migrants have poor longer-term employment outcomes and/or where there is significant scope to improve the outcomes for domestic graduates.
- Some occupations that are not in shortage on the OSL do have strong overall evidence to support inclusion on the CSOL. This can occur where employment outcomes for both migrant and domestic students in the occupation are strong, highlighting that migration and domestic education and training systems are working in a complementary way, which is a key principle of the Migration Strategy.
- Some occupations may include caveats (e.g. exclude some occupation titles or specialisations to reflect stakeholder feedback or community interests).
Submissions can be made on any skilled (i.e. OSCA Skill Level 1 to 3) occupation. However, we are particularly interested in submissions on those skilled occupations identified in the targeted for consultation group.
Submissions should be evidenced based (e.g. industry body surveys of members), benchmarked to OSCA 2024, and relate to the Australian labour market.
Jobs and Skills Australia has developed Submission Guidelines to assist stakeholders.
The Jobs and Skills Australia website (at Migration Strategy JSA) will be updated with details on the tripartite engagement approach for the CSOL, which includes:
- Online survey and submission process to capture labour market data and intelligence not covered in ABS, other survey and administrative datasets.
- Bilateral and group meetings with tripartite partners including government agencies and regulatory authorities, industry bodies, businesses, unions and employee bodies; and with migration specific bodies.
For information on the consultation process please email CoreSkillsList@jobsandskills.gov.au.
The Migration Strategy committed to evaluate regional migration settings and explore a reformed points-test. Those reforms will consider further changes to the occupation lists that underpin regional and points-tested skill visas. For information on the Department of Home Affair’s reviews of these skill visa programs, see Review of Regional Migration Settings Discussion Paper and Review of the Points Test Discussion Paper.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is the decision maker on the application of occupation lists for different skill-related visa programs.
The scope of the CSOL is consistent with the findings of the Review of the Migration System which informed the Migration Strategy, and which meets the objective of ensuring that Australia’s skilled visa framework complements domestic employment and training initiatives to meet Australia’s current, future and emerging workforce needs.
The Department of Home Affairs’ website includes information on the Visa Options (see Work Tab) available to Australian businesses with vacancies which cannot be filled from the Australian labour market.
Appendix D to the 2024 CSOL Key Findings Report outlines in detail the methodology that informed JSA’s advice to Government on the 2024 CSOL, including the datasets that are inputs to the JSA Migration Labour Market Indicator Model (including scorings and weightings) and the treatment of submission, surveys and other stakeholder feedback.
Jobs and Skills Australia will release an update to this methodology paper to cover refinements to the JSA Migration Labour Market Indicator for the 2025 CSOL.
JSA’s CSOL analysis is benchmarked to OSCA 2024 and as such does not include occupations that are new or which have emerged in the Australian labour market since the December 2024 release of OSCA. It also excludes the Māori specific occupations in OSCA 2024 that relate to the New Zealand labour market.
- There is limited labour market data and research for many of the new occupations recognised in OSCA and indeed in ANZSCO in the November 2021 and November 2022 updates. Jobs and Skills Australia would welcome labour market evidence and insights on these occupations (e.g. employer surveys which meet good practice guidelines).
- Jobs and Skills Australia will consult the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the most appropriate classification for submissions or feedback received as part of CSOL consultation, which refer to occupation titles that are not recognised in OSCA 2024.
The Migration Strategy notes that the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship retains the decision making power on the final CSOL and could provide any variations to Jobs and Skills Australia’s advice.
JSA’s CSOL analysis is based on labour market analysis for ANZSCO Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations and does not reflect other temporary skill migration measures in the Migration Strategy. For example, occupations where the median salary in the Australian labour market is above $141,210 (i.e. indexed salary threshold for the Specialist Skills Stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) visa) and below $76,515 (i.e. indexed salary threshold for the Core Skills Stream of the SID visa) may appear in JSA’s CSOL analysis.
Australia’s “international trade obligations” on the temporary entry of foreign nationals are established by the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and Australia’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
These obligations include commitments to facilitate temporary entry and stay for certain intra corporate transferees, contractual service suppliers, business visitors, installers and servicers, and independent executives. The final CSOL will include the following occupations to implement these obligations:
| 2024 OSCA Code | Occupation (with caveat if applicable) | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| 121131 | Chief Executive or Managing Director | Department of Home Affairs’ website states that for the purposes of international trade obligations, these occupations are considered to be Executives or Senior Manager (ITOs) |
| 121231 | Corporate General Manager | |
| 112133 | Sales and Marketing Manager | |
| 112131 | Advertising Manager | |
| 111131 | Corporate Services Manager | |
| 111231 | Finance Manager | |
| 111331 | Human Resources Manager | |
| 133331 | Supply and Distribution Manager | |
| 113131 | Chief Information Officer | |
| 259131 | Academic Tutor (Private Tuition)—Mandarin Language Tutor | China Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) temporary entry commitments at ChAFTA |
| 269932 | Chinese Medicine Practitioner | ChAFTA temporary entry commitments at ChAFTA |
| 321131 | Chef—Specialising in Thai Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine and Indian Cuisine | ChAFTA temporary entry commitments at ChAFTA; Thailand Australia FTA temporary entry commitments at TAFTA; and Australia India ECTA temporary entry commitments at AIECTA |
| 462436 | Martial Arts Instructor—WuShu Martial Arts Coach* | ChAFTA temporary entry commitments at ChAFTA |
| 462232 | Yoga Teacher* | Australia India ECTA temporary entry commitments at AIECTA |
* Skill Level 4 occupations in scope of CSOL to give effect to longstanding international trade obligations.
JSA’s CSOL analysis relates to the Australian labour market and is benchmarked to OSCA 2024 where the OSCA Skill Levels refer to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
International businesses operating in Australia are able to participate in the survey and submission process for the 2025 CSOL targeted for consultation group. Jobs and Skills Australia will work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Home Affairs to ensure the CSOL is implemented in a manner consistent with Australia’s international obligations.
Open
August 25, 2025•11:00
Close
September 26, 2025•23:59
