CSOL 2026 — the Core Skills Occupation List: what's in, what's out, and how to check your ANZSCO

“Is my occupation on the list?” — the first question of every Australian work visa plan. And since late 2024, the answer lives under one name: the CSOL — Core Skills Occupation List.

The short answer for busy readers: the CSOL is a single list of around 456 occupations used for the Core Skills stream of the 482 visa. If your occupation is on it, the employer-sponsorship door is open. If not, other roads exist — but you need to know where to turn. This post shows you how to check, and how to read the result.

What the CSOL is — and what it replaced

Before the reforms, Australia’s work visa system ran on a tangle of overlapping lists: MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL — each tied to different visa entitlements, updated out of sync, and very easy to misread. The CSOL arrived with the Skills in Demand visa (the reformed 482) to consolidate everything into one list for the Core Skills stream: roughly 456 occupations, updated on the advice of Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) — the independent labour market analysis body.

The fundamental difference from the MLTSSL/STSOL era: an occupation now answers a single question — is it on the CSOL or not — rather than “which list, which stream, which visa”.

Which visas the CSOL affects — keep these straight

This is where people get confused most often:

Which means: an occupation missing from the CSOL is not the end of your migration options — it may still sit on the points-visa list, or inside a DAMA. Conversely, being on the CSOL does not get you invited for a 189.

The 2026 update — where the priorities lean

The CSOL is updated based on Jobs and Skills Australia’s 2025 public consultation and data from the National Occupation Shortage List. The visible priority leans:

• Health and care — nursing and allied health roles;
• Education — teachers across levels remain in shortage;
• Construction — engineers and trades serving housing and infrastructure;
• Regional trades — chefs and technical trades in workforce-short regions.

An honest caveat: the precise composition of the list changes with each update — this year’s priority sectors are not guaranteed to stay put next year.

How to check your occupation — 3 steps

Step 1: find your ANZSCO code, not your job title

ANZSCO is the standard occupation classification for Australia/New Zealand. The most important point: the title on your employment contract is not an ANZSCO occupation. Example: you are a “Growth Marketing Executive” — ANZSCO has no such occupation; your actual duties might map to Marketing Specialist or a different code entirely, depending on what you really do. Read the task descriptions for each candidate ANZSCO code and compare them against your day-to-day work — that is the real test.

Step 2: check that code against the CSOL

Go to the official Home Affairs CSOL page and search by ANZSCO code (more reliable than searching by name). Record the date you checked — that small detail matters in step 3.

Step 3: re-verify before any big decision

The list changes with each update cycle. If your plan (resigning, relocating, signing a contract) rests on your occupation being on the CSOL, check again at decision time — do not rely on a lookup from six months ago, or on a blog post, including this one.

Not on the CSOL? Three turn-offs

1. The 482 Specialist Skills stream: not CSOL-dependent, but requires a salary of at least AUD 146,717 (2026–27 level, effective from 1 July 2026; previously 141,210 — see our post on the July 2026 threshold changes). In practice, this is the senior-professional door.
2. DAMA / labour agreements: regional areas run their own agreements covering occupations the standard list does not — cooks, care workers, drivers… depending on the region.
3. Points visas 189/190/491: check the points program’s occupation list — many professional occupations remain there even when absent from the CSOL.

Summary

The CSOL turned the 482’s occupation maze into a single question: is your occupation — by ANZSCO code, not job title — among the ~456 listed. Yes, and the employer-sponsorship door opens; no, and you still have Specialist Skills, DAMA and points visas to examine. The one constant: the list moves with each update, so every major decision deserves a fresh lookup with a clearly recorded date.

Not sure which ANZSCO code your job maps to, or which door is most realistic for your occupation? Book a free assessment with VisaAffairs.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Core Skills Occupation List — the official CSOL, searchable by ANZSCO.
• Jobs and Skills Australia — the body advising on CSOL updates and the Occupation Shortage List.
• ABS — ANZSCO — task descriptions for each occupation code.

This article is general information current at publication. Australian migration rules change regularly — check the date and contact VisaAffairs before relying on it for your own case. Book a consultation for advice on your specific circumstances.