MLTSSL Occupation List Australia Explained: What It Means for Your Visa

What Is the MLTSSL?

The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) is a list of skilled occupations Australia has identified as facing medium to long-term shortages. As at 12 August 2026 it lists 216 occupations, a separate count from the 458 on the CSOL and the 216 on the STSOL. Occupations on it are typically in areas like engineering, healthcare, ICT, education and selected trades. The list is maintained by the Department of Home Affairs with input from Jobs and Skills Australia, state governments and industry. It is updated periodically as labour-market conditions change. Occupations are defined using the ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) system — each occupation has a unique 6-digit ANZSCO code, a standardised definition and an assigned skill level.

What Being on the MLTSSL Means for Your Points-Tested Visa

For the points-tested skilled visas, your ANZSCO occupation's presence on the MLTSSL shapes your options: Subclass 189 Skilled Independent — MLTSSL occupations only. If your occupation is not on the MLTSSL, you cannot apply for the 189. Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated — requires a state or territory to nominate your occupation; states publish their own nomination lists drawn from the broader skilled lists, so an occupation can be eligible for the 190 in one state and not another. Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional — also runs on state, territory or regional-body nomination, with its own occupation lists that vary by location. The MLTSSL also underpins the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa for most of the occupations on it. In short, the 189 is the pure MLTSSL pathway; the 190 and 491 add state nomination on top, so the relevant list for those two is whichever list the nominating state or territory is currently using.

What Changed in December 2024: MLTSSL, STSOL and the CSOL

On 7 December 2024 the employer-sponsored system moved to the new Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, and with it a new occupation list: the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). For the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry stream, the CSOL is now the list that matters — not the MLTSSL. Neither the MLTSSL nor the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) was abolished: both are still current lists, published alongside the CSOL and the Regional Occupation List (ROL). The MLTSSL remains the core list for the points-tested Subclass 189 and continues to feed state nomination for the 190 and 491 and the 485 Temporary Graduate visa; the STSOL no longer reaches the 189, but occupations on it can still be nominated for the 190 and 491. The practical takeaway: check the CSOL for employer-sponsored options and the MLTSSL (plus the relevant state list) for points-tested options — and remember an occupation can sit on more than one list at once, or on none of them.

How to Find Your Occupation on the MLTSSL

The MLTSSL is published on the Department of Home Affairs website and is searchable by ANZSCO code or occupation title. Each entry shows the ANZSCO code, the occupation title, the assessing authority, the visa subclasses the occupation is eligible for, and any caveats (conditions, state-specific limitations or industry notes). To find yours: go to immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, search for 'skilled occupation lists', and look up your occupation by title or ANZSCO code. Important: occupations are classified by ANZSCO code based on the nature of your duties and skill level — not by your job title. Your actual job title may differ from the ANZSCO occupation title, so the classification is based on what you do, not what your role is called.

When Your Occupation Is Not on the MLTSSL

If your occupation is not on the MLTSSL, your points-tested options narrow: you cannot apply for the 189, but you may still qualify for the 190 or 491 if a state or territory nominates your occupation. Separately, if an employer is willing to sponsor you, your occupation may appear on the CSOL for the 482 even if it is not on the MLTSSL — the two lists do not contain the same occupations. If your occupation is on neither list, the points-tested and standard employer-sponsored pathways are generally closed, and you would need to look at other routes (such as the National Innovation Visa program or a labour agreement). A registered migration agent can check whether your duties map to a different ANZSCO code than your job title suggests, which sometimes opens options.

How the Lists Change and How to Stay Current

Occupation lists are reviewed and updated — occupations are added when shortages persist, removed when conditions improve, or modified with caveats. Changes can affect applications in progress: if your occupation is removed while your EOI is pending, you may lose access to that pathway; if an occupation is newly added, new options may open. Jobs and Skills Australia conducts the occupation-list reviews that inform these changes. The most reliable way to stay current is to check the Department of Home Affairs website for the current versions of the MLTSSL and the CSOL, sign up for Department updates, and confirm the position with a registered migration agent who monitors list changes as part of their practice.

Is the MLTSSL still used in 2026?

Yes. As at 12 August 2026 it lists 216 occupations and remains the core occupation list for the points-tested Subclass 189, underpins state nomination for the 190 and 491, and feeds the 485 Temporary Graduate visa. What changed in December 2024 is that the employer-sponsored 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry stream now primarily draw on the separate Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

What is the difference between the MLTSSL and the CSOL?

The MLTSSL (216 occupations as at 12 August 2026) governs the points-tested skilled visas — 189, and 190/491 via state nomination — plus the 485. The CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List, 458 occupations as at the same date), introduced on 7 December 2024, is the list for the employer-sponsored 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry stream. The two lists overlap substantially but are not identical, so an occupation can be on one, the other, both, or neither.

What happened to the STSOL?

The Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) still exists — it was not abolished. As at 12 August 2026 it lists 216 occupations, distinct from the MLTSSL's 216. It no longer reaches the Subclass 189, and since 7 December 2024 it is no longer the operative list for the 482 or 186 (that's now the CSOL), but STSOL occupations can still be nominated for the 190 and 491.

What is the ANZSCO and why does it matter?

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is the system used for all Australian skilled migration occupations. Each occupation has a unique 6-digit code, a standardised definition and an assigned skill level. Skills assessments and visa applications reference ANZSCO codes — your agent will identify the correct code for your nominated occupation.

My job title is not on the MLTSSL but my duties match an occupation that is. What can I do?

ANZSCO classification is based on duties, not job titles. If your actual work duties match an MLTSSL occupation even though your employer calls the role something different, you may be able to nominate and obtain a skills assessment for the correct ANZSCO occupation. A migration agent can map your duties to the most appropriate code.