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. 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. 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). The CSOL replaced the lists that previously governed employer sponsorship (the MLTSSL, the Short-term Skilled Occupation List or STSOL, and the Regional Occupation List) for the 482. So if you are being sponsored for a 482 — or transitioning to a 186 — the list that matters is the CSOL, not the MLTSSL. The MLTSSL was not abolished: it remains the core list for the points-tested Subclass 189 and continues to feed state nomination 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.

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. The MLTSSL remains the core occupation list for the points-tested Subclass 189 and underpins state nomination for the 190 and 491. What changed in December 2024 is that the employer-sponsored 482 (Skills in Demand) and the 186 now use the separate Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) instead of the MLTSSL and the old Short-term list.

What is the difference between the MLTSSL and the CSOL?

The MLTSSL governs the points-tested skilled visas (189, and 190/491 via state nomination). The CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List), introduced on 7 December 2024, governs the employer-sponsored Subclass 482 and the 186. The two lists do not contain identical occupations, so an occupation can be on one and not the other.

What happened to the STSOL?

The Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) was used under the old employer-sponsored system. When the 482 Skills in Demand visa and the CSOL began on 7 December 2024, the CSOL replaced the lists that previously applied to employer sponsorship, including the STSOL.

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.