Dentist (ANZSCO 252312)

On the Regional Occupation List and Core Skills Occupation List

From the official Home Affairs skilled occupation lists, as at 2026-08-12. Lists change at each government update — always confirm on the official page before acting.

Which lists is Dentist on?

ROL — Regional Occupation List. Occupations on the ROL are limited to the regional provisional visas — mainly the Skilled Work Regional 491 and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional 494.

CSOL — Core Skills Occupation List. The employer-sponsorship list — occupations on the CSOL can be nominated for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme 186.

Visas this occupation can access

Being on a list makes the occupation nominatable for these visas — each visa still has its own requirements (points, age, English, a positive skills assessment, and for sponsored visas a willing employer or state).

Skills assessment

A positive skills assessment for Dentist comes from:

What the assessment actually involves

The Australian Dental Council runs a three-stage process: an Initial Assessment of the applicant's qualification and prior study, a two-day computer-based Written Examination (around 280 scenario-based multiple-choice questions), and a two-day Practical Examination of clinical and technical competencies through OSCE-style stations. A positive outcome across all three stages is what supports both the skills assessment for migration and, separately, registration with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA.

Where these applications come unstuck

The practical examination must be sat within three years of completing the written examination — applicants who delay between stages, whether for cost, travel or study reasons, risk having to repeat the written component. Because clinical competence, not just qualification comparability, is being tested directly, applicants trained in systems with different clinical protocols or materials commonly need dedicated exam preparation rather than assuming their existing clinical experience transfers automatically.

An honest read on this pathway

Dentist sits on the ROL and CSOL with visas including 482, 491 and 494, so demand and list membership are real — but this is one of the most demanding assessments on this list, running well beyond a documentary review into a full written and clinical examination sequence that typically takes well over a year end to end.

Whichever authority assesses you, the paperwork is the part applicants underestimate. The Document Vault keeps a single register of every document, what it was needed for, and what is still missing.

We've also written a full pathway guide for this occupation: read the Dentist pathway guide.

Talk it through with a registered agent

Whether nominating Dentist is your best route depends on your points, experience evidence and timing — exactly what a MARA-registered agent works through in an initial consultation. Describe your situation once through Migratio and compare real consultation quotes from registered agents, free.

Compare registered agents — free

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All skilled occupations · Points calculator · Skilled visa agents