Counsellors nec (ANZSCO 272199)
On the Short-term Skilled 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 Counsellors nec on?
STSOL — Short-term Skilled Occupation List. Occupations on the STSOL can access state-nominated and regional skilled visas (190/491), but not the Skilled Independent 189.
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).
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) — Permanent, state or territory nominated · all occupations for the 190
- Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) — Provisional, regional, points-tested · all occupations for the 491
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) — Provisional, regional employer sponsored · all occupations for the 494
- Training visa (subclass 407) — Temporary, workplace training · all occupations for the 407
Processing priority
Counsellors nec is a healthcare occupation under Directions 121 and 122 (ANZSCO Unit Group 2721, Counsellors). Since 19 September 2026, skilled visa applications by a primary applicant in this occupation are in the first group processed: for the 482 under Direction 121, and for the permanent and provisional skilled visas, including the 186, 189, 190, 491 and 494, under Direction 122.
Priority changes the order in which lodged applications are looked at, not whether they are granted. Who is invited to apply through SkillSelect is decided separately. See all 202 occupations in the priority sectors.
Skills assessment
A positive skills assessment for Counsellors nec comes from:
- Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services (VETASSESS) (official site) · our guide to the VETASSESS process
What the assessment actually involves
VETASSESS assesses Counsellors nec as a Group A occupation, requiring an AQF Bachelor degree or higher comparable qualification and at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years, working 20 hours or more per week. Its own page names which specific roles it considers suitable under this catch-all: Gambling Counsellor, Grief Counsellor, Life Coach, Sexual Assault Counsellor and Trauma Counsellor — a named list, not an open invitation to file any counselling-adjacent work here just because it doesn't obviously fit one of the five named codes.
Where these applications come unstuck
VETASSESS's own Counsellors nec page excludes every one of its five named siblings by title — Careers Counsellor, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Family and Marriage Counsellor, Rehabilitation Counsellor and Student Counsellor — and closes with the same referral line every page but Rehabilitation Counsellor's carries: "Psychologists are advised to contact the Australian Psychological Society for assessment as a Psychologist for migration purposes." Work that fits one of the five named codes more precisely than the nec list cannot be filed here instead simply because nec sounds broader; VETASSESS's general rule gives closely-matching specific occupations priority over nec classification regardless of visa reach.
An honest read on this pathway
Counsellors nec sits on STSOL alone, reaching four visas — 190, 407, 491 and 494 — with no CSOL and no employer-sponsored route, the same narrow tier as Careers Counsellor and Family and Marriage Counsellor. Unlike some other occupation families in this research, the nec code here is not a broader-reaching workaround: Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Rehabilitation Counsellor, Student Counsellor and Psychotherapist all reach further, to six visas including 186 and 482, so nominating nec for evidence that genuinely fits one of those four gives up real employer-sponsorship reach for no visa-side benefit at all.
VETASSESS assesses qualifications and employment separately. Both need documentation that agrees with itself. The Employment History Builder and Document Vault organise each trail before you lodge.
Talk it through with a registered agent
Whether nominating Counsellors nec 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.
Related occupations
- Careers Counsellor (272111)
- Drug and Alcohol Counsellor (272112)
- Family and Marriage Counsellor (272113)
- Rehabilitation Counsellor (272114)
- Student Counsellor (272115)
All skilled occupations · Points calculator · Skilled visa agents