Architectural Draftsperson (ANZSCO 312111)

On the Short-term Skilled 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 Architectural Draftsperson 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.

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 Architectural Draftsperson comes from:

What the assessment actually involves

VETASSESS places Architectural Draftsperson in Group C: a qualification comparable to an Australian Qualifications Framework Diploma or higher, in a field it names as Architecture, Building Design or Architectural Drafting. Pathway 1 asks for at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, within the last five years, at 20 hours or more a week, highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Unlike the two managerial codes in this family, VETASSESS does not ask for an organisational chart here — the supporting-document list for this code is the standard employment-and-qualification evidence, not the extra managerial paperwork Construction Project Manager and Project Builder both carry.

Where these applications come unstuck

VETASSESS names Architect, Civil Engineering Draftsperson, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect and Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians nec as occupations not considered under this code. A drafting career built mostly on civil-infrastructure work, rather than architectural or building design, risks landing on the wrong side of that exclusion — Civil Engineering Draftsperson sits in a different unit group with its own VETASSESS page. Applicants whose qualification carries a generic title, such as a general design diploma, need the field of study to map onto Architecture, Building Design or Architectural Drafting specifically, not merely a related creative discipline.

An honest read on this pathway

Architectural Draftsperson sits on the STSOL and CSOL with 186, 190, 407, 482, 491 and 494 — a state-nominated route through 190 is open, but not the general skilled 189 the two 1331 manager codes and Engineering Manager can reach. VETASSESS's Group C qualification bar (Diploma+) is lower than the Group A bar the managerial codes require, which is the tradeoff for this narrower visa spread. Whether drafting duties performed under an architect's or engineer's supervision, rather than independently, still meet VETASSESS's employment-context description is worth checking directly against the occupation page.

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 Architectural Draftsperson 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.

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