Civil Engineering Technician (ANZSCO 312212)
On the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills 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 Civil Engineering Technician on?
MLTSSL — Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. The widest list — occupations on the MLTSSL can access the points-tested permanent skilled visas including the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), which needs no state nomination or employer.
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).
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Permanent, points-tested, no sponsor needed · all occupations for the 189
- 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
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — Temporary, employer sponsored · all occupations for the 482
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Permanent, employer sponsored · all occupations for the 186
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) — Provisional, regional employer sponsored · all occupations for the 494
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) — Temporary, recent Australian graduates · all occupations for the 485
- Training visa (subclass 407) — Temporary, workplace training · all occupations for the 407
Skills assessment
A positive skills assessment for Civil Engineering Technician comes from:
- Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services (VETASSESS) (official site) · our guide to the VETASSESS process
What the assessment actually involves
VETASSESS assesses Civil Engineering Technician as a Group C occupation, requiring a qualification comparable to an AQF Diploma or higher in civil engineering or engineering drafting, combined with at least one year of post-qualification employment in the field within the past five years (more if the qualification field is less directly relevant). Employment must run at least 20 hours a week and match tasks like materials testing, cost estimation and supporting civil engineering professionals on site.
Where these applications come unstuck
A common failure is a qualification VETASSESS assesses as below Diploma level even though the local institution calls it one — VETASSESS benchmarks against the Australian AQF, not the issuing country's own labelling. Employment references describing site-labourer or purely administrative duties, without the technical support tasks the occupation definition requires, also fail the relevance test.
An honest read on this pathway
Genuinely open where the qualification and the employment evidence both clear the Diploma-equivalent bar, but the qualification benchmarking step catches out more applicants than the employment history does.
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 Civil Engineering Technician 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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Related occupations
All skilled occupations · Points calculator · Skilled visa agents