Best PR Courses for International Students in Australia 2026
Best courses for PR in Australia
Thinking about PR in Australia?
One of the important things you can do is to know the PR opportunities for your course.
By this, we mean—knowing whether your course would lead to an in-demand career in the Skilled Occupation List, whether it has good employability, or whether you’ll need to take pathway courses, or explore regional work to boost your chances.
What are the best PR courses for international students in Australia?
The best courses for PR in Australia are those that lead to occupations that consistently appear on Australia’s Skilled Occupation Lists. These courses align with long-term skills shortages and strong employability.
However, we need to clarify that there are no courses that guarantee permanent residency.
You can only boost your chances by planning a strong study-to-PR pathway. Still, gaining PR is dependent on many factors, not just your course alone.
How the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) affects PR eligibility
The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is a government-updated list of occupations with worker shortages.
If your chosen career is on this list, you can strengthen your PR pathway because Australia actively seeks professionals in these fields.
The list is divided into categories, such as:
Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) – Best for PR; occupations here have long-term demand.
Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) – May require employer sponsorship for PR.
Regional Occupation List (ROL) – Your PR chances increase if you study and work in regional Australia.
Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) – The CSOL lists occupations that qualify for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), an employer-sponsored temporary visa. With the right work experience and employer support, this pathway can eventually lead to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
What you should know about planning a study-to-PR pathway in Australia
Australian Immigration strongly discourages international students from studying a course just for PR. This is why you have to meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
What you can do instead is to make sure that you are studying a course you love and are genuinely interested in. From there, you can consult our counsellors to help you plan the best study-to-PR pathway.
And no, it doesn’t always mean you just have to study a course leading to in-demand careers in Australia (although this helps).
Whatever your course choice is, we can connect you with the best universities with strong placements, so you can have work experience before you graduate. We can also explain how you can boost your chances of getting employed after graduation, or whether an extra study pathway, or exploring regional options can help your case.
In-demand courses in Australia that may lead to PR opportunities
No course in Australia guarantees permanent residency.
But some courses do lead to careers that Australia consistently needs year after year. These roles are easier to find work in.
And when you can find work, you can build experience. That is what eventually supports skilled or employer-sponsored visa options.
So, how did we choose this list? We did not guess. We looked at where the demand actually is.
How the data was analysed
To build this list, we looked at multiple data points, not just one source. Each dataset answers a different question about demand, employability, and migration pathways.
Jobs and Skills Australia - Shows which industries are projected to grow and where long-term employment demand is expected in Australia.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Shows the number of current job vacancies by industry, indicating where employers are actively hiring right now.
Department of Home Affairs Skilled Occupation List (SOL) - Shows which occupations are officially recognised by the Australian government as being in demand for skilled migration pathways.
2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey (released September 2025) - Shows the percentage of international graduates who were employed overall in 2024, by field of study.
Administration of the Immigration and Citizenship Programs Report (February 2025) - Shows the number of primary visa holders sponsored by Australian employers under the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa and related employer-sponsored programs.The figures cover the period from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024, which is the first half of the 2024–25 financial year.
The industries below are not ranked in order. Each one shows strong demand across skills shortages, employment outcomes, and migrant hiring data. The right option depends on your interests, experience, and long-term plans.
Health Care and Social Assistance
Healthcare and social assistance have the strongest projected employment growth in the next 5 years in Australia.
It also consistently shows up across skills shortages, job vacancies, graduate outcomes, and employer sponsorship data.
The demand for healthcare workers is driven by Australia’s ageing population and long-term population growth, increasing the need for health, disability, and aged care services nationwide.
Why it’s in demand
55.3k job vacancies (ABS, Aug 2025)
~12% growth by 2030 and ~23% by 2035 (Jobs and Skills Australia)
Overall international graduate employment
Dentistry 93.3%
Medicine 83.3%
Nursing 82.4%
Rehabilitation 82.7%
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
GPs and medical officers: 1,978
Registered nurses: 1,218
Common roles
Nurses, doctors, dentists
Allied health professionals
Aged care and disability support workers
Course options
Bachelor of Nursing
Dentistry and Medicine pathways
Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation
Health and community services programs
Hospitality and Tourism
Hospitality remains one of the most migrant-employing industries in Australia. According to the 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey, international graduates in tourism and hospitality recorded an overall employment rate of 88.7%, one of the highest across all fields of study.
Why it’s in demand
37.7k job vacancies (ABS, Aug 2025)
~7–12% projected growth by 2035
Overall international graduate employment
Tourism, hospitality, personal services, sport and recreation: 88.7%
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
Chefs: 2,279
Café and restaurant managers: 778
Cooks: 721
Common roles
Chefs and cooks
Restaurant and café managers
Hotel and tourism supervisors
Course options
Commercial Cookery (VET)
Bachelor of Hospitality Management
Tourism and Event Management
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
(Including IT, engineering, accounting and consulting)
This industry supports Australia’s digital economy and infrastructure growth.
Employer sponsorship data shows continued demand for technology professionals, with over 1,400 software programmers sponsored in just the first half of the 2024–25 financial year.
Why it’s in demand
34.3k job vacancies (ABS, Aug 2025)
~11% growth by 2030 and ~19% by 2035 (Jobs and Skills Australia)
Overall international graduate employment
Strong outcomes in computing and engineering-related fields (GOS)
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
Software and applications programmers: 1,448
ICT business and systems analysts: 707
Common roles
Software developers and programmers
ICT analysts and consultants
Engineers and technical specialists
Course options
Information Technology or Computer Science
Software Engineering or Cybersecurity
Civil, Mechanical, or Mining Engineering
Construction and Infrastructure
Construction demand is being driven by housing shortages and large infrastructure projects. Trade and construction-related roles appear consistently on skills shortage lists across all states and territories.
Why it’s in demand
19.5k job vacancies (ABS, Aug 2025)
~7–10% growth by 2035
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
Structural steel and welding workers: 965
Metal fitters and machinists: 651
Common roles
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters
Welders and fabricators
Construction and project coordinators
Course options
Trade qualifications (Cert III/IV)
Diploma of Building and Construction
Construction or Project Management degrees
Automotive, Transport and Logistics
Australia continues to rely on skilled migrants in automotive trades due to the limited local supply. Motor mechanics are among the most sponsored occupations under the 482 visa.
Why it’s in demand
Motor mechanics sponsored: 1,645
Automotive trades listed on the SOL nationwide
Ongoing demand linked to transport and fleet servicing
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
Motor mechanics: 1,645
Common roles
Motor mechanics
Automotive electricians
Transport technicians
Course options
Automotive Mechanical Technology
Automotive Electrical Technology
Transport and logistics qualifications
Education and Training
Teacher shortages remain a long-term issue, particularly in early childhood and regional education. International graduates in teacher education show strong employment outcomes.
Why it’s in demand
12.9k job vacancies (ABS, Aug 2025)
~10% growth by 2030 and ~15% by 2035
Teaching roles consistently appear on the SOL
Overall international graduate employment
Teacher education: 82.1%
Common roles
Early childhood teachers
Primary and secondary teachers
VET educators
Course options
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
Bachelor or Master of Teaching
Special education pathways
Manufacturing and Technical Trades
Manufacturing supports infrastructure, defence, and construction supply chains. Skilled trades in fabrication and machining remain in national shortage.
Why it’s in demand
Strong employer sponsorship.
Trades are listed on the SOL across all states.
Number of Temporary Skill Shortages visas granted
Structural steel and welding workers: 965
Metal fitters and machinists: 651
Common roles
Welders and fabricators
Machinists and toolmakers
Engineering technicians
Course options
Welding and fabrication trades
Mechanical fitting and machining
Engineering technician diplomas
Health Services and Support
This sector supports the broader healthcare system and continues to grow alongside aged care and disability services.
Why it’s in demand
Part of Health Care and Social Assistance, the highest-growth industry
Strong international graduate employability
Overall international graduate employment
Health services and support: 69.8%
Common roles
Health administrators
Support coordinators
Community health workers
Course options
Health Services Management
Public Health
Community and health support programs
Social Work and Community Services
Social work plays a critical role in aged care, disability, and family services. Employment outcomes for international graduates remain strong.
Why it’s in demand
Social work listed within the highest-growth industry
Ongoing demand for community and support services
Overall international graduate employment
Social work: 75.5%
Common roles
Social workers
Case workers
Community support officers
Course options
Bachelor of Social Work
Community services and counselling pathways
Veterinary and Agriculture-Related Services
Veterinary roles continue to experience shortages, particularly outside major cities. Employment outcomes for graduates remain strong.
Why it’s in demand
Veterinary roles listed on national shortage lists
Regional demand strengthens employment prospects
Overall international graduate employment
Veterinary science: 80.8%
Common roles
Veterinarians
Veterinary nurses
Animal health professionals
Course options
Veterinary Science or Medicine
Veterinary Nursing
Agricultural Science
Your PR chances depend on the steps you take now
Planning for permanent residency in Australia requires long-term strategic planning.
If you’re now studying in Australia and already thinking about PR, then you’re on the right track.
From here, the best you can do is decide on a course you want to study for university. You can even choose from trade courses to postgraduate courses—all have advantages in building your PR points.
Need help choosing a course? View our course guides per study level.
Your IELTS score also matters. You’ll need this for professional registration, while a higher IELTS score can boost your points for a skilled visa application.
Need to prepare for IELTS? Access our FREE IELTS Preparation materials, or book IELTS here.
And if all of these feel overwhelming, we’re here to guide you.
You don’t have to have everything figured out now. We can help you gain clarity and confidence on your next steps, or even just weigh your choices.
Let’s plan the best study-to-PR pathway with you.
Talk to our counsellors today.
Why choose IDP
FAQs
Which course is best for PR in Australia?
There is no single course that guarantees PR in Australia. Courses linked to in-demand industries like healthcare, education, engineering, and IT can support skilled or employer-sponsored pathways when combined with work experience and the right visa.
Which course is in high demand in Australia?
High-demand courses are those leading to roles in healthcare and social assistance, hospitality, construction trades, education, and professional and technical services, where job vacancies and employer sponsorship remain strong.
Which profession is best for PR in Australia?
There is no “best” profession for PR. Professions that consistently show strong demand include healthcare professionals, teachers, engineers, tradespeople, and IT specialists, but eligibility depends on skills, experience, and visa requirements rather than the job alone.
Sources:
Jobs and Skills Australia - Employment Projections
Job Vacancies, Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics
Occupation Shortage List
2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey
The Administration of the Immigration and Citizenship Programs