What’s changing in Australia’s Skilled Occupation List 2026
Topics covered
- 5 min
- Published: 25 February 2026
- Updated: 24 February 2026
Australia’s Skilled Occupation List 2026
Are you planning to migrate to Australia in 2026?
Or maybe you’re already onshore and thinking about the next best step for your permanent residency pathway.
In both situations, you need to make sure that your job is included in the Skilled Occupation List.
This helps you know your eligibility for temporary or permanent visas.
So, is your job still in demand?
Here are the key things you need to know about Australia’s Skilled Occupation List 2026.
What is the Australian Skilled Occupation List?
The Australian Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is the official framework that the Australian government uses to provide a list of jobs that are eligible for skilled migration and permanent residency.
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Why do you need to check the SOL?
You need to check the Skilled Occupation List if you’re planning to apply for visas through:
State nomination
Regional migration
Employer-sponsored pathways
In simple terms, if your occupation appears on the Skilled Occupation List, you may be able to apply for a skilled visa or PR pathway. If it does not, your skilled migration options are usually limited or unavailable.
What are the Skilled Occupation Lists in Australia?
As mentioned, the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is the framework for skilled occupations under the Department of Home Affairs.
But within this broader framework, there are specific lists.
These include the following:
The Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) - occupations Australia needs over the long term.
The Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) - occupations needed in the short to medium term.
The Regional Occupation List (ROL) - occupations needed in regional Australia.
The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) - used for employer-sponsored visas.
Which occupation list should you look at?
Depending on your visa pathway, you’ll have to look at different occupation lists.
If you’re applying for:
State Nominated Skilled Migration Program - Your job has to be eligible for the specific visa you’re applying for under the Department of Home Affairs’ SOL + it must be listed on a state-specific SOL too.
Skilled Independent visa - Your job should be listed on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
Regional Skilled visa - You should check the Regional Occupation List (ROL).
Employer-sponsored visas - Your job should be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and your employer must be willing and approved to sponsor you.
Being on the Skilled Occupation List is only part of the picture. Each visa has its own eligibility criteria. These include points, work experience, English level, and skills assessment.
Finding your occupation on the list doesn’t always mean that this pathway is for you. For example, your job may be listed on a state-specific SOL, but you may not yet meet that state’s extra requirements. This can include needing more points, a job offer in that state or meeting a higher English score.
In this situation, it might be worth exploring other pathways that already fit your profile and make PR more possible.
Our IDP counsellors can guide you on the best pathway based on your study and work history, and long-term goals in Australia.
How Australia’s Skilled Occupation List is updated
Australia’s Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is not a fixed list.
It is reviewed and updated regularly. This is why occupations can be added or moved from year to year.
A major source of evidence used in these updates comes from Jobs and Skills Australia. It provides labour market data that helps the government understand where real skill shortages exist.
To reach these conclusions, Jobs and Skills Australia combines several sources of information, including:
Surveys of employers who have recently advertised roles.
Stakeholder surveys from industry bodies and employer groups.
Analysis of job trends.
Input from government agencies and Jobs and Skills Councils.
This data is reviewed each year and published through the Occupation Shortage List (OSL).
The findings do not automatically change visa eligibility. However, they strongly influence how Australia reviews and updates the Skilled Occupation List over time.
What jobs are in demand in Australia in 2026?
Healthcare, engineering, education, ICT and trade occupations are the top in-demand industries in Australia in 2026. This is based on combined data from the 2025 Occupation Shortage List and state nomination priorities in the 2025-26 Skilled Migration Program.
According to the 2025 Occupation Shortage List (OSL):
139 occupations have been in persistent shortage every year from 2021 to 2025.
Shortages remain concentrated in skilled, qualified roles, not entry-level jobs.
These patterns strongly influence how Australia’s Skilled Occupation List is set for 2026.
Number of occupations in persistent shortage, by major group, 2021 to 2025 OSLs, OSCA basis
In shortage from 2021 to 2025 | Occupations (No.) | Occupations (%) |
Managers | 2 | 1% |
Professionals | 52 | 37% |
Technicians and Trades Workers | 71 | 51% |
Community and Personal Service Workers | 7 | 5% |
Machinery Operators and Drivers | 7 | 5% |
All occupations | 139 | 100% |
Healthcare and care roles (strong, long-term demand)
Registered Nurses
Midwives
Aged Care and Disability Care roles
Allied Health Professionals
Key data insight
Health roles make up a large share of persistent shortages.
Care roles remain difficult to fill across metro and regional Australia.
Demand has remained high for five consecutive years.
This is why healthcare occupations remain central to skilled migration and PR pathways in 2026.
Education professionals
Early Childhood Teachers
Primary and Secondary School Teachers
Special Education Teachers
Key data insight
Education professionals are heavily represented among occupations in long-term shortage.
Roles like Early Childhood, Middle School and Secondary School teachers are listed in shortage lists in all states and territories in Australia.
These roles are in demand in state nomination and regional migration programs.
Trades and technical roles (the largest shortage group)
Common areas include:
Construction trades
Engineering trades
Automotive trades
Clean energy and infrastructure-related roles
Key data insight
Trades remain the single biggest contributor to skill shortages in Australia.
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, 51% of all persistent shortages are in Technicians and Trades Workers.
Nearly 1 in 2 trade occupations remain in shortage.
Machinery operators and drivers (emerging roles)
This group moved against the national trend.
Shortages increased by 3 percentage points in 2025.
28% of occupations in this group were in shortage.
Jobs and Skills Australia links this to:
Labour supply constraints
Weak employment growth
Low vacancy fill rates reported by employers
Some professional roles have stabilised (but not disappeared)
Some professional occupations eased out of shortage in 2025:
Business roles
Finance roles
Information and Communication Technology, and some engineering roles
Key data point:
According to the Occupation Shortage Report from December 2025, 69 occupations in Australia moved from a shortage in 2024 to no shortage in 2025.
31 of these were professional roles.
This change is linked to:
Productivity gains
Digital upskilling
Increased use of AI tools in professional workplaces
These roles may be more competitive, but they remain part of Australia’s skilled migration framework.
Regional-only shortages are growing
Regional demand is becoming more distinct.
21 occupations were in shortage only in regional Australia in 2025.
Up from 12 occupations in 2024.
This reinforces:
The importance of regional visas.
The role of the Regional Occupation List (ROL).
Why many skilled migrants now see better outcomes through regional pathways.
Skilled Occupation List 2026: State-specific updates
Some states in Australia have released their updated Skilled Occupation Lists in 2025.
Here are the top industry groups per state and territory.
South Australia Occupation List 2025-26
Health Professionals
Design, Engineering, Science & Transport Professionals
Engineering, ICT & Science Technicians
Business, Human Resource & Marketing Professionals
Specialist Managers
Automotive & Engineering Trades Workers
Western Australia Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Healthcare and Social Assistance
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Building and Construction
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Information Media and Telecommunication
New South Wales Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Construction (infrastructure and housing)
Net Zero and Energy Transition
Care and Support Economy
Digital and Cyber
Agriculture and Agrifood
Advanced Manufacturing
Victoria Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Health
Social services
Education (including Early Childhood)
Construction
New energy
Digital economy (491 visa only)
Advanced manufacturing (491 visa only)
Hospitality and tourism (491 visa only)
ACT Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Healthcare
Construction and Engineering
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Education and Teaching
Trades and Technical Occupations
Tasmania Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Top in-demand industries in Tasmania:
Healthcare and Medical Services
Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure
Agriculture, Primary Industries and Natural Sciences
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Education and Teaching
Northern Territory Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Engineering
Trades & Technical Occupations
Health Professionals
Community, Social & Care
Hospitality & Retail
Transport, Logistics & Operators
Education Professionals
ICT & Digital Professionals
Business, Finance & Management Professionals
Agriculture, Farming & Land Management
Queensland Skilled Occupation List 2025-26
Healthcare and Medical Services
Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure
Trades and Technical Occupations
Agriculture, Resources and Primary Industries
Education and Social Services
State-specific Skilled Occupation Lists in Australia
If you’re applying for the State-Nominated Skilled Migration Program 2025–26, you should check whether your job appears in the Skilled Occupation List of the specific state you are applying for:
What the Skilled Occupation List 2026 means for your migration plans
At the time of writing, the Department of Home Affairs has not released confirmed changes to the Skilled Occupation List for 2026. However, OSL findings are one of the key inputs used when occupation lists are reviewed.
This is why these trends matter if you’re planning your skilled migration pathway in Australia.
Plan a strong PR pathway based on your occupation
If you’re a skilled migrant or an international student, knowing whether your occupation appears in Australia’s Skilled Occupation Lists is a smart first step.
If you understand where demand is strongest, you can make informed choices—whether that’s on course selection, work applications, or planning potential visa pathways.
Our migration experts guide students and skilled migrants through these changes every day.
We can help you understand which occupation lists apply to you. We explain how visa rules work alongside those lists. And we support you with study, booking and preparing for your IELTS test, and pathway advice aligned with your long-term goals in Australia.
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