Australian Skilled Occupation List for PR 2026 (CSOL vs MLTSSL)

There's No Single 'PR Occupation List'

If you're planning to apply for Australian permanent residency in 2026, finding out if your job is eligible is step one. But many people hit a wall straight away because they search for "the PR list" and end up completely overwhelmed by conflicting answers.

Here's the honest truth: there is no single skilled occupation list for PR. Instead, Australia uses a few different frameworks depending on the exact pathway you're taking. The list you need to look at depends entirely on whether you're going for an independent points-tested visa, state nomination, or an employer-sponsored route.

Once you've worked out which list your profession sits on, you can calculate your PR points to check if you can hit the minimum 65 points required to lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Clearing up the CSOL Confusion

With the recent migration reforms, the introduction of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) has caused a massive headache for applicants. You might read articles claiming you absolutely must be on the CSOL to get PR.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the CSOL is specifically for the Skills in Demand visa (the Subclass 482 replacement) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186). It does not directly dictate your eligibility for the independent Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa.

If you're aiming for points-tested PR (like the 189 or 190 visas), you need to focus on the traditional lists outlined in the Migration Regulations (LIN 19/051): the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), or the Regional Occupation List (ROL).

Which List Applies to Your Visa?

To make things easier, we've broken down the three main points-tested PR pathways and the lists they actually use. Getting your head around this will save you a lot of stress when you're navigating the SkillSelect system.

Visa Code Counts Breakdown

The exact number of eligible codes varies significantly between these three General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas because they draw from different combined occupational lists managed by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Find Your Occupation (2026 Directory)

We've put together a directory of highly sought-after occupations for Australian PR in 2026. Click on your job title to jump into a pre-filled points calculator tailored directly to your profession, complete with official ANZSCO codes and skills assessment details.

Pro tip: Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on a Mac) to quickly search this page for your occupation or ANZSCO code.

How to Nominate Your Occupation

Spotting your job on the MLTSSL or STSOL is brilliant, but it's really just the starting line. Before you can actually claim points for it and submit a valid Expression of Interest, you have to get a formal skills assessment sorted.

Your assessing authority depends entirely on your industry. For example, engineers are assessed by Engineers Australia, nurses go through ANMAC, and accountants deal with CPA, CA ANZ, or IPA. The skills assessment is your way of proving to the Department of Home Affairs that your overseas qualifications and work experience stack up against Australian standards for your chosen ANZSCO code.

If you happen to be in a highly competitive occupation, you'll likely need to scrape together some extra points to secure an invite. It's well worth looking into how to increase your PR points. You might also want to consider Subclass 190 state nomination (which chips in an extra 5 points) or the Subclass 491 regional visa (which boosts your score by 15 points), provided your occupation is eligible for them.