WA3.16 Determining the occupation and skill level of the job

1. An immigration officer will assess the job offered to determine the occupation and skill level of the role as set out in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
2. To assess the occupation and skill level of the proposed role using the ANZSCO, an immigration officer:
   1. will determine whether the proposed role is substantially consistent with the ANZSCO occupation (6 digit) level job title and description for that occupation; and
   2. may undertake a substantial match assessment.
3. Where an employer has declared that the job offered is at ANZSCO skill level 1-3 however an immigration officer determines that the job is at ANZSCO skill level 4-5, the Job Check will be assessed according to instructions that apply to skill level 4 and 5 occupations.
4. A job in an occupation classified in ANZSCO as skill level 4 or 5 may be treated as skill level 1-3 for the purposes of the Accredited Employer instructions at WA3 and WA4 if:
   1. the occupation is listed in Part 1 of Appendix 7, in which case the job will be treated as a skill level 3 role; or
   2. the occupation is listed in Part 2 of Appendix 7 and the employer has specified skill requirements for the role that are consistent with skill level 3 or higher (i.e. at least 3 years of work experience or an NZQCF Level 4 qualification) – in which case the job will be treated as a skill level 3 role; or
   3. the ANZSCO definition for the occupation states that some roles in the occupation are a higher skill level and the employer has specified qualifications and/or work experience requirements for the role that are consistent with the higher skill level, in which case the job will be treated as a role of the higher skill level specified in ANZSCO.
5. Despite the requirement to determine applications for temporary entry in accordance with the instructions in effect at the time the application is made (E7.10(a)(ii)), any application described below submitted but not decided as at 9 March 2025 should be assessed using the criteria for ANZSCO skill level 3 roles if the role in question is described in (d)(i) and (ii) above. This will be applicable for determining:
   1. applications for work or visitor visas for partners, and applications for student or visitor visas for dependants of an AEWV holder (see WF3.1.5, V3.10.1 and U8.20.10 where ANZSCO skill level of the AEWV holder determines eligibility); and
   2. applications for a Job Check (see WA3.20 where ANZSCO skill level determines labour market test requirements); and
   3. applications for an Accredited Employer work visa (see WA4.12 where ANZSCO skill level determines whether English language requirements must be met and WA4.11.1 where ANZSCO skill level determines maximum continuous stay).

WA3.16.1 Substantial match assessment

1. An immigration officer may undertake a substantial match assessment to determine whether the role is listed at a specific ANZSCO level or in a specific occupation listed in the ANZSCO.
2. The assessment of a substantial match involves a determination of whether the employment is substantially consistent with the ANZSCO occupation (6-digit) level description for that occupation and with the tasks listed at the ANZSCO Unit Group (4-digit) level description for that occupational group, excluding any tasks which are not relevant to the occupation description.
3. To be considered a substantial match to an occupation, the tasks relevant to the ANZSCO occupation description must comprise most of the proposed role.
4. When determining the occupation and skill level of the proposed employment, an immigration officer may also consider:
   1. the circumstances of the employer, including the scope and scale of the employer’s organisation and operation (the size of the operation, the number of staff and managers, and whether management functions are centralised at a head office or undertaken by other managers); and
   2. the qualifications and work experience required for the job; and
   3. the remuneration offered.

Note: Where no description is stated at the ANZSCO occupation (6-digit) level, an immigration officer should refer to the ANZSCO Unit Group (4-digit) description or the higher ANZSCO group (3-digit or 2-digit) level as necessary to determine a substantial match with the stated occupation. Similarly, where no ANZSCO core tasks are listed at the ANZSCO Unit Group (4-digit) level, an immigration officer should refer to a higher ANZSCO group (3-digit or 2-digit) level as necessary to locate the core tasks that ANZSCO associates with the stated occupation.

Effective 10/03/2025