Last updated: 30 July 2026. Data source: SVH production dataset (ref_csol_occupations), cross-checked against DHA Skilled Occupation List.
Updated 30 July 2026: Added a verified occupation-group breakdown of the full 456-occupation CSOL, queried directly from SVH's production database rather than estimated. The "sectors driving 2026 demand" section below was written before SVH adopted its .gov.au-only sourcing rule (30 July 2026) and cites the Labour Supply Index and sector employment projections as secondary sources; those claims are flagged pending a government-source re-verification pass and should be read as unconfirmed under the current rule until then.
If you're planning a study-to-migration pathway in Australia, the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) is the single most important document to check before you pick a course. It determines whether your intended occupation is even eligible for skilled migration once you graduate.
What the CSOL actually is
The CSOL replaced the old Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) in December 2024, moving Australia away from a short-term, pandemic-recovery occupation list toward a broader, future-focused framework. It now sits underneath the Skills in Demand visa system — the replacement for the old subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa — and feeds the eligibility criteria for skilled migration more broadly, including employer sponsorship and points-tested pathways.
As of 2026, the CSOL covers 456 occupations across healthcare, technology, trades, engineering, agriculture, hospitality, education and construction. You can now search the full StudyVisaHub CSOL table by ANZSCO code, occupation, sector and skill level. The list is reviewed annually to align with the new migration program year, which starts 1 July — though urgent adjustments can happen more frequently when a shortage becomes acute.
The sectors driving 2026 demand
Four sectors stand out on the current list:
- Healthcare dominates the shortage data. Registered Nurses and General Practitioners remain the most undersupplied occupation groups, according to the September 2025 Labour Supply Index.
- Technology roles — particularly cybersecurity and software engineering — continue to grow, with government projections of more than 58,000 new positions in these fields by 2028.
- Skilled trades have tightened sharply. Skill Level 3 (trades) fill rates dropped to 54.3%, making trades occupations the hardest roles to recruit for in Australia right now.
- Education is under acute pressure, especially secondary teachers in mathematics and the sciences, with regional areas worst affected.
The 2026 CSOL by occupation group — the verified breakdown
The 456 occupations on the current CSOL split unevenly across ANZSCO's eight major occupation groups. This breakdown is queried directly from SVH's production dataset (ref_csol_occupations), not modelled or estimated:
| ANZSCO major group | Occupations on CSOL | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2 — Professionals | 235 | 51.5% |
| 3 — Technicians and Trades Workers | 141 | 30.9% |
| 1 — Managers | 47 | 10.3% |
| 4 — Community and Personal Service Workers | 23 | 5.0% |
| 5 — Clerical and Administrative Workers | 8 | 1.8% |
| 6 — Sales Workers | 2 | 0.4% |
| 7 — Machinery Operators and Drivers | 0 | 0.0% |
| 8 — Labourers | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: SVH production dataset, ref_csol_occupations (456 rows), grouped by the first digit of each ANZSCO 2022 occupation code.
Two structural facts fall out of this table. Professionals and Technicians and Trades Workers together account for more than four in five CSOL occupations (82.4%), confirming the healthcare, technology and trades emphasis discussed above at the code level, not just anecdotally. And two entire major groups, Machinery Operators and Drivers and Labourers, have zero representation on the current list: the CSOL is structurally a skilled and trade-qualified list, not an entry point for unskilled or elementary occupations, regardless of individual employer demand in those groups.
A caution on using this for "does my occupation lead to PR" questions. SVH's occupation_visa_eligibility table currently records the same visa subclass pairing (482 and 186) against every CSOL occupation uniformly, which means it cannot yet distinguish which specific CSOL occupations carry a points-tested permanent pathway (189, 190, 491) versus employer-sponsorship only. That is a data gap on our end, not a public fact about the CSOL, and this article will be updated with a per-occupation PR-pathway breakdown once that gap is closed. Check your specific occupation's visa subclass eligibility directly via the CSOL search table rather than assuming from the group-level breakdown above.
How to actually use this if you're planning to study
The CSOL isn't just a bureaucratic list — it's a filter you should apply before you enrol, not after you graduate:
- Check your occupation against the official register at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before committing to a course. Course marketing from providers doesn't always reflect current eligibility.
- Match your course to an ANZSCO occupation code, not just a job title — assessing authorities work off the code, and course-to-occupation mapping is where a lot of avoidable mistakes happen.
- Watch the review cycle. Because the list refreshes around the 1 July migration program year, an occupation that qualifies today isn't guaranteed to stay listed for the life of a multi-year degree.
The bottom line
The CSOL replaced a narrower, reactive list with a broader, sector-driven one — but broader doesn't mean static. Healthcare, tech, trades and education are where the government is actively trying to pull skilled migrants toward, and that's where course-to-visa alignment is currently strongest. Anyone choosing a course with migration in mind should be checking this list directly, not relying on secondhand claims about what's "in demand."
Data sources: Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Occupation List · September 2025 Labour Supply Index · Australian Government sector employment projections to 2028.