Skilled migration can feel like a maze of visa numbers, codes and acronyms. This guide takes you from zero to a clear picture of the steps: the points test, ANZSCO codes, the skills assessment, and what happens once you have one.
↳ start with step 1 — everything else depends on it
Important: we are not migration agents. Netlabs365 is a training academy. This article is general information based on what is publicly available at the time of writing (September 2026), and migration rules change often. It is not migration advice. For advice about your own situation, please speak with a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
Every organisation in Australia — hospitals, banks, mining companies, government, retail — runs on networks and systems that someone has to build, support and protect. As cyber attacks increase, the demand for people who can secure those systems keeps growing.
Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia; ABS earnings data as publicly reported. Figures cover a broad occupation group and experienced full-time workers — they are not starting salaries or a guarantee of employment.
The honest part: demand is real, but so is competition. Employers hire people who can show they can do the work, and a visa pathway doesn't come with a job attached. That's exactly why you need a plan before you start — and this guide walks you through the steps.
Most people start by asking "which visa should I get?" But for skilled migration in IT, the visa is the last step, not the first. Each step below depends on the one before it.
Find the ANZSCO code that matches your qualifications and the work you actually do.
2See roughly where you'd score, and what could lift it.
3ACS confirms your skills meet the Australian standard for that occupation.
4Enter the SkillSelect pool, seek state nomination, or find an employer.
5Once invited or nominated, lodge your application with Home Affairs.
Australia's main independent skilled visas — the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (190) and Skilled Work Regional (491) — use a points test. You need at least 65 points to lodge an expression of interest (EOI). Points are awarded for things like:
| Factor | What it rewards | In general terms |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Your age when you're invited | Points peak between 25 and 32, then reduce with age |
| English | Your English test result | Higher bands earn more — up to 20 points for "superior" English |
| Skilled employment | Relevant work experience in or outside Australia | More years earn more points, with a combined cap |
| Qualifications | Your highest recognised qualification | A bachelor's degree or higher scores well |
| Extras | Things like Australian study, a Professional Year, a community language credential or a skilled partner | Smaller amounts that can make a difference |
| Nomination | State or regional nomination | Extra points for a 190 or 491 nomination |
65 is the minimum, not the target. Invitations are issued to the highest-ranking EOIs first, and the score needed varies a lot by occupation and round. Many people need well above 65 to be invited, which is why state nomination and regional pathways matter. The points test has also been under review, so always check the official points table on the Department of Home Affairs website and use its calculator.
Every occupation on Australia's migration lists has a six-digit ANZSCO code. You choose the occupation that matches your qualifications and experience, get assessed against it, and then apply for visas that list it. Each occupation has a published description and a set of duties — and your work history needs to match them. Here are some of the IT and cyber occupations assessed by ACS:
Not a complete list — check the ACS website for all assessed occupations and their full duties. Each visa uses its own occupation list, so an occupation being assessable doesn't mean it's eligible for every visa. The ABS has released a newer classification (OSCA) that will eventually replace ANZSCO; at the time of writing, visas are still processed using ANZSCO codes.
Tip: choose the occupation that matches what you actually do, not just your job title. A "security engineer" at one company might be doing work that fits Cyber Security Analyst better at another. Read the full descriptions before you decide.
A skills assessment is an official check that your qualifications and work experience meet the Australian standard for a specific occupation. For IT, data science and cyber security occupations, it's done by the Australian Computer Society (ACS), on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.
For skilled visas in IT occupations, you generally need a positive skills assessment before you can apply. It's how the migration system recognises you as skilled in your occupation. Without a positive assessment in a relevant occupation, there's generally no skilled visa option.
ACS looks at two things. First, your qualification: what it compares to in Australia, whether it counts as an IT major or minor, and how closely its content relates to the occupation you nominate. Second, your work experience: based on your qualification, ACS decides how many years of relevant experience you need to meet the standard. For the most common route (the General Skills pathway), it looks like this:
| Your qualification | Relevance to your occupation | Relevant work experience ACS requires |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or higher, IT major | Closely related | 2 years in the last 10 years, or 4 years anytime |
| Bachelor's or higher, IT major | Not closely related | 4 years anytime |
| Bachelor's or higher, IT minor | Closely related | 5 years in the last 10 years, or 6 years anytime |
| Bachelor's or higher, IT minor | Not closely related | 6 years anytime |
| Diploma / advanced diploma / associate degree, IT major | Closely related | 5 years in the last 10 years, or 6 years anytime |
| Diploma / advanced diploma / associate degree, IT major | Not closely related | 6 years anytime |
Summarised from the ACS General Skills pathway. Experience must be paid, professional IT work of at least 20 hours per week. Data science has its own table. If you have no formal IT qualification, ACS offers a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway with its own requirements. Australian graduates have separate pathways.
Here's the part many people miss: the years in this table are used to show you've reached the professional standard. The date you meet it is recorded on your result, and generally it's the experience after that date that counts as skilled employment for points. So ten years in IT doesn't necessarily mean ten years of points.
What ACS looks for in your experience: work that's closely related to your nominated occupation, at a professional level, at 20+ hours per week, and paid — backed by evidence.
The ACS portal suggests occupations based on the skills you select, and you can choose up to three ANZSCO codes to be assessed against. Choose honestly — based on what you've studied and done.
Two forms of photo ID, your qualification certificates and transcripts, employment reference letters, and evidence you were paid (such as payslips). Reference letters need to show your dates, hours and the duties you actually performed.
For cyber security and DevOps occupations, ACS accepts certain vendor certifications as optional supporting evidence. Check the ACS list for which ones.
The General Skills application fee is currently $1,498. You have 90 days from starting to submit. Get it right first time — additional documents generally can't be added once your application is being processed.
ACS indicates around 4–6 weeks when no extra information is needed. If you disagree with the result, there's an appeal process with strict time limits.
From there, the common next steps are:
An expression of interest tells the government you'd like to be considered for a points-tested visa. You're ranked on your points, and invitations go to the highest scorers in each round.
States and territories nominate people for the 190 and 491 visas, each with its own occupation lists and criteria that change through the year. Nomination adds points to your score.
An approved Australian employer can nominate you for a role — for example through the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, which generally requires at least one year of relevant experience, or permanent employer-sponsored visas.
Once invited or nominated, you lodge your visa application with the Department of Home Affairs, including health and character checks and evidence for every point you claim.
Match your nominated occupation to your real duties. The wrong code can mean an unsuitable result and a lost application fee.
Letters that list your actual duties, dates and hours carry far more weight than ones that only confirm your job title. Start collecting them now, while you still have contact with past employers.
ACS wants evidence you were paid for the work you claim. Payslips and similar records are easier to keep as you go than to find years later.
English is one of the biggest point levers you can control. A higher band can make a real difference to your ranking.
Age points drop at set ages, and they're assessed when you're invited. Timing your application can matter.
Migration involves significant money and life decisions, and the rules change. A registered migration agent can check your plan against the current rules and your circumstances.
Not always. The points-tested visas (189, 190 and 491) don't require a job offer, while employer-sponsored visas do. Either way, you'll generally need a positive skills assessment first.
Possibly. ACS has a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway for people without a formal IT qualification, which relies on more experience and written project reports. Check the ACS website for current requirements.
ACS indicates around 4–6 weeks for applications that don't need additional information. Incomplete or incorrect documents are one of the most common causes of delay.
It's the minimum to lodge an EOI, but invitations go to the highest scores first and many occupations need considerably more. State nomination and regional options can help.
For cyber security and DevOps occupations, ACS accepts certain vendor certifications as optional evidence. More broadly, certifications backed by hands-on skills help with the part that comes after the visa: getting hired.
The Department of Home Affairs website for visas and the points table, the ACS website for skills assessments, and a registered migration agent for advice on your own situation.
A visa gets you here. Skills get you hired. If you're in Perth — or on your way — and want hands-on networking and cyber skills that Australian employers look for, that's what we do: face-to-face, on real equipment.
Training can build your skills. It can't guarantee a job, a skills assessment outcome or a visa.
Not migration advice. Netlabs365 is a training academy, not a registered migration agent. Information on this page is general in nature and based on publicly available sources as at September 2026 (including the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Computer Society, Jobs and Skills Australia and the ABS); rules change often. For advice about your own circumstances, consult a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner. Netlabs365 is not affiliated with ACS. CompTIA, Network+ and Security+ are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc.
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