ANZSCO is a classification system that provides for the standardised collection, analysis, and dissemination of occupation data. It was developed jointly by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Statistics New Zealand and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) for use in the collection, publication and analysis of occupation statistics. ANZSCO will replace the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) currently used by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the department).

ASCO is no longer supported or used by the ABS (its developer), as it is no longer considered to accurately represent the needs of the Australian labour market. ANZSCO is already used by: • ABS in surveys and censuses, and to source all new occupation classifications • DEEWR to analyse emerging and future workforce skills needs, and inform skilled migration settings. In line with a whole-of-government requirement to use ANZSCO, the department is introducing this standard to capture occupation information in its visa, settlement and citizenship programs. ANZSCO will also be used within those skilled visa programs, where this is a requirement for visa eligibility, as the standard by which a visa applicant's skills to undertake a specific occupation in Australia are assessed.

The department will begin using the ANZSCO standard on 1 July 2010

For all new applications lodged on or after 1 July 2010, the department will use ANZSCO codes and occupation information instead of ASCO in its systems and records. If your occupation is a requirement for applying for a visa, you will need to nominate your occupation in ANZSCO from 1 July 2010. However, if your occupation does not form part of the assessment of your eligibility for a visa, your application will not be affected. For example, if you are applying for a partner or humanitarian visa. If you are applying for Australian citizenship by conferral or descent, your application will not be affected.

Yes. Transitional arrangements will be in place to allow, under certain circumstances, a mix of ASCO and ANZSCO documents and information (for example a nomination in ANZSCO and a valid skills assessment in ASCO, or vice versa) to be accepted in the one application. See: www.immi.gov.au/employers/anzsco/transitional-arrangements.htm

From 1 July 2010, all visa applications lodged through the department’s eVisa system must comply with the new ANZSCO standard. If your application is for a skilled visa, this includes nominating an ANZSCO occupation. However, if you have already obtained your skills assessment in ASCO, this can be accepted in accordance with the transitional arrangements described above. If you have partially completed and saved an electronic visa application using ASCO information prior to 1 July 2010, but you retrieve and finalise it after 1 July 2010, you will have to amend the application to the ANZSCO standard before you can submit it.

At a glance, the ASCO and ANZSCO standards appear similar; however the underlying concepts are markedly different. For example, trades occupations in ASCO were separated into ‘supervisors’, ‘tradespersons’ and ‘apprentices’; however in ANZSCO there is only one occupation for each trade. Another major change relates to Information and Technology (ICT) occupations. In ASCO, there were nine ICT occupations, but in ANZSCO, there are 37 ICT occupations. Other changes relate to the way occupations are grouped, how skill levels are indicated and the differentiations in occupations depending on specialisation. Where can I find more information on the department’s introduction of ANZSCO? More detailed information on the introduction of the ANZSCO standard into departmental visa programs can be found on the department’s website. See: www.immi.gov.au/employers/anzsco/

From 1 July 2010, all sponsorships, nominations, and visa applications lodged through the department’s eVisa system must comply with the new ANZSCO standard. For skilled visa applications, this includes nominating an occupation according to ANZSCO. However, any previously obtained skills assessment or approved nominations in ASCO will continue to be accepted in accordance with the transitional arrangements described above.

There will be no changes to Labour Agreements that expire prior to 1 July 2010. Sponsors with labour agreements that expire on or after 1 July 2010 will be contacted and informed of any changes to their agreements to reflect the shift from the use of ASCO to ANZSCO. Nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2010 will need to reflect ANZSCO occupation information. The sponsor will need to refer to ANZSCO occupation standards when providing details of the responsibilities, duties, qualifications, skills and experience required for the nominated position. If you are unsure of the correct ANZSCO code(s) that your existing labour agreement may be subject to, please contact the relevant Centre of Excellence for further assistance. All new labour agreements coming into effect on or after 1 July 2010 will reflect the ANZSCO occupation standard.

More detailed information on the introduction of the ANZSCO standard into departmental visa programs can be found on the department’s website. See: www.immi.gov.au/employers/anzsco/

If you intend to lodge a sponsorship application or a nomination on behalf of a prospective employer to fill a vacant position in any of the department’s temporary or permanent skilled visa programs, you will need to specify an ANZSCO occupation if submitting the sponsorship/nomination on or after 1 July 2010.

Yes. Transitional arrangements will be in place to allow, under certain circumstances, a mix of ASCO and ANZSCO documents and information (for example a nomination in ANZSCO and a valid skills assessment in ASCO, or vice versa) to be accepted in the one application. See: www.immi.gov.au/employers/anzsco/transitional-arrangements.htm