Migrate by occupation / Plumber (General)
MLTSSLMigrate to Australia as a plumber
Plumbing is one of the strongest trade occupations for Australian PR - on the MLTSSL, in sustained shortage, and welcomed by regional programs. As with every trade, the points test undervalues you, so employer sponsorship or a regional 491 usually beats chasing the independent 189. Licensing to actually work as a plumber is separate from migration and regulated state by state, so check both.
The essentials
- Occupation
- Plumber (General)
- ANZSCO code
- 334111
- Occupation list
- MLTSSL — Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List
- Visas it supports
- Subclass 189, 190, 491, 485
- Assessed by
- TRA
- Assessment cost
- varies by program; the Job Ready Program runs to several thousand dollars in stages
- Assessment time
- offshore assessment a few months; the Job Ready Program takes at least a year
Which visas actually fit
Your skills assessment
Before you can apply for any skilled visa as a plumber, TRA must assess your skills. They generally need:
- A relevant trade qualification and documented employment.
- For onshore Temporary Graduate visa holders: the Job Ready Program, which includes a workplace assessment.
- For offshore applicants: the Offshore Skills Assessment Program, often including a practical assessment.
The onshore trades pathway requires paid employment in your nominated trade plus a workplace assessment, and realistically takes over a year from start to positive outcome. If you are on a Temporary Graduate visa, start immediately - people routinely run out of visa before finishing the program.
Where plumbers are nominated
Regional and resource states are the most receptive. Western Australia in particular weights heavily toward construction and mining trades.
Registered migration agents
We are building a directory of MARN-registered agents and immigration lawyers. Listings are checked against the public register before they appear.
How the directory worksPlacement shown on the plumber migration page.