Migrate by occupation / Social Worker
MLTSSLMigrate to Australia as a social worker
Social work is on the MLTSSL, in steady demand through community and health services, and assessed by the AASW against a specific set of qualification requirements. A degree in a loosely related field is often assessed as not sufficiently relevant, so check the AASW criteria before assuming your qualification carries.
The essentials
- Occupation
- Social Worker
- ANZSCO code
- 272511
- Occupation list
- MLTSSL — Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List
- Visas it supports
- Subclass 189, 190, 491, 485
- Assessed by
- AASW
- Assessment cost
- varies - check the authority directly
- Assessment time
- commonly 2 to 4 months
Which visas actually fit
Your skills assessment
Before you can apply for any skilled visa as a social worker, AASW must assess your skills. They generally need:
- A qualification recognised as comparable to the required Australian level.
- Documented employment in the nominated occupation.
- Evidence that your duties match the ANZSCO description, not just the job title.
Some occupations have more than one possible assessing authority depending on your qualifications, and assessors occasionally change. Check the Department of Home Affairs occupation list, which names the correct authority per occupation, before lodging.
Where social workers are nominated
Regional programs are the most receptive. Check carefully - many community occupations are STSOL or ROL only, which limits which visas they support.
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 social worker migration page.