🇦🇺 Australia

Aquaculture Farmer Visa Pathway Australia

✓ MARA · Last reviewed: July 2026 · 5 min read · MARN 2518872

Aquaculture farmers can migrate to Australia via the temporary skilled migration visa (482) or permanent employer-sponsored visa (186), both requiring VETASSESS skills assessment. Regional nomination opportunities exist in Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia.

Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
121111
Aquaculture Farmer
Visa Pathways
190 / 491 / 482
State & employer sponsored
Skills Assessor
VETASSESS
Skills Shortage
Not in shortage
No state-level shortage · Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025-10
Source: DHA SkillSelect, March 2026
Note: This occupation is on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). The independent Subclass 189 visa is not available. PR pathways require state nomination (190), regional nomination (491), or employer sponsorship (482 → 186).

Skills demand for Aquaculture Farmer

Demand is the first thing to establish, because it quietly determines the rest: the visas worth considering, the competitiveness of an invitation round, and whether a state nomination is a credible option at all.

Jobs and Skills Australia does not currently assess this occupation as being in shortage. That does not close off a skilled pathway, but it does mean you are competing on the strength of your own claims rather than on the strength of the labour market.

Visa pathways for Aquaculture Farmer

Which visas are available to you depends on which of the government's skilled occupation lists your occupation appears on. The lists are not interchangeable, and being on one of them does not put you on the others.

The Regional Occupation List is where this occupation sits, which points the pathway firmly towards regional nomination or a regional employer.

Inclusion on the Core Skills Occupation List makes the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream available, subject to the usual sponsorship and nomination requirements.

Skills assessment for Aquaculture Farmer

Skills assessment fees

PathwayFee
Full skills assessment for change of occupation AUD $819
Skills Assessment AUD $1,205
Assessment of employment for final Skills Assessment AUD $937
Qualifications online application AUD $342
Outcome Review - Qualification AUD $374

A skills assessment is not a formality. It is the step where an independent authority decides whether your qualifications and experience actually match the occupation you are claiming — and a negative outcome ends the application before it starts.

Fees are set by the authority, not by the Department. The pathways below come from the authority's own published schedule and are reconciled against it. Always confirm the current charge directly with the authority before lodging.

State and territory nomination

Nomination is run by the states and territories, not by the Department, and each maintains its own occupation list and its own requirements. These move frequently. Always work from the nominating body's current page rather than from a summary anywhere else — including this one.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Confirm the correct ANZSCO code for your occupation. Everything downstream depends on it, and an assessment obtained for the wrong code does not transfer.
  2. Obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
  3. Meet the English language requirement for the visa you are applying for.
  4. Lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, claiming only points you can evidence.
  5. If you are seeking state nomination, apply to the nominating body separately and on its terms.
  6. Wait to be invited. You cannot apply for the visa until an invitation is issued.
  7. Lodge the visa application within the period allowed by the invitation, with the evidence for every claim you made.
Practitioner Note
Before you spend anything on an assessment, check that your work history can be evidenced the way the authority asks for it. Most negative outcomes I see are not about capability; they are about references that describe a role in the applicant's words rather than in the authority's.
MARN 2518872 (AU) · immi.tv
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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a skills assessment for this occupation?
Yes — and it must be for this occupation specifically. A positive assessment in a neighbouring occupation does not transfer, which is why establishing the correct ANZSCO code first is not a clerical detail.
Does meeting the minimum points score mean I will be invited?
No — and this is the single most consequential misunderstanding in the skilled program. The minimum is a lodgement threshold. Invitations go to the highest-ranked candidates first, so the effective requirement is set by your competition, not by the minimum.
Can a state nominate me for this occupation?
That depends entirely on the state. Each maintains its own list and its own requirements, both of which change regularly, so the answer today may not be the answer next quarter. Work from the nominating body's own page.

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General Information Only

This page provides general information only and does not constitute migration advice, legal advice, or any form of professional advice. It is not tailored to your individual circumstances and must not be relied upon as the basis for any decision, action, or omission.

Migration law, visa conditions, and skilled occupation lists change frequently — occupations may be added to or removed from lists by ministerial direction, and visa conditions on your grant letter are the operative document. While we endeavour to keep content current, immi.tv makes no representation that any information is accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it. Always verify independently before acting.

No client or adviser relationship is created by your use of this site. To the maximum extent permitted by law, immi.tv expressly disclaims all liability for any loss or damage — including visa refusals, cancellations, condition breaches, application costs, and consequential loss — arising from reliance on this content. See our full Terms of Use.

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