The facts that shape your strategy
Start with the four signals that affect pathway choice. Detailed evidence and caveats remain available below.
What Biochemist does
Your duties—not your job title—are what determine whether ANZSCO 234513 is the right code for your assessment.
“examine the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry of humans, animals, plants and other living organisms to better understand how living organisms function and interact with each other and the environment in which they live”
Unit group 2345“Studies the biochemistry of living organisms and the molecular structure and function of related components.”
Occupation 234513- designing and conducting experiments, making observations and measurements, researching information, analysing data, preparing or supervising the preparation of laboratory reports and scientific papers, presenting findings at scientific meetings and conferences, and supervising the work of staff
- studying the forms and structures of bodily organs and tissues by systematic observation, dissection and microscopic examination
- investigating the chemical structure and function of living cells and their isolated components, organs and tissues in humans, animals, plants, and micro-organisms
- examining micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and their enzymes, and using the knowledge gained to create and develop new, and improve existing, products, materials and processes
- investigating the effects of environmental factors, such as rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil, topography and disease, on plant growth
- planning and undertaking experiments to study, measure and understand marine animals and plants
- studying the growth and characteristics of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, algae and fungi, and the effects they have on plants, animals and humans to develop medical, veterinary, industrial, environmental and other practical applications
- investigating the interrelationships between animals in their natural surroundings, in captivity and in laboratories
Default edition — 27 June 2013
- designing and conducting experiments, making observations and measurements, researching information, analysing data, preparing or supervising the preparation of laboratory reports and scientific papers, presenting findings at scientific meetings and conferences, and supervising the work of staff
- studying the forms and structures of bodily organs and tissues by systematic observation, dissection and microscopic examination
- investigating the chemical structure and function of living cells and their isolated components, organs and tissues in humans, animals, plants, and micro-organisms
- examining micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and their enzymes, and using the knowledge gained to create and develop new, and improve existing, products, materials and processes
- investigating the effects of environmental factors, such as rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil, topography and disease, on plant growth
- planning and undertaking experiments to study, measure and understand marine animals and plants
- studying the growth and characteristics of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, algae and fungi, and the effects they have on plants, animals and humans to develop medical, veterinary, industrial, environmental and other practical applications
- investigating the impacts of insects on plants, animals and humans in relation to human health and agricultural production
- investigating the interrelationships between animals in their natural surroundings, in captivity and in laboratories
Employer nomination only — 482, 186, 187
Salary context for this unit group
This is a unit-group benchmark, not a promise of individual earnings. Location, experience, employment type and overtime all affect pay.
Life scientists, all employees — May 2025 survey. The bar shows the unit group’s relative position across the ABS earnings survey.
Compare routes by how they work
Visa numbers alone are hard to interpret. Grouping them by applicant goal makes the shortlist easier to understand.
Choose your pathway type
These are occupation-level possibilities, not a personal eligibility result.
What the invitation record shows
Two different scores get called “the minimum”. Here is which is which.
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent — November 2025 · lowest score invited, not a pass mark.
Subclass 491 — Family Sponsored Regional
its only published round on record, at 70.
Round-by-round recordLowest score invited
- April 202270
- No earlier round in this subclass. April 2022 is the first published round naming this occupation under Subclass 491 — Family Sponsored Regional. The rounds shown for the other subclass are a separate programme and are not a comparison.
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent
between 85 and 95, most recently 85.
Round-by-round recordLowest score invited
- November 202585
- August 202590
- November 202490
- September 202495
These are separate programmes with separate round calendars; there is no single figure that describes both.
Scores move between rounds. The most recent result does not set the next one.
Takes about two minutes. No obligation.
Check my points →Expressions of interest lodged in SkillSelect
How many expressions of interest name this occupation, and the scores they hold.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) - Points tested stream
A permanent visa for invited workers with skills Australia needs, to live and work anywhere in the country.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
A permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
A provisional visa for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia, nominated by a state or territory.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
A provisional visa for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia, sponsored by an eligible family member.
⚠ These pools are counted separately by visa subclass and are not additive — one expression of interest can name more than one subclass.
Source: Australian Government SkillSelect data, July 2026. Counts EOIs with a submitted or lodged status.
Your first four decisions
A shorter, action-led sequence replaces the original seven-step list. Later lodgement steps only matter once the pathway is confirmed.
Match your actual duties—not only your job title—to Biochemist 234513.
Map qualifications, employment proof and practical experience.
Compare the routes above side by side before committing to one.
Improve English and points, then pursue the strongest route first.
Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services
VETASSESS decides whether your skills and experience meet the Australian standard for Biochemist 234513.
- A skills assessment is tied to the occupation you nominate — the code on this page is what gets assessed, not your job title
- Requirements, fees and timing are set by the assessing authority, not by the Department
- A positive assessment does not by itself produce an invitation or a visa
- Most skilled visa applications need it decided before you lodge, so start early
Published list snapshot
Select a state or territory to inspect its published-list status. Always confirm on the nominating body's own page.
Select a region on the map — or use Tab and Enter — to see its published-list status.
Select a region for details · Use Tab + Enter with a keyboard
- NSWNot on published list
- VICNo list published
- QLDOn published list
- SANo list published
- WAOn published list
- TASOn published list
- NTNot on published list
- ACTNot on published list
Employer-led alternatives
Some employers can sponsor workers under an agreement negotiated with the government. Whether one is open to you depends on the employer, the industry and the terms of that agreement.
There is no published list of which occupations each agreement covers, so this page cannot tell you either way. Only the employer holding the agreement can.
Where these skills sit
Related roles may share duties, but a migration assessment is always against the single occupation you nominate.
What applicants usually need clarified
This page names a skills assessing authority. Does that body decide my visa?
No. A skills assessing authority assesses whether your qualifications and experience meet the Australian standard for the occupation, and issues an assessment. The Department of Home Affairs decides the visa. A positive assessment is one requirement among several — it does not create an entitlement to a visa and it does not bind the Department’s decision. Which body assesses a given occupation is set by legislative instrument; it is not a choice you or we make.
This occupation is listed for a visa on this page. Does that mean I qualify for it?
No. A listing means a legislative instrument specifies this occupation for that visa. That is one criterion. Each visa has its own separate requirements — which may include age, English, a skills assessment, nomination or sponsorship, work experience, and in some cases a points score — and those are assessed against your circumstances, not against the occupation. A listing tells you a door exists. It does not tell you that you can walk through it.
Why does this page show two sets of duties, and does the code I nominate matter?
ANZSCO — the occupation classification — has more than one edition, and different migration instruments designate different editions. The Skills in Demand and Employer Nomination instruments specify ANZSCO as in force on 23 November 2022. Both editions appear here because which one applies depends on the instrument governing the visa you are applying for.
The code matters. Visa routes are specified per code, so two codes describing similar work can carry different routes. Establishing the correct code before you apply is not a clerical step.
See where you stand against everyone else applying in this occupation
Check my points →Takes about two minutes. No obligation.
General Information Only
This page provides general information only and does not constitute migration, legal or other 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.
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