🇦🇺 Australia

Carpenter and Joiner Visa Pathway Australia

✓ MARA · Last reviewed: July 2026 · 6 min read · MARN 2518872

Carpenters and joiners can migrate to Australia via two employer-sponsored visa pathways: the 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa for temporary work, or the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme for permanent residence. Both require TRA skills assessment and employer sponsorship.

Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
331211
Carpenter and Joiner
SkillSelect minimum
65 pts
DHA round 2026-06-04 · tie-break 24/04/2026
Skills Assessor
TRA
Skills Shortage
In shortage
Shortage in: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA · Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025-10
Visa Pathways
189, 190, 491, 485, 482, 186
Subclasses this occupation is eligible for
Source: DHA SkillSelect, March 2026

Skills demand for Carpenter and Joiner

Whether an occupation is in demand shapes almost everything else about a skilled application — which visas are realistic, how competitive an invitation round is likely to be, and whether a state has any reason to nominate you.

Jobs and Skills Australia currently assesses this occupation as being in shortage. That is an assessment of the labour market, not a promise about your application — but it is the signal states and employers pay attention to.

Visa pathways for Carpenter and Joiner

Your visa options follow directly from the occupation lists your ANZSCO code sits on. Each list unlocks a different set of subclasses, and appearing on one says nothing about the others.

This occupation appears on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, which is the list that opens the independent and state-nominated skilled visas as well as the regional pathway.

This occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List, which is the list used for the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream.

Skills assessment for Carpenter and Joiner

Every skilled application turns on the skills assessment. An independent authority — not the Department — decides whether your qualifications and experience genuinely correspond to the occupation you are nominating, and there is no way around it.

No fee is stated here. We publish a charge only where we can source it from the authority reliably and keep it current; where we cannot, we send you to the authority instead of guessing. A reader one click from the truth is better served than a reader given a number we cannot stand behind.

The points test and Carpenter and Joiner

The points test is the most misunderstood part of the skilled program, and almost all of the confusion sits on a single distinction.

Meeting the minimum lets you submit an Expression of Interest. It does not get you invited. The Department invites in rank order from the top down, which means the effective bar is whatever the strongest applicants in your occupation happen to score.

A published minimum for this occupation appears above. Read it as occupation-specific and round-specific — it is not a standing cut-off, and it changes between rounds.

State and territory nomination

State and territory nomination is a separate process with its own rules. Each state publishes its own list and its own criteria, they change without much notice, and being nominated by one state does not help you with another. Check the nominating body directly.

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
The single most common reason a skilled application fails is that the occupation was chosen to fit the applicant rather than the evidence. Get the ANZSCO code right first, and make sure your employment references actually describe the duties that code requires — not the job title.
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. The minimum allows you to lodge an Expression of Interest. Invitations are issued in rank order from the highest scores down, so the score that actually secures an invitation depends on who else is in the pool for your occupation.
Can a state nominate me for this occupation?
Only if the occupation is on that state's own list at the time you apply, and only if you meet that state's criteria. State lists are separate from the national lists and are revised often — check the nominating body's current 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.

Skilled occupation lists change frequently — occupations may be added, removed, or transferred between lists at any time by ministerial direction. This page reflects list status at the date shown above. Always verify current list membership on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging a visa application.

Migration law changes frequently. While we endeavour to keep this content current, immi.tv makes no representation that the information is accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it. You should independently verify all information before acting on it.

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, application costs, and consequential loss — arising from reliance on this content. See our full Terms of Use.

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