🇦🇺 Australia

Civil Engineering Technician Visa Pathway Australia

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

Civil Engineering Technicians can migrate to Australia via the TSS 482 visa for temporary skilled employment or the ENS 186 visa for permanent residence through employer sponsorship. Both pathways require VETASSESS skills assessment and are supported by strong demand in infrastructure and construction.

Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
312212
Civil Engineering Technician
SkillSelect minimum
Not in DHA’s latest published round
Skills Assessor
VETASSESS
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 Civil Engineering Technician

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 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 Civil Engineering Technician

The occupation lists decide the pathway. Each list maps to a different group of visa subclasses, so the first question is always which list — or lists — this occupation appears on.

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.

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 Civil Engineering Technician

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

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.

The authority sets and publishes its own fees. The pathways and charges below are taken from the authority's own fee schedule, and we check them against that source. Confirm the current figure with the authority before you apply — fees change, and the authority is the only source that can be relied on.

The points test and Civil Engineering Technician

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

The minimum score is what allows you to lodge an Expression of Interest. It is not the score that gets you invited. Invitations are issued in rank order, highest first, until the round is exhausted — so the score that actually secures an invitation is set by your competition, not by the minimum.

The Department has not published a minimum for this occupation in the most recent round data we hold. We do not state one. Absence from the published table is not evidence that no invitations were issued, and inventing a figure — or reporting zero — would be worse than saying nothing. Check the Department's own round results.

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. A positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority is a requirement for the skilled visas, and it must be for the occupation you are nominating. An assessment for a related but different occupation will not carry over.
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?
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.

Are you a Civil Engineering Technician considering migration to Australia? Book a consultation to explore your 482 and 186 options.

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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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