✓ MARA·Last reviewed: July 2026·5 min read·MARN 2518872
Tailors and dressmakers can migrate to Australia via state sponsorship (190/491), employer sponsorship (482/186), or regional nomination. All pathways require TRA skills assessment and commitment to Australian workplace practices.
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).
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 record a shortage for this occupation at present. A skilled pathway remains open, but the case will rest on your individual claims rather than on the labour market doing any of the work for you.
Visa pathways for Dressmaker or Tailor
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.
Sitting on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List means state nomination and employer sponsorship are the realistic routes; the independent skilled visa is not available from this list.
Skills assessment for Dressmaker or Tailor
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.
State and territory nomination
Each state and territory nominates on its own terms, against its own list, and revises both regularly. A nomination from one state carries no weight with another. The nominating body's own page is the only reliable source.
How to apply, step by step
Confirm the correct ANZSCO code for your occupation. Everything downstream depends on it, and an assessment obtained for the wrong code does not transfer.
Obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
Meet the English language requirement for the visa you are applying for.
Lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, claiming only points you can evidence.
If you are seeking state nomination, apply to the nominating body separately and on its terms.
Wait to be invited. You cannot apply for the visa until an invitation is issued.
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
Free Tool
Find Your Best Visa Pathway
See which 190, 491 or employer-sponsored pathway suits your
dressmaker or tailor profile best.
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?
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.
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.