✓ MARA·Last reviewed: July 2026·5 min read·MARN 2518872
Hairdressers can migrate to Australia via two primary pathways: the 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa for short-term employment, or the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme for permanent residence. Both require TRA skills assessment and employer sponsorship.
Shortage in: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA · 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).
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 records this occupation as in shortage. A shortage rating does not guarantee an invitation or a nomination; it tells you the labour-market conditions are working in your favour rather than against you.
Visa pathways for Hairdresser
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.
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 Hairdresser
The skills assessment is the gate. An assessing authority, independent of the Department, must agree that your qualifications and experience match this occupation before anything else counts.
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
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
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
Claim only what you can prove. Points you cannot evidence at the visa stage are worse than points you never claimed, because an invitation obtained on an unprovable claim ends in a refusal rather than a grant.
MARN 2518872 (AU) · immi.tv
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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.
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.
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