🇦🇺 Australia

Telecommunications Network Engineer Visa Pathway Australia

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

Telecommunications Network Engineers can migrate to Australia via the TSS 482 (temporary) or ENS 186 (permanent) employer-sponsored pathways. MLTSSL listing and Engineers Australia assessment required.

Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
263312
Telecommunications Network Engineer
SkillSelect minimum
95 pts
DHA round 2026-06-04 · tie-break 24/04/2026
Skills Assessor
EA
Engineers Australia
Skills Shortage
Not in shortage
No state-level shortage · 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 Telecommunications Network Engineer

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 Telecommunications Network Engineer

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.

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 Telecommunications Network Engineer

Skills assessment fees

PathwayFee
Australian engineering qualification assessment AUD $315
Separate overseas engineering PhD assessment AUD $325
Fast-track assessment fee (additional to MSA assessment fee) AUD $360
Separate relevant skilled employment assessment AUD $485
Washington/Sydney/Dublin Accord qualification assessment AUD $505

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.

Fees are set by the authority, not by the Department. The pathways below come from the authority's own published schedule and are reconciled against it. Always confirm the current charge directly with the authority before lodging.

The points test and Telecommunications Network Engineer

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 is a threshold for lodging an Expression of Interest, not for receiving an invitation. Because invitations go out in rank order, the score you actually need is the score of the people ahead of you — which is generally well above the minimum.

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

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

  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 — 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?
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.

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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.

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. While we endeavour to keep content current, immi.tv makes no representation that any information is accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it. Always verify independently before acting.

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