272511
Social Worker
Assesses the social needs of individuals, families and groups, assists and empowers people to develop and use the skills and resources needed to resolve social and other problems, and furthers human wellbeing and human rights, social justice and social development. Registration or licensing may be required.
Relevant occupation lists
MLTSSL — Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List This list is used for several skilled visa pathways, including the points-tested 189, 190 and 491 where the applicable rules allow. Being on it does not make an occupation eligible for every skilled or employer-sponsored visa, so check the specific subclass, stream and current instrument.
CSOL — Core Skills Occupation List Introduced on 7 December 2024, the CSOL is used for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa, subclass 482, and the Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme visa, subclass 186. Check the stream-specific requirements and any restrictions on the proposed position.
Visa pathways listed for this occupation
Select a visa to read the fuller explanation on this website, including the requirements you need to consider alongside the occupation listing.
Recorded subclass 189 invitation round
75In the recorded round on 4 June 2026, the lowest score invited for this occupation was 75 points.
The lowest invited score describes what happened in one round. It can change with the occupations selected, places available and candidates waiting, so it is not a fixed score to aim for. Where candidates have the same points, invitation order uses the EOI’s date of effect, broadly the time it reached that score. Check the tie-break information alongside the points result.
States and territories select candidates for the subclass 190 and state-nominated subclass 491 pathways through their own programmes. There is no single national invitation cut-off for those pathways, so look at the relevant jurisdiction’s criteria and published selection information.
Skills assessing authority
Where your visa requires a skills assessment, check the designated authority, the assessment pathway and when the result must be available. The authority sets its own criteria for qualifications, experience and evidence; a positive assessment does not by itself establish that every visa requirement is met.
- AASWAustralian Association of Social Workers Limitedhttp://www.aasw.asn.au/
ANZSCO
The material below reproduces the Australian Bureau of Statistics ANZSCO entry. Read it as the occupation’s classification description, alongside the current visa and assessment requirements.
Occupation description
Assesses the social needs of individuals, families and groups, assists and empowers people to develop and use the skills and resources needed to resolve social and other problems, and furthers human wellbeing and human rights, social justice and social development. Registration or licensing may be required.
Specialisations
ANZSCO skill level 1
Skill level 1 ANZSCO broadly places these occupations at bachelor’s degree level or above. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification in the classification, and some occupations require additional experience or training. This does not automatically replace the qualification requirements of a skills assessment or visa.
In Australia and New Zealand: Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1). Registration or licensing may be required.
Typical tasks
- acting as a facilitator between clients in need and community services
- assessing resources for health, welfare, recreation, housing, employment and other community services
- providing leadership and assistance for the implementation of pilot projects in community development and self-help, and planning and implementing research projects to address client needs, organisation goals and social policy
- cooperating with community organisations, social agencies and voluntary groups to improve services and develop new services
- conducting individual and family case interviews to identify the nature and extent of clients' problems
- assisting clients to understand and resolve problems by providing information, acting as a mediator and referring them to community and self-help agencies
- analysing, developing, promoting and implementing social policies through the use of practice experience, research, analytic frameworks, and negotiation skills to respond to social need through a fair, equitable and effective allocation of social resources
- monitoring the progress of clients by maintaining contact
- compiling case records and reports
2725 Social Workers
Social Workers assess the social needs of individuals, families and groups, assist and empower people to develop and use the skills and resources needed to resolve social and other problems, and further human wellbeing and human rights, social justice and social development.
ANZSCO classification hierarchy
- 2Professionals
- 27Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals
- 272Social and Welfare Professionals
- 2725Social Workers
- 272511Social Worker
Unsure whether this occupation fits your work?
Choosing an occupation involves more than finding a familiar job title. I can review your duties, qualifications and visa history with you, explain which occupation your evidence may support and identify any gaps before you apply for a skills assessment. That discussion can also help you understand how the occupation choice affects the visa options you are considering.
Book a consultationSources: the Department of Home Affairs for occupation lists, visa links, restrictions and assessing authorities; the Australian Bureau of Statistics for ANZSCO descriptions, tasks, skill levels, alternative titles and specialisations. The directory uses ANZSCO 2022 and, where relevant to the visa framework, ANZSCO 2013. Refer to the original entries for current requirements, attribution and reuse terms.
Home Affairs skilled occupation list · ABS occupation classification entry
Estimate your skilled migration points — Check the points categories for visas 189, 190 and 491
Next step
Have a visa question or need help getting started?
A 30-minute consultation gives us time to discuss your circumstances, consider initial options and identify the documents that need checking. Some matters require a further review of the records before I can give a complete assessment.