Psychiatrist
Diagnoses, assesses, treats and prevents human mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Registration or licensing is required.
ANZSCO 2013, the edition the department applies to the points tested visas (189, 190 and 491).
Specialisations within it
- Adolescent Psychiatrist
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
- Child Psychiatrist
- Forensic Psychiatrist
- Geriatric Psychiatrist
- Medical Psychotherapist
Duties
Published for unit group 2534 Psychiatrists
- assessing patients' mental and physical status to determine the nature and extent of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders
- assessing patients' medical, psychiatric and psychological histories
- examining patients to determine general physical condition
- ordering laboratory tests, imaging, neuropsychological tests and other diagnostic procedures
- examining the results of tests and examinations to determine the most appropriate forms of treatment
- prescribing and administering medication, psychotherapy, and other physical treatments and rehabilitation programs
- arranging admission to hospitals and providing in-patient treatment
- consulting, supervising and working with other Medical Practitioners and Health Professionals
- determining whether patients require involuntary treatment in accordance with relevant mental health acts
- assisting courts and other statutory bodies in managing patients in legal and forensic settings
- teaching medical students and registrars, and assessing their progress by administering tests
- Occupation:
- 253411 Psychiatrist
This is what the occupation is, not what a skills assessment requires. The assessing body applies its own criteria on top of this, and those criteria are not published here. Check them with the body itself.
Who assesses this occupation
Last confirmed against the department's list on 30 July 2026.
This occupation reads differently for the 186 and 482
Two editions of ANZSCO are current at once, and the department applies ANZSCO 2022 to the employer sponsored visas while everything above follows ANZSCO 2013.
The definition is identical in both editions, but the published duties are not:
- assessing patients' mental and physical status to determine the nature and extent of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders
- assessing patients' medical, psychiatric and psychological histories
- examining patients to determine general physical condition
- ordering laboratory tests, imaging, neuropsychological tests and other diagnostic procedures
- examining the results of tests and examinations to determine the most appropriate forms of treatment
- prescribing and administering medication, psychotherapy, and other physical treatments and rehabilitation programs
- arranging admission to hospitals and providing in-patient treatment
- consulting, supervising and working with other Medical Practitioners and Health Professionals
- determining whether patients require involuntary treatment in accordance with relevant mental health acts
- assisting courts and other statutory bodies in managing patients in legal and forensic settings
- teaching medical students and registrars, and assessing their progress by administering tests
If you are going for a 186 or a 482, this is the wording that governs you. Everything above governs the points tested routes.
Where Psychiatrist stands right now
Vizard tracks the live queue for this occupation: how many people are waiting at every points score for the 189, 190, 491, the recent invitation round cutoffs, and how far down the queue your own score puts you. 6 state nomination lists include this occupation.
Updated to 1 July 2026, from the department's own SkillSelect data.
See where you standWhere this comes from
Definition and duties: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO
Assessing authorities and skilled lists: Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list
Vizard is not a registered migration agent and nothing here is migration advice. It is published government information, organised. For advice on your own situation, speak to a registered migration agent.