ANZSCO 271111 · MLTSSL, CSOL · Skill level 1

Barrister

Pleads cases before civil, criminal and industrial courts and other tribunals. Registration or licensing is required.

ANZSCO 2013, the edition the department applies to the points tested visas (189, 190 and 491).

Specialisations within it

  • Queen's Counsel
  • Senior Counsel (Aus)

Duties

Published for unit group 2711 Barristers

  • receiving written information in the form of briefs and verbal instructions concerning cases from Solicitors, other specialist Legal Professionals and clients
  • providing advice and written opinions on points of law
  • conferring with clients and witnesses in preparation for court proceedings
  • drawing up pleadings, affidavits and other court documents
  • researching statutes and previous court decisions relevant to cases
  • outlining the facts to the court, calling and questioning witnesses, and making addresses to the court to argue a client's case
  • providing opinion on complex legal issues
  • may draw up or settle documents
  • Occupation:
  • 271111 Barrister

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

Legal admissions authority of a state or territory
Legal admissions authority of a state or territory

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:

  • receiving written information in the form of briefs and verbal instructions concerning cases from Solicitors, other specialist Legal Professionals and clients
  • providing advice and written opinions on points of law
  • conferring with clients and witnesses in preparation for court proceedings
  • drawing up pleadings, affidavits and other court documents
  • researching statutes and previous court decisions relevant to cases
  • outlining the facts to the court, calling and questioning witnesses, and making addresses to the court to argue a client's case
  • providing opinion on complex legal issues
  • may draw up or settle documents

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 Barrister 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. 2 state nomination lists include this occupation.

Updated to 1 July 2026, from the department's own SkillSelect data.

See where you stand

Where 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.