ANZSCO 272511 · MLTSSL, CSOL · Skill level 1

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.

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

Specialisations within it

  • Whanau Support Worker (Family Support Worker) (NZ)

Duties

Published for unit group 2725 Social Workers

  • 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
  • Occupation:
  • 272511 Social Worker

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

AASW
Australian Association of Social Workers Limited
www.aasw.asn.au

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:

  • 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

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 Social Worker 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. 4 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.