NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIST | ANZSCO 251213

WHAT DOES A NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIST DO?

A Nuclear Medicine Technologist under ANZSCO 251213 prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals and operates nuclear imaging and radiation detecting equipment to produce diagnostic images, working in conjunction with Nuclear Medicine Physicians and other specialist Medical Practitioners. The occupation sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, meaning the usual entry point is an accredited Australian Bachelor degree in nuclear medicine or medical imaging with a nuclear medicine major, or a recognised overseas equivalent.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Preparing and administering radiopharmaceuticals orally or intravenously for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• Operating gamma cameras, PET scanners, and other nuclear imaging and radiation detecting equipment
• Calculating and verifying radiopharmaceutical dosages and equipment settings for each procedure
• Positioning patients and acquiring diagnostic-quality nuclear medicine and molecular imaging studies
• Recording and maintaining accurate records of radiopharmaceutical doses administered
• Explaining procedures to patients and answering questions about the imaging process
• Applying radiation safety principles to protect patients, staff, and themselves
• Maintaining accurate clinical records and imaging documentation in line with Australian healthcare and privacy standards

SUBCLASS 482 FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS – CSOL LIST

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the older Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024, bringing in a new occupation list. The Core Skills Occupation List, known as the CSOL, consolidated the previous strategic skills lists into a single list covering several hundred occupations across professional, trade, and technical fields.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 251213, and this is the code an employer nominates against for a Core Skills stream 482 visa. Because the role sits at Skill Level 1, well-paid nominations, particularly for PET, theranostics, or senior technologist roles, may also qualify for the Specialist Skills stream, which carries a higher income threshold but faster processing. Which stream is the right fit depends on the offered salary and the role itself, so it's worth confirming with a migration agent before a nomination is lodged.

SUBCLASS 482 ANZSCO REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS

A nominated occupation has to genuinely match the work an applicant will actually be doing for their sponsoring employer. The Department looks past job titles and checks the duties described in the nomination against the ANZSCO definition for 251213.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a Bachelor degree or higher qualification. If the day-to-day duties look more like a different medical imaging discipline, such as diagnostic radiography or radiation therapy, the correct and separate ANZSCO code should be used instead. Getting the occupation description right at this stage saves a lot of back and forth later.

ANZSCO requirement for Nuclear Medicine Technologist: "Bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1). At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. Registration or licensing is required."

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills (or Specialist Skills) stream as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A genuine, approved sponsor. Your employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 251213, with a salary at or above the relevant income threshold and the market rate for the role
• At least one year of full time equivalent relevant work experience within the past five years
• English requirements as outlined below, unless an exemption applies
• A clear health examination through an approved panel physician
• Police clearance certificates from every country lived in for twelve months or more

The visa can be granted for a period of up to four years (up to five years for Hong Kong passport holders), and a partner and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants. Salary and income thresholds are indexed annually, so it's always worth confirming the current figure before an employer lodges a nomination.

SALARY THRESHOLDS: CSIT, SSIT, AND AMSR EXPLAINED

Three separate salary concepts apply to a Nuclear Medicine Technologist nomination, and all three need to be satisfied at once: employers must pay whichever figure is highest.

• Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): The minimum guaranteed annual earnings for a Core Skills stream nomination under Subclass 482, and for Subclass 186 nominations. The current CSIT is AUD $79,423, up from AUD $76,515.
• Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): The higher minimum guaranteed annual earnings that applies to the Specialist Skills stream of Subclass 482, relevant where a nuclear medicine role is well remunerated and the employer prefers the faster Specialist Skills processing pathway. The current SSIT is AUD $146,576, up from AUD $141,210.
• Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR): The rate an equivalent Australian worker would be paid in the same role, location, and industry, based on enterprise agreements, awards, job advertisements, or remuneration survey data. The AMSR has no fixed dollar figure; it is assessed case by case.

These thresholds are indexed each year against Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE), so the applicable figure depends on when a nomination is lodged, not when it's decided. Existing visa holders and nominations lodged before an indexation date are not affected by a later increase. It's always worth confirming the current threshold with a migration agent, or on the Department of Home Affairs website, before a nomination is lodged.

SUBCLASS 482 SID VISA COST

On top of meeting the relevant income threshold, applicants and their employer need to budget for the government charges that apply to a Subclass 482 application.

*Figures shown are the base Visa Application Charge only, current at time of writing and reviewed annually by the Department of Home Affairs. Additional charges may apply, including the employer's $330 nomination fee per position and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy, along with health examinations, police checks, and English testing where required. These figures do not include the second instalment charge that applies to some dependants, or any professional or agent fees. Always confirm current charges with your migration agent or the Department of Home Affairs before lodging.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIST – SUBCLASS 482

The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) is the relevant skills assessing authority for Nuclear Medicine Technologist (ANZSCO 251213).

A skills assessment is not required for every Subclass 482 applicant. It is only mandatory where required under the Department of Home Affairs' mandatory skills assessment requirements, which apply to specified occupations and passport countries. Applicants should confirm current requirements for their passport country before lodging.

The ANZSNM assessment generally includes:

• Assessment of qualifications, confirming the degree is equivalent to an Australian undergraduate degree in nuclear medicine and associated clinical placement hours
• Verification of relevant post-qualification employment history and clinical experience
• A structured review of English language evidence, assessed against ANZSNM's own criteria, which may differ from the visa's own English requirement
• Confirmation that the applicant's skills and training meet Australian nuclear medicine practice standards

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Academic transcripts and qualification certificates from an accredited nuclear medicine or medical imaging program
• Employment reference letters outlining job title, duties, employment dates, and hours worked
• Evidence of any professional registration already held, such as a home-country nuclear medicine licence
• Payslips, taxation records, or other evidence supporting claimed employment

Providing complete and well-prepared evidence helps ANZSNM assess an application efficiently and may reduce processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Nuclear Medicine Technologists already working in Australia on a 482 visa, it's the natural next step. The Direct Entry stream is the relevant pathway for applicants who haven't yet worked long enough with their employer to qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, or who are applying from outside Australia altogether.

Unlike the 482, a grant under the 186 gives the applicant and their family permanent residency from the day it's approved, with no further visa renewals needed.

SC 186 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS

For the Direct Entry stream, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A nomination from an approved Australian employer for a genuine, full time, ongoing nuclear medicine position
• A salary that meets or exceeds the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
• A positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation, unless an exemption applies
• At least three years of relevant work experience, unless exempt from the skills assessment and experience requirements
• Being under 45 years of age at the time of application, with limited exemptions
• Competent English, at an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent
• Health and character clearances

This is a noticeably higher bar than the 482, both on English and on work experience, which is one reason many nuclear medicine technologists use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS – SC 186 VISA

Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from ANZSNM is mandatory for almost every Direct Entry 186 applicant in this occupation, and it needs to be current at the time the visa application is lodged.

Because the Direct Entry stream also requires three years of relevant experience on top of the assessment itself, it helps to start gathering employment evidence, reference letters, and qualification documents well before applying, since both the ANZSNM assessment and AHPRA registration processes can take time to complete.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Every skilled or employer sponsored visa in Australia comes with an English language test, and the score required depends on which visa is being applied for. For nuclear medicine technologists looking at the 482 and 186 pathways, the bar is different at each stage, which catches a lot of applicants off guard.

For the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, Core Skills stream, applicants generally need Competent English, which works out to an overall IELTS score of 5.0 with no band below 5.0, or an accepted equivalent test result.

For the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, Direct Entry stream, the standard is higher. Competent English here means an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band below 6.0.

It's important not to confuse this visa-level English requirement with the separate, higher English standard set by the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia for AHPRA registration, covered in the next section.

EXEMPTIONS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland are generally exempt from formal English testing for visa purposes, along with applicants who have completed a set period of study conducted in English. Test results typically need to be current within three years of lodgement, so if a score is getting old, it's worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.

AHPRA REGISTRATION FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS IN AUSTRALIA

A positive ANZSNM skills assessment and an approved visa are not enough on their own: no one can legally practise as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist in Australia without registration through the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPBA), administered by AHPRA. This is a mandatory national registration, not a state-by-state licence, and it sits separately from both the migration skills assessment and the visa application.

• Overseas-qualified applicants must apply to AHPRA directly, providing certified qualification documents, a detailed curriculum vitae, and evidence of clinical practice history
• AHPRA sets its own English language registration standard, generally Proficient English: an overall IELTS score of 7.0 with no band below 7.0, or an accepted equivalent such as OET, a noticeably higher bar than the visa's Competent English requirement
• Citizens of a small number of recognised countries, including the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland, are generally exempt from AHPRA's formal English testing requirement
• English test results for AHPRA purposes are generally only accepted if completed within the two years prior to application
• Ongoing registration requires compliance with AHPRA's continuing professional development, recency of practice, and professional indemnity insurance requirements

Because AHPRA registration, the ANZSNM skills assessment, and the visa application all run on separate timelines with separate document requirements, it's worth starting all three in parallel rather than treating them as one process.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Nuclear medicine technologists working in regional and remote locations, and those with advanced PET or theranostics skills, tend to command the highest wages, and locum and private practice work can significantly boost total remuneration.

WHY NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• An ageing population driving sustained growth in diagnostic and molecular imaging volumes
• Rapid expansion of PET imaging and theranostics in cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Expanding public and private investment in hospital and community nuclear medicine services
• Nuclear Medicine Technologist is recognised as a Tier 1, highest-value occupation on the national skilled occupation priority system
• Jobs and Skills Australia has identified nuclear medicine and molecular imaging roles as an area of ongoing shortage nationwide
• A limited domestic graduate pipeline relative to imaging service demand, particularly in regional and remote areas

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian hospitals, imaging providers, and nuclear medicine departments can sponsor overseas Nuclear Medicine Technologists through the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, and other eligible employer-sponsored visa pathways when suitably qualified Australian workers are unavailable. With ongoing demand for medical imaging professionals across Australia, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for public health services, private radiology groups, and molecular imaging centres to recruit experienced overseas nuclear medicine technologists and address workforce shortages.

At Migration Republic, we assist employers with every stage of the employer sponsorship process, including Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) applications, nomination applications, visa lodgements, and ongoing sponsorship compliance. Our Registered Migration Agents ensure your organisation meets all Department of Home Affairs requirements while making the sponsorship process as straightforward and efficient as possible.

We help healthcare and imaging employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) applications
• Sponsoring overseas Nuclear Medicine Technologists under the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa
• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) applications
• Employer nomination applications and salary benchmarking against CSIT, SSIT, and AMSR
• Employer sponsorship compliance obligations
• Permanent residency pathways for sponsored nuclear medicine technologists

If your organisation is looking to sponsor a Nuclear Medicine Technologist in Australia or recruit skilled overseas imaging professionals, Migration Republic can provide expert advice and manage the entire employer sponsorship process from start to finish, allowing you to focus on patient care while we take care of your migration requirements.

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HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist means navigating an ANZSNM skills assessment, a mandatory AHPRA registration process with its own English standard, and two employer sponsored visa pathways with different English and experience thresholds. Our registered migration agents at Migration Republic handle this every day, and we can help you get it right the first time.

Here's what we take care of for you:

• Confirming ANZSCO 251213 correctly matches your qualifications and duties
• Preparing a complete, decision-ready ANZSNM skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment references so they meet the assessing authority's requirements
• Coordinating your AHPRA registration timeline alongside your visa application
• Comparing the 482 and 186 pathways to find the right fit for your circumstances
• Managing your full visa application from lodgement through to grant

Frequently Asked Questions – Employer Sponsorship for Nuclear Medicine Technologists