BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER | ANZSCO 233913

WHAT DOES A BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER DO?

A Biomedical Engineer under ANZSCO 233913 brings together engineering, biology, and medicine to design, test, install, and maintain the equipment and systems used across the healthcare sector. The occupation sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which generally means a bachelor's degree or higher qualification in biomedical engineering, bioengineering, or a closely related engineering field, sometimes combined with several years of relevant experience.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Designing and developing medical devices, diagnostic equipment, and therapeutic instruments
• Testing, calibrating, and servicing clinical equipment such as imaging machines, patient monitors, and life support systems
• Applying engineering principles to solve problems connected to human physiology and patient care
• Working alongside hospital staff, surgeons, or manufacturing teams to install and maintain biomedical equipment
• Preparing technical specifications, test reports, and documentation for regulatory submissions
• Advising healthcare providers on the safe selection, use, and servicing of medical technology
• Researching and developing new materials, sensors, or systems for diagnosis or treatment
• Checking that equipment and devices meet relevant Australian standards and safety requirements

SUBCLASS 482 FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS – CSOL LIST

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

Biomedical Engineer sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 233913, and this is the code an employer nominates against for a Core Skills stream 482 visa. The occupation also appears on the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List, which means it can support points tested skilled migration as well as employer sponsored pathways. Confirming the correct list and stream for your circumstances is something worth checking with a migration agent before a nomination is lodged.

SUBCLASS 482 ANZSCO REQUIREMENT FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS

Your nominated occupation has to genuinely match the work you will actually be doing for your sponsoring employer. The Department looks past job titles and checks the duties described in your nomination against the ANZSCO definition for 233913.

Biomedical Engineer sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a bachelor's degree or higher qualification in biomedical engineering, bioengineering, or a closely related engineering discipline. If the role on paper looks more like a technician or maintenance position rather than an engineering role, or if your day to day duties do not reasonably fit the biomedical engineering description, the nomination can run into trouble. Getting the occupation description right at this stage saves a lot of back and forth later.

ANZSCO requirement for Biomedical Engineers include “a bachelor's degree or higher qualification in biomedical engineering, bioengineering, or a closely related engineering field (ANZSCO Skill Level 1)”

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Biomedical Engineer, 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 233913, with a salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
• At least one year of full time equivalent work experience in biomedical engineering, or a closely related field, 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 Core Skills Income Threshold currently sits at AUD 79,423 per year, applying to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 onward, and it is indexed each year, so it is always worth checking the current figure on the Home Affairs website before an employer lodges a nomination. The visa itself can be granted for a period of up to four years, depending on individual circumstances, and a partner and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants.

Skills Assessment Requirement for Biomedical Engineer – Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa

Engineers Australia is the relevant skills assessing authority for Biomedical Engineer, ANZSCO 233913.

A skills assessment is not required for every Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa 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 with Engineers Australia or a registered migration agent whether their specific passport and occupation combination triggers a mandatory assessment.

Applicants who hold an accredited qualification from Australia, or from a country that is a full signatory to the Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, or Dublin Accord, are generally assessed through the qualification recognition pathway. Applicants whose qualification is not accredited, or who are seeking assessment for an occupation that differs from their accredited qualification title, need to apply through the Competency Demonstration Report pathway.

A Competency Demonstration Report generally includes:

• Three career episodes describing real engineering projects or roles the applicant has worked on
• A summary statement cross referencing each career episode against the relevant competency standards
• A continuing professional development record listing training and learning activities since graduation
• A current curriculum vitae setting out education and employment history

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Employment reference letters outlining job title, duties, employment dates, and hours worked
• Qualification certificates and academic transcripts
• Evidence of any relevant professional registration or membership
• Payslips, contracts, or other evidence supporting the claimed employment

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

SUBCLASS 186 FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Biomedical Engineers already working in Australia on a 482 visa, it is the natural next step. The Direct Entry stream is the relevant pathway for applicants who have not 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 is approved, with no further visa renewals needed.

SC 186 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS

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 biomedical engineering 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 a lot of Biomedical Engineers use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS – SC 186 VISA

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

The same assessment pathways apply here as for the 482: qualification recognition for applicants with an accredited or internationally recognised engineering degree, and the Competency Demonstration Report pathway for applicants whose qualification does not meet that standard. 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 Engineers Australia assessment and document preparation take time.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Every skilled or employer sponsored visa in Australia comes with an English language test, and the score needed depends on which visa is being applied for. For Biomedical Engineers 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.

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, 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 an existing score is getting old, it is worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION IN AUSTRALIA

A positive skills assessment gets an applicant through the visa process, but ongoing professional recognition is a separate matter from the migration outcome. Many Biomedical Engineers choose to join Engineers Australia as members once they arrive, since membership can support career progression and, for those working toward more senior technical roles, Chartered status through the Chartered Professional Engineer program.

Engineers working on or with medical devices should also be aware that Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates the supply, advertising, and safety monitoring of medical devices in the country. Employers in the medical device and health technology sector generally build this regulatory framework into product development and quality processes, and Biomedical Engineers working in these roles often become familiar with it on the job.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Reported salaries for Biomedical Engineers in Australia vary quite a bit depending on the source, the sector, and the state, which is common for an occupation that spans hospital clinical engineering, medical device manufacturing, research, and regulatory roles.

Private sector roles in medical device development and regulatory affairs tend to pay more than equivalent clinical roles in the public hospital system, and Sydney and Melbourne generally sit above the national average because most hospital networks and device manufacturers are headquartered there. Whatever salary an employer offers, it still needs to clear the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role and location.

WHY BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• An ageing population is driving greater demand for diagnostic, monitoring, and treatment technology
• Ongoing investment in new hospitals and health infrastructure across the country
• A growing local medical device and health technology manufacturing sector
• Rising demand for digital health tools, wearable devices, and remote patient monitoring
• A limited domestic graduate pipeline relative to the number of biomedical engineering roles being created
• Ongoing need for engineers who understand both the technical and regulatory sides of medical technology

Employer Sponsorship for Biomedical Engineers in Australia

Australian hospitals, medical device companies, and health technology businesses can sponsor overseas Biomedical Engineers 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 demand for health technology skills continuing to grow, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these organisations to recruit experienced overseas engineers and address workforce gaps.

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

Whether you need to sponsor a Biomedical Engineer for a hospital, a medical device manufacturer, a research institute, or a health technology company, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored visa pathway. We work with organisations of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled engineers under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.

We help health technology employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship applications
• Sponsoring overseas Biomedical Engineers under the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa
• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) applications
• Labour Market Testing
• Employer nomination applications
• Employer sponsorship compliance obligations
• Permanent residency pathways for sponsored engineers

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

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HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as a Biomedical Engineer means navigating an Engineers Australia skills assessment, a choice between two visa pathways with different English and experience thresholds, and salary requirements that are indexed every year. 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 that ANZSCO 233913 correctly matches your qualifications and intended role
• Preparing a complete, decision ready Engineers Australia skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment references so they meet Engineers Australia's requirements
• 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 Biomedical Engineers