BOTANIST | ANZSCO 234515

WHAT DOES A BOTANIST DO?

A Botanist under ANZSCO 234515 studies the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and ecology of plants. The occupation sits within ANZSCO Unit Group 2345, Life Scientists, alongside Life Scientist (General), Biochemist, Marine Biologist, Microbiologist, and Zoologist, and carries an ANZSCO Skill Level 1 rating. Recognised specialisations under this code include Plant Pathologist, Plant Physiologist, and Plant Taxonomist.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Growing plants under controlled conditions to assess the significance of environmental and genetic variables
• Studying the genetics of plants using biochemical and molecular techniques in a laboratory to determine patterns of plant evolution
• Studying the nature of plant chromosomes, cells, and tissues
• Designing and conducting experiments, making observations and measurements, and researching information
• Investigating the effects of environmental factors, such as rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil, topography, and disease, on plant growth
• Analysing data and preparing or supervising the preparation of laboratory reports and scientific papers
• Presenting research findings at scientific meetings and conferences

SUBCLASS 482 FOR BOTANISTS – 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.

Botanist sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 234515, 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 in addition to 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 BOTANISTS

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 234515.

Botanist sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a bachelor's degree or higher qualification in a highly relevant plant science field. If the role on paper looks more like a horticultural or nursery technician position rather than a botanist role with genuine research and analytical responsibility, or if your day to day duties do not reasonably fit the ANZSCO 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 Botanists includes a Bachelor degree or higher qualification in a highly relevant field, sometimes combined with relevant experience or on the job training (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR BOTANISTS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Botanist, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A genuine, approved sponsor. Your employer, such as a research institute, university, herbarium, botanic garden, or government conservation agency, must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 234515, 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 botany, or a closely related field, within the past five years
• A positive VETASSESS skills assessment where mandatory under Department of Home Affairs guidelines
• English requirements as outlined further 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.

SUBCLASS 482 VISA APPLICATION CHARGES

Visa application charges are indexed and change from 1 July each year. The government charges are structured as a base charge for the main applicant, a matching charge for each adult dependent aged 18 or over, and a reduced charge for each dependent child under 18. Because these figures move every financial year, it is worth confirming the current charge on the Home Affairs website at the time of lodgement rather than relying on a figure from a previous year, and budgeting separately for any nomination fee, the Skilling Australians Fund levy paid by the employer, and the VETASSESS skills assessment fee.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR BOTANIST – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

VETASSESS is the designated skills assessing authority for Botanist, ANZSCO 234515.

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 VETASSESS or a registered migration agent whether their specific passport and occupation combination triggers a mandatory assessment.

For a positive assessment, VETASSESS classifies Botanist as a Group A occupation. This requires a qualification assessed as comparable to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation, such as botany, plant science, plant pathology, or plant physiology. Applicants must also demonstrate at least one year of highly relevant, post qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, completed within the last five years.

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Academic transcripts and qualification certificates showing the relevant field of study
• Employment reference letters outlining job title, research duties, employment dates, and hours worked
• Evidence connecting daily responsibilities to the ANZSCO 234515 description
• Supporting materials such as research articles, conference proceedings, laboratory reports, or a list of research projects outlining your responsibilities

Providing a clear, consistent relationship between qualifications, employment history, and botanical research duties helps VETASSESS assess an application efficiently and avoids unnecessary processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR BOTANISTS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Botanists 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 BOTANISTS

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 botanist position
• A salary that meets or exceeds the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
• A positive VETASSESS skills assessment that is current at the time of application
• 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 Botanists use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR BOTANISTS – SC 186 VISA

Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS 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 (generally issued within the last three years).

The same assessment criteria apply here as for the 482: a qualification comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree or higher in a highly relevant field, together with at least one year of highly relevant, post qualification employment. 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 VETASSESS 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 Botanists 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 (BOTANIST)

A positive skills assessment gets an applicant through the visa process, and unlike many other skilled occupations, there is currently no legal requirement to hold a separate licence or registration to work as a Botanist anywhere in Australia. Botanists typically work within research institutes, universities, herbaria, botanic gardens, or government conservation agencies.

Even without a mandatory licence, many Botanists build professional credibility through membership of relevant scientific bodies such as the Australian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) or the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA), alongside published botanical papers, plant taxonomy records, and conference presentations, which support career progression once established in Australia.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, median full-time earnings for the broader Life Scientists group (ANZSCO 2345) work out to around $1,544 a week, which is roughly $80,290 a year. Actual pay for individual botanists varies considerably with specialisation, seniority, and whether the role sits within academia, state botanical gardens, CSIRO, or private environmental consultancies.

All sponsored positions must meet or exceed the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the specific location and duties.

WHY BOTANISTS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Ongoing conservation research into Australia's unique, highly biodiverse, and threatened native flora
• Continued government, herbarium, and university investment in plant taxonomy, genomics, and ecological restoration
• A limited domestic pipeline of qualified botanists relative to the scale of conservation, forestry, and agricultural research needs
• Growing demand for plant pathology expertise to protect crops, agricultural yields, and biosecurity measures
• Ongoing need for botanists supporting major infrastructure land management, environmental impact assessments, and bushfire ecology
• The inclusion of Botanist on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing need for qualified botanical science professionals nationally

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR BOTANISTS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian research institutes, universities, herbaria, botanic gardens, and government conservation agencies can sponsor overseas Botanists 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 plant science skills, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these organisations to recruit experienced overseas botanists 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 Botanist for a university, a government conservation agency, a botanic garden, or a herbarium, 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 botanists under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.

We help research, conservation, and botanical employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship applications
• Sponsoring overseas Botanists 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 botanists

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

Interactive Tools

Calculate Points & Check Your Visa Eligibility

Use our interactive self-service migration tools to calculate your points score, test your eligibility, and discover your potential Australian visa options instantly.

HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as a Botanist means navigating a VETASSESS 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 234515 correctly matches your qualifications and intended role
• Preparing a complete, decision ready VETASSESS skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment references and research evidence so they meet VETASSESS 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 Botanists