CARTOGRAPHER | ANZSCO 232213

WHAT DOES A CARTOGRAPHER DO?

A Cartographer under ANZSCO 232213 applies scientific, mathematical and cartographic design principles to prepare and revise maps, charts and other forms of cartographic output. The occupation carries an ANZSCO Skill Level 1 rating in Australia, and registration or licensing may be required. The usual entry point is a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, with relevant experience or on the job training able to support the formal qualification in some cases.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Determining the position of points of interest on the earth's surface, including marine floors, using survey, satellite and remote sensing data
• Designing, preparing and revising maps, charts, plans, three dimensional models and spatial information databases
• Analysing spatial data using data manipulation and data management software to produce accurate cartographic products
• Preparing final map and chart product data in digital form for a range of legal, social, political, educational and design purposes
• Supervising the preparation of plans, maps, charts and drawings to give clear pictorial representations of geographic information
• Managing spatial information systems and collaborating with surveyors, urban planners and architects to gather necessary data
• Supervising and coordinating the work of surveying or spatial science technicians in the production of geographic products

SUBCLASS 482 FOR CARTOGRAPHERS – CSOL LIST

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

Cartographer sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 232213, alongside closely related roles such as Surveyor and Other Spatial Scientist. This is the code an employer nominates against for a Core Skills stream 482 visa, and it is also the same code used where the occupation applies to the Direct Entry stream of the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.

SUBCLASS 482 ANZSCO REQUIREMENT FOR CARTOGRAPHERS

Your nominated occupation has to genuinely reflect the work you will actually be doing for your sponsoring employer. The Department looks past job titles and checks the duties set out in your nomination against the ANZSCO definition for 232213.

If the role on paper is genuinely focused on field survey work and boundary determination rather than map production and spatial data presentation, the nomination may need to be assessed against the related but distinct occupation of Surveyor instead, which follows a different assessment pathway. If the role is broader spatial data science work involving equipment, software and service development rather than cartographic output specifically, Other Spatial Scientist may be the more accurate code. Getting the occupation description right at this stage matters, since these are genuinely different occupations within the same unit group.

ANZSCO requirement for Cartographers includes a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, with relevant experience or on the job training able to support the formal qualification in some circumstances (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR CARTOGRAPHERS

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

• A genuine, approved sponsor. Your employer, typically a government mapping agency, surveying firm or geospatial consultancy, must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 232213, 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 cartography or a closely related spatial sciences field, within the past five years
• 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, which sets the minimum salary an employer must offer for a Core Skills stream nomination, is indexed and reviewed every year, so it is always worth checking the current figure on the Home Affairs website before a nomination is lodged. The visa itself can be granted for a period of one 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 CARTOGRAPHER – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services, known as VETASSESS, is the relevant skills assessing authority for Cartographer (ANZSCO 232213). Cartographer is assessed under VETASSESS Group A.

A skills assessment is not required for every Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa applicant. It only becomes mandatory where the Department of Home Affairs' legislative instrument on mandatory skills assessments lists the specific occupation and passport country combination as requiring one. That mandatory list currently focuses heavily on trade and technical occupations, and Cartographer does not appear among the occupations named. Even so, mandatory requirements are reviewed periodically, so applicants and employers should always confirm the current position before lodging.

Even where it is not mandatory, a positive VETASSESS skills assessment gives an employer and a case officer clear, independent confirmation that an applicant's qualifications and experience genuinely match the nominated occupation, and many sponsors ask for one as standard practice regardless of the legal minimum.

The VETASSESS assessment for this Group A occupation generally requires:

• A Bachelor degree or higher qualification assessed as comparable to the Australian standard, with a major field of study highly relevant to cartography
• At least one year of post qualification, highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level, completed within the last five years
• A positive assessment of both the qualification and the employment history together, since both are required for an overall positive outcome
• VETASSESS does not apply any specific caveats to this occupation, meaning there are no additional occupation specific restrictions beyond the standard qualification and employment criteria

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Certified copies of academic transcripts and qualification documents
• Employment reference letters on company letterhead outlining job title, duties, employment dates and hours worked
• Payslips, taxation records, or other evidence supporting the claimed employment
• Examples of mapping or cartographic output produced, where available, to help demonstrate the highly relevant nature of the role

Providing complete and well organised evidence helps VETASSESS assess an application efficiently and may reduce processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR CARTOGRAPHERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

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

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 position as a Cartographer
• A salary that meets or exceeds the relevant 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 Cartographers use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR CARTOGRAPHERS – SC 186 VISA

Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS 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.

The same Group A qualification and employment criteria described above apply here. 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 VETASSESS processing 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 Cartographers looking at the 482 and 186 pathways, the bar is different at each stage, which catches a number 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 a score is getting old, it is worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION IN AUSTRALIA (CARTOGRAPHER)

A positive skills assessment and an approved visa get an applicant through the migration process, and although the ANZSCO definition notes that registration or licensing may be required, cartography does not carry the same personal licensing regime as cadastral surveying in Australia. There is no dedicated state or territory registration board specifically for cartographers, unlike the licensing arrangements that apply to some surveying disciplines.

Many cartographers build professional recognition through membership of bodies such as the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute, which represents mapping, surveying and geospatial professionals across Australia. This kind of recognition is voluntary rather than a legal requirement to practise, but it is well regarded across the industry and can support a stronger visa nomination case by giving an employer and a case officer additional confidence in an applicant's professional standing.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Cartographers varies with specialisation and the tools involved, with professionals skilled in geographic information systems, photogrammetry and three dimensional spatial modelling generally sitting toward the higher end of the range. Government mapping agencies and large infrastructure and mining businesses tend to offer the strongest and most stable packages.

WHY CARTOGRAPHERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Ongoing infrastructure, urban planning and land administration projects across Australia all rely on accurate, up to date mapping and spatial data products
• Growth in satellite imagery, drone based survey and remote sensing technology has expanded the volume of spatial data that needs to be processed and turned into usable cartographic products
• Government agencies responsible for land records, emergency services mapping and environmental monitoring depend on skilled cartographers to maintain accurate, current datasets
• Mining, resources and infrastructure businesses require detailed spatial mapping to support planning, safety and environmental compliance
• The inclusion of Cartographer on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing need for qualified spatial science professionals at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR CARTOGRAPHERS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian government mapping agencies, surveying firms, geospatial consultancies and resources businesses can sponsor overseas Cartographers 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 spatial science skills, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these organisations to recruit experienced overseas cartographers and close 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 make sure your business meets all Department of Home Affairs requirements while keeping the sponsorship process as straightforward as possible.

Whether you need to sponsor a Cartographer for a government mapping agency, a surveying firm, or a mining or infrastructure business, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled cartographers under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.

We help employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship applications
• Sponsoring overseas Cartographers 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 cartographers

If your business is looking to sponsor a Cartographer in Australia or recruit a skilled overseas spatial science professional, Migration Republic can provide expert advice and manage the entire employer sponsorship process from start to finish, allowing you to focus on running 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 Cartographer means navigating a Group A VETASSESS skills assessment, confirming you are applying under the correct occupation code rather than Surveyor or Other Spatial Scientist, and two 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 that ANZSCO 232213 genuinely matches your qualifications and day to day duties
• Preparing a complete, decision ready VETASSESS skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment references 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 Cartographers