COMPANY SECRETARY | ANZSCO 221211
Australian companies, particularly those with a board of directors and formal governance obligations, need someone who can genuinely run corporate compliance properly, from board meetings through to shareholding records. Under ANZSCO 221211, skilled Company Secretaries are being sponsored by businesses across the country. Although this occupation sits within the same broader accounting and auditing occupational group as Accountant and Taxation Accountant, it is assessed quite differently, so applicants and employers both need to understand exactly how the process works.
This guide covers what a Company Secretary actually does, the English language standard applicants need to meet, and a full breakdown of two of the most common visa pathways for this occupation: the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.
WHAT DOES A COMPANY SECRETARY DO?
A Company Secretary under ANZSCO 221211 plans, administers, and reviews corporate compliance activities and effective practice concerning company board meetings and shareholdings, ensuring all business matters and transactions are managed and implemented as directed by the board. The occupation sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which generally means a bachelor degree or higher qualification. For Company Secretaries specifically, at least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. Registration or licensing may be required.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Arranging, giving notice of, and attending meetings of directors and shareholders
- Advising the organisation's governing board on matters concerning compliance with stock exchange listing rules, relevant legislation, and corporation practice
- Supervising the organisation's share capital by preparing documents and share issues, and handling share transfers
- Maintaining statutory registers and ensuring corporate records are kept up to date and compliant
- Coordinating the preparation and lodgement of statutory filings and annual reports
- Liaising with directors, auditors, and regulators on governance and compliance matters
SUBCLASS 482 FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES – CSOL LIST
The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa replaced the older Temporary Skill Shortage visa, and a new occupation list came with it. The Core Skills Occupation List, known as the CSOL, brought the earlier strategic skills lists together into a single list covering several hundred occupations across professional, technical, and managerial fields.
Company Secretary sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 221211, and this is the code an employer nominates against for a Core Skills stream 482 visa. Because it is a Skill Level 1 occupation, Home Affairs pays close attention to whether the nominated role genuinely involves corporate compliance and governance responsibility, rather than a general administrative assistant or personal assistant function.
SUBCLASS 482 ANZSCO REQUIREMENT FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES
The nominated position has to genuinely reflect the work of a Company Secretary, not just carry the title. The Department looks at the actual scope of the role, including whether the applicant manages board meetings, advises on compliance and governance matters, and oversees share capital and statutory records, rather than performing general administrative or personal assistant duties.
Because this occupation sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, applicants generally need a bachelor degree or higher qualification in a relevant field such as law, business, or governance, or at least five years of relevant experience where a formal qualification is not held. Roles that are largely general administrative or executive assistant work, without genuine corporate compliance and governance responsibility, are unlikely to meet the ANZSCO description for this occupation, so getting the position description right at the nomination stage matters a great deal.
SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES
To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Company Secretary, applicants generally need to meet the following:
- A genuine, approved sponsor, meaning the employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
- An approved nomination for ANZSCO 221211, 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 as a Company Secretary, or in a closely related field, within the past five years
- Meeting the Competent English requirement, 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
Salary and income thresholds are indexed regularly, so it is always worth checking the current figure on the Home Affairs website before an employer lodges a nomination. Visa grants can range from one to four years depending on individual circumstances, and a partner along with dependent children can be included as secondary applicants.
SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES: SC 482 VISA
VETASSESS is the assessing authority for Company Secretary, and this occupation falls under VETASSESS's Group B assessment category. This is genuinely different from Accountant, Management Accountant, and Taxation Accountant, which are assessed by one of three professional accounting bodies rather than VETASSESS, even though all of these occupations sit within the same broader Minor Group of Accountants, Auditors, and Company Secretaries. A skills assessment is not automatically mandatory for every 482 applicant in this occupation, though Home Affairs can request one, and many employers arrange it anyway to support a stronger nomination.
Where a skills assessment is used, VETASSESS offers four different ways to satisfy the assessment criteria. A bachelor degree or higher in a highly relevant field, together with at least one year of post qualification highly relevant employment in the last five years, is the most straightforward pathway. Where the degree is not highly relevant, an additional relevant diploma together with two years of relevant employment can be used instead, and applicants with a bachelor degree that is not highly relevant at all generally need three years of relevant employment. Applicants whose relevant experience largely predates their qualification may still be considered under a fourth pathway, generally requiring five years of relevant pre qualification employment together with at least one year of highly relevant employment after completing their qualification.
A strong application usually includes certified academic transcripts, detailed employment reference letters describing the board and governance support provided, and evidence of statutory compliance and share registry work carried out.
SUBCLASS 186 FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME
The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Company Secretaries 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 COMPANY SECRETARIES
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 Company Secretary position
- A salary that meets or exceeds the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
- A positive skills assessment from VETASSESS 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 Company Secretaries use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.
SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES: SC 186 VISA
Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS is generally mandatory for Direct Entry 186 applicants in this occupation, and it needs to be current at the time the visa application is lodged.
The assessment process is the same one used for the 482, reviewing the applicant's qualification and relevant employment history against whichever of the four pathways applies to their circumstances. 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, academic transcripts, and reference letters 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 applicants need to clear depends on which visa they are applying for. For Company Secretaries 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.
| Visa Pathway | English Standard | IELTS Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 482 Skills in Demand (Core Skills) | Competent English | 5.0 overall, no band below 5.0 |
| 186 Employer Nomination (Direct Entry) | Competent English | 6.0 overall, 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 applicant's score is getting old, it is worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.
CAVEATS AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPANY SECRETARIES
Company Secretary does not carry a specific migration caveat under either the Subclass 482 or Subclass 186 visa, which is a genuine advantage compared with the caveats that apply to Accountant, Management Accountant, and Taxation Accountant within the same broader occupational group.
That said, registration or licensing may be required to practise as a Company Secretary in Australia, depending on the nature of the organisation and the specific governance functions performed. Employers should be ready to show a clear position description reflecting genuine board and compliance responsibility to support the nomination.
SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA
Company Secretary salaries vary enormously depending on the size and listing status of the company, from a smaller private business through to a large ASX listed corporation.
| Experience Level / Position | Expected Annual Salary Range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Entry level Company Secretary | $80,000 to $120,000 |
| Experienced Company Secretary | $120,000 to $160,000 |
| Senior Company Secretary, such as at a large ASX listed company | $160,000 to $220,000 or more |
Company Secretaries at larger listed corporations, particularly those also holding senior legal or governance qualifications, tend to sit well above these figures, reflecting the scale of compliance and board support responsibilities involved.
WHY COMPANY SECRETARIES ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA
- Australian companies, particularly those listed on the stock exchange, face growing corporate governance and compliance obligations
- Increasing regulatory scrutiny of board conduct and disclosure requirements is placing more responsibility on company secretaries
- Growing businesses that formalise their governance structure as they scale often need dedicated company secretarial support for the first time
- Mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring continue to generate demand for experienced governance professionals
- Jobs and Skills Australia tracks Company Secretaries as part of the broader accountants, auditors, and company secretaries workforce
Employer Sponsorship for Company Secretaries in Australia
Australian companies can sponsor overseas Company Secretaries through the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, and other eligible employer sponsored pathways when a suitably experienced local candidate is not available. With demand for experienced corporate governance professionals continuing across listed and private companies alike, employer sponsorship has become a practical way for businesses to bring in experienced overseas talent.
At Migration Republic, we assist employers with every stage of the sponsorship process, including Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) applications, 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 Company Secretary for a private company, a large corporation, or an ASX listed entity, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored visa pathway. We work with businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled company secretaries under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.
We help businesses with:
- Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) applications
- Sponsoring overseas Company Secretaries under the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa
- Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) applications
- Preparing a strong position description and employment evidence to support the nomination
- Employer nomination applications
- Employer sponsorship compliance obligations
- Permanent residency pathways for sponsored company secretaries
If your business is looking to sponsor a Company Secretary, or recruit skilled overseas governance talent more broadly, Migration Republic can manage the entire employer sponsorship process from start to finish, so you can focus on running your business while we handle the migration side.
HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU
Migrating to Australia as a Company Secretary means making sure your role genuinely matches the ANZSCO definition, preparing a solid VETASSESS skills assessment, and choosing between 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 your role genuinely matches the ANZSCO 221211 definition
- Assessing which of the four VETASSESS pathways best fits your qualification and experience
- 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 Company Secretaries
READY TO START YOUR COMPANY SECRETARY VISA PATHWAY?
Let Migration Republic guide you through every step of your visa pathway to Australia, from your first skills assessment document through to your visa grant. Our team of MARA registered migration agents works with corporate governance professionals and the companies sponsoring them every week, and we know exactly what each visa stream is looking for.
Migration Republic is an Australia based migration agency offering paid consultation and visa lodgement services for skilled and employer sponsored migration.
