DIETITIAN | ANZSCO 251111

WHAT DOES A DIETITIAN DO?

A Dietitian under ANZSCO 251111 applies the science of human nutrition to help individuals, families, and communities understand the relationship between food and health, and to prevent and treat illness and disease through evidence-based dietary intervention. The occupation sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, meaning the usual entry point is an accredited Australian Bachelor or Master's degree in nutrition and dietetics, or a recognised overseas equivalent.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Assessing the nutritional and dietary needs of patients and clients, including those with chronic disease, allergies, or complex medical conditions
• Developing individualised meal plans and nutrition therapy programs based on clinical assessment
• Monitoring and adjusting dietary plans in response to a patient's progress or changing health status
• Providing nutrition education to individuals, groups, and communities, including in hospitals, schools, and workplaces
• Working within multidisciplinary healthcare teams on chronic disease management, oncology, renal, paediatric, and aged care nutrition
• Advising food service managers and institutions on menu planning and nutritional standards
• Contributing to public health nutrition policy, health promotion campaigns, and research
• Keeping clinical records and documentation in line with Australian healthcare and privacy standards

SUBCLASS 482 FOR DIETITIANS: 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.

Dietitian sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 251111, 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 may also qualify for the Specialist Skills stream, which carries a higher income threshold but faster processing and a broader occupation base. 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 DIETITIANS

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 251111.

Dietitian 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 nutritionist role without a dietetics qualification, or don't reasonably fit the clinical dietetics 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 Dietitian: “Bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1). At least one year of relevant experience may substitute for a formal qualification in some cases; registration or licensing may be required.”

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR DIETITIANS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills (or Specialist Skills) stream as a Dietitian, 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 251111, 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 Dietitian 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 Dietitian 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 DIETITIAN: SUBCLASS 482

Dietitians Australia (formerly the Dietitians Association of Australia, DAA) is the relevant skills assessing authority for Dietitian (ANZSCO 251111), operating under the oversight of the Dietitian and Nutritionist Regulatory Council (DNRC).

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 Dietitians Australia assessment generally includes:

• Assessment of qualifications, including whether the degree is from an accredited Australian program or a recognised overseas equivalent
• Verification of relevant employment history and clinical practice experience
• Dietetic Skills Recognition (DSR) processing for overseas-qualified applicants, which may include an examination component
• Confirmation that the applicant's skills and training meet Australian dietetic practice standards

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Academic transcripts and qualification certificates from an accredited dietetics program
• Employment reference letters outlining job title, duties, employment dates, and hours worked
• Evidence of any professional registration or credentialing already held, such as APD status or an equivalent overseas credential
• Payslips, taxation records, or other evidence supporting claimed employment

Providing complete and well-prepared evidence helps the assessing authority process an application efficiently and may reduce processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR DIETITIANS: EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

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

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 dietetics 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 Dietitians use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR DIETITIANS: SC 186 VISA

Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from Dietitians Australia 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 assessment pathways apply here: one for applicants with an accredited Australian qualification, and one for applicants who need to complete Dietetic Skills Recognition based on an overseas qualification. 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 assessment process 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 required depends on which visa is being applied for. For Dietitians 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 a score is getting old, it's worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION FOR DIETITIANS IN AUSTRALIA

A positive skills assessment gets an applicant through the visa process, but most Australian employers, Medicare, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and private health insurers will only recognise a Dietitian who holds the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) credential.

Dietetics is not a government-licensed profession in Australia in the way a trade or a nursing role is. Instead, the sector is self-regulated through the APD Program administered by Dietitians Australia. Overseas-qualified dietitians generally need to complete Dietetic Skills Recognition (DSR) and, in many cases, sit the Dietitians Australia examination for overseas-educated dietitians before APD status is granted.

• APD status is required to access a Medicare or DVA provider number
• Most public health services, aged care providers, and private health insurers require APD status for employment or rebates
• APDs must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing professional development each year to maintain their credential
• APD status and the migration skills assessment are separate processes, and it's worth planning for both well ahead of arrival

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Dietitians working in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia tend to command the highest wages, and roles in aged care, private practice, and specialist clinical areas such as renal or oncology nutrition can significantly boost total remuneration.

WHY DIETITIANS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Rising rates of chronic and diet-related disease, including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions
• A national policy shift toward preventive healthcare and chronic disease management
• An ageing population driving demand for aged care and community nutrition services
• Growth in hospital, community health, and NDIS-funded allied health services across metropolitan and regional Australia
• Jobs and Skills Australia has identified allied health, including dietetics, as an area of ongoing shortage
• A limited domestic graduate pipeline relative to healthcare workforce demand, particularly in regional and rural areas

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR DIETITIANS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian healthcare providers, aged care operators, and private practices can sponsor overseas Dietitians 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 allied health professionals across Australia, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for hospitals, community health services, aged care providers, and private clinics to recruit experienced overseas Dietitians 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 employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) applications
• Sponsoring overseas Dietitians 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 Dietitians

If your organisation is looking to sponsor a Dietitian in Australia or recruit skilled overseas nutrition 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 Dietitian means navigating a Dietitians Australia skills assessment, an APD credentialing pathway that sits alongside your visa, 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 251111 correctly matches your qualifications and duties
• Preparing a complete, decision-ready Dietitians Australia skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment references so they meet the assessing authority'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 Dietitians