FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISER | ANZSCO 222311

WHAT DOES A FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISER DO?

A Financial Investment Adviser under ANZSCO 222311 develops and puts together financial plans for individuals or organisations, and advises clients on investment strategies along with the tax implications, securities, insurance, pension arrangements and real estate that come with them. The occupation sits within ANZSCO Unit Group 2223, Financial Investment Advisers and Managers, and carries a Skill Level 1 rating in Australia. In practical terms, that means the usual entry point is a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, although at least five years of relevant experience can substitute for the formal qualification in some cases.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Interviewing prospective clients to work out their financial situation and goals
• Discussing financial options and putting together financial plans and investment strategies
• Monitoring how investments are performing and revising plans as client needs or markets change
• Recommending and arranging insurance cover for clients
• Arranging the buying and selling of stocks and bonds on a client's behalf
• Advising on investment strategies, sources of funds, and how earnings are distributed
• Setting financial objectives and building strategies to help clients reach them
• Managing funds raised through personal superannuation savings policies and unit trusts
• Helping clients meet their superannuation compliance obligations
• Directing the collection of financial and investment information used to prepare budgets, forecasts and statutory reports

SUBCLASS 482 FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS – 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.

Financial Investment Adviser sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 222311, alongside closely related roles such as Finance Broker and Insurance Broker. 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 FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS

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 222311.

Financial Investment Adviser sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a Bachelor degree or higher qualification. If the role on paper looks more like a narrow support function, such as paraplanning or compliance work with no direct client advice relationship, or if it looks closer to fund or portfolio management, the nomination may need to be assessed against a different, related occupation code instead. Getting the occupation description right at this stage saves a lot of back and forth later.

ANZSCO requirement for Financial Investment Advisers includes a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, with at least five years of relevant experience able to substitute for the formal qualification in some circumstances (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Financial Investment Adviser, 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 222311, 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 financial advice or a closely related 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

From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold sits at AUD 79,423 per year, up from the previous AUD 76,515. This is the minimum salary an employer must offer for a Core Skills stream nomination, and it is 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 also indexed and change from 1 July each year. As at 1 July 2026, the government charges are:

These charges are paid on top of any nomination fee, the Skilling Australians Fund levy paid by the employer, and any English test, health check, or skills assessment costs. Because these figures change with each 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.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISER – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services, known as VETASSESS, is the relevant skills assessing authority for Financial Investment Adviser (ANZSCO 222311).

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 Financial Investment Adviser 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 occupation generally looks at:

• A Bachelor degree or higher qualification in a highly relevant field, such as Finance, Financial Planning, Economics, Actuarial Studies, Accounting, or General Business and Commerce
• At least one year of post qualification employment that is highly relevant to Financial Investment Adviser duties, completed within the last five years
• Where employment took place before the qualification was finished, the remaining pre-qualifying employment period may be counted within the last ten years instead
• A combined, positive assessment of both the qualification and the employment history is needed for an overall positive outcome

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Academic transcripts and certified 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
• Any relevant licensing, registration, or professional membership documentation

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

SUBCLASS 186 FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Financial Investment Advisers 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 FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS

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 Financial Investment Adviser
• 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 Financial Investment Advisers use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS – 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 qualification and employment pathways 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 Financial Investment Advisers 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.

REGISTRATION AND LICENSING IN AUSTRALIA (FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISER)

A positive skills assessment and an approved visa get an applicant through the migration process, but neither one allows a person to start giving personal financial advice to Australian clients. Anyone who wants to work as a relevant provider giving personal advice to retail clients must be authorised by an Australian Financial Services licensee and appear on the Financial Advisers Register, which is administered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Under the professional standards framework, a new entrant to the industry generally needs an approved Bachelor degree or higher qualification in a relevant field, a pass in the ASIC financial adviser exam, and completion of a supervised professional year with a licensee before being authorised to advise retail clients in their own right. Advisers who hold a qualification from outside Australia can apply to Treasury to have that qualification assessed against the approved standard, and the exam and professional year requirements still apply on top of that assessment.

Advisers who only intend to provide advice to wholesale or sophisticated clients, or who work in support roles such as paraplanning, compliance or business development, are not required to register on the Financial Advisers Register, although standard skilled migration qualification checks still apply to those roles.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Financial Investment Advisers tends to sit close to the pay of bank managers and insurance brokers, and it is usually below the pay of stockbrokers. Advisers in Sydney and Melbourne, along with those who build their own client book or move into a principal role, tend to command the highest earnings, and bonus or commission structures can meaningfully boost total take home pay on top of base salary.

WHY FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Stricter education and exam standards introduced under the professional standards reforms pushed a large number of existing advisers out of the industry, shrinking the registered adviser population significantly over the last several years
• Australia's superannuation and managed funds pool continues to grow every year, and a larger pool of retirement savings means more individuals and families need personal financial advice
• An ageing population is moving into retirement in greater numbers, and this group typically needs the most detailed and ongoing financial planning support
• Many licensees and advice practices report they simply cannot recruit enough qualified advisers locally to meet client demand
• The addition of Financial Investment Adviser to the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing shortage at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian financial advice practices, wealth management firms, and licensees can sponsor overseas Financial Investment Advisers 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 the ongoing shortage of registered advisers across Australia, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for advice firms, licensees and wealth management businesses to recruit experienced overseas advisers 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 Financial Investment Adviser for a boutique advice practice, a bank aligned dealer group, or an independent wealth management firm, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled advisers under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.

We help financial advice businesses with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship applications
• Sponsoring overseas Financial Investment Advisers 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 advisers

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

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HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as a Financial Investment Adviser means navigating a VETASSESS skills assessment, a separate professional registration process with ASIC, 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 222311 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 Financial Investment Advisers