JEWELLERY DESIGNER | ANZSCO 232313

WHAT DOES A JEWELLERY DESIGNER DO?

A Jewellery Designer under ANZSCO 232313 conceptualises and designs prototypes and details for the manufacture of jewellery and objects for personal adornment, such as watches and spectacles, homewares and other objects such as trophies and silverware, using metals, precious stones, plastics, engraving, casting and fabrication, to develop designs for mass or batch production or one off commissions. The occupation sits within ANZSCO Unit Group 2323, Fashion, Industrial and Jewellery Designers, and carries a Skill Level 1 rating in Australia. The usual entry point is a Bachelor degree or higher qualification, with at least five years of relevant experience able to substitute for the formal qualification in some cases.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Determining the objectives and constraints of a design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders
• Undertaking research into materials, techniques and market trends relevant to a jewellery collection or commission
• Formulating design concepts for rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other objects of personal adornment
• Preparing sketches, technical drawings, samples and models to communicate design concepts to clients and manufacturers
• Selecting, specifying and recommending precious metals, gemstones and other materials, along with suitable production methods and finishes
• Negotiating design solutions with clients, management, and sales and manufacturing staff
• Preparing and commissioning prototypes and samples, and overseeing the design through to final production

SUBCLASS 482 FOR JEWELLERY DESIGNERS – 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.

Jewellery Designer sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 232313, alongside closely related roles such as Fashion Designer and Industrial Designer. 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 JEWELLERY DESIGNERS

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 232313.

VETASSESS notes that roles primarily focused on examining designs in order to make jewellery, repairing jewellery, crafting objects out of precious metals, or cutting, shaping and polishing rough gemstones are classified elsewhere in ANZSCO, most likely under the trade occupation of Jeweller, rather than this design focused code. If the role on paper is closer to clothing or footwear design rather than jewellery, Fashion Designer would be the correct code instead, and general product design work not focused on jewellery would fall under Industrial Designer. Getting the occupation description right at this stage matters, since these are separate occupations with their own assessment criteria.

ANZSCO requirement for Jewellery Designers 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 JEWELLERY DESIGNERS

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

• A genuine, approved sponsor. Your employer, typically a jewellery house, manufacturer or design studio, must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 232313, 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 jewellery design, 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 JEWELLERY DESIGNER – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services, known as VETASSESS, is the relevant skills assessing authority for Jewellery Designer (ANZSCO 232313).

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 Jewellery Designer 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 offers three pathways:

• Pathway A: a Bachelor degree or higher qualification in a field highly relevant to Jewellery Designer duties, together with at least one year of post qualification, highly relevant employment within the last five years
• Pathway B: a Bachelor degree or higher qualification with an additional Diploma level qualification in a highly relevant field, together with at least two years of post qualification, highly relevant employment within the last five years
• Pathway C: a Bachelor degree or higher qualification that is not in a highly relevant field, together with at least three years of post qualification, highly relevant employment within the last five years

A positive assessment of both the qualification and the employment history together 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
• A portfolio of original jewellery design work, sketches, technical drawings or completed pieces, where available, to help demonstrate the highly relevant nature of the role
• For self employed applicants, business or sole trading registration details, an accountant's or solicitor's statement confirming self employment duration, and evidence of client work and payments received

Providing complete and well organised evidence, including a strong design portfolio, helps VETASSESS assess an application efficiently and may reduce processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR JEWELLERY DESIGNERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Jewellery Designers 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 JEWELLERY DESIGNERS

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 Jewellery Designer
• 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 Jewellery Designers use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR JEWELLERY DESIGNERS – 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 three 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, a design portfolio 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 Jewellery Designers 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 (JEWELLERY DESIGNER)

A positive skills assessment and an approved visa get an applicant through the migration process, and Jewellery Designer is not a licensed occupation in Australia. There is no personal registration or exam to pass before working in the role.

Many jewellery designers build professional standing through membership of industry bodies such as the Jewellers Association of Australia, or through recognised qualifications in gemmology, particularly where a role also involves gemstone selection and valuation. This kind of recognition is voluntary rather than a legal requirement to practise, but a strong portfolio and relevant industry credentials can support a stronger visa nomination case by giving an employer and a case officer additional confidence in an applicant's design and technical ability.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Jewellery Designers tends to rise with the prestige of the brand or house involved, and designers who work with fine jewellery, high value gemstones or bespoke commissions generally sit toward the higher end of the range. Designers who build a strong personal reputation or move into creative direction roles typically see the largest step up in earning potential, and self employed designers running their own label have earning potential that varies considerably based on client base and brand recognition.

WHY JEWELLERY DESIGNERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Australia's fine jewellery and luxury goods market continues to grow, supported by strong demand for bespoke and locally designed pieces
• Australian gemstones, including opals and South Sea pearls, support a distinctive local design industry that competes internationally and needs skilled designers to develop new collections
• Growth in online and direct to consumer jewellery brands has increased demand for designers who can work across both traditional and digital sales channels
• Established jewellery houses and manufacturers report ongoing difficulty recruiting designers with strong technical knowledge of precious metals, gemstones and production methods
• The inclusion of Jewellery Designer on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing need for qualified design professionals at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR JEWELLERY DESIGNERS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian jewellery houses, manufacturers and design studios can sponsor overseas Jewellery Designers 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 experienced design talent, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these businesses to recruit experienced overseas jewellery designers 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 Jewellery Designer for a fine jewellery house, a manufacturing business, or an independent design studio, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled jewellery designers 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 Jewellery Designers 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 jewellery designers

If your business is looking to sponsor a Jewellery Designer in Australia or recruit a skilled overseas design 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 Jewellery Designer means navigating a VETASSESS skills assessment across three possible pathways, confirming you are applying under the correct occupation code rather than Jeweller, Fashion Designer or Industrial Designer, 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 232313 genuinely matches your qualifications and day to day duties
• Preparing a complete, decision ready VETASSESS skills assessment application, including your design portfolio
• 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 Jewellery Designers