LAND ECONOMIST | ANZSCO 224511

WHAT DOES A LAND ECONOMIST DO?

A Land Economist under ANZSCO 224511 provides advice on the administration and use of land and property. The occupation sits within ANZSCO Unit Group 2245, Land Economists and Valuers, 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, and registration or licensing may be required depending on the specific role and jurisdiction.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Providing advice on land and property financing and valuation matters
• Researching and advising on the administration and use of land and property
• Developing and implementing sales and leasing proposals for commercial land and property
• Providing asset management services for the administration and use of land and property
• Analysing land and property investments and preparing feasibility studies for new developments
• Managing land and property portfolios and commercial property developments
• Advising on highest and best use analysis for vacant or underutilised sites
• Contributing to policy work relating to land use, zoning and property markets

SUBCLASS 482 FOR LAND ECONOMISTS – 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.

Land Economist sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 224511, alongside the closely related role of Valuer. 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 LAND ECONOMISTS

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 224511.

Land Economist sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a Bachelor degree or higher qualification. If the role on paper looks closer to formal property valuation for a defined purpose, such as mortgage security, taxation or compensation, rather than broader economic and commercial analysis of land and property, the nomination may need to be assessed against the related but distinct occupation of Valuer instead. VETASSESS treats these as separate occupations with separate duty sets, so getting the occupation description right at this stage saves a lot of back and forth later.

ANZSCO requirement for Land Economists 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 LAND ECONOMISTS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Land Economist, 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 224511, 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 land economics or a closely related property 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 English test, health check or skills assessment costs.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR LAND ECONOMIST – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services, known as VETASSESS, is the relevant skills assessing authority for Land Economist (ANZSCO 224511).

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 Land Economist 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 pathways such as:

• A Bachelor degree or higher qualification in a field highly relevant to Land Economist duties, together with at least one year of post qualification, highly relevant employment within the last five years
• 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
• A Bachelor degree or higher qualification that is not in a highly relevant field, together with a longer period 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
• Examples of feasibility studies, portfolio reports or advisory work 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 LAND ECONOMISTS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Land Economists 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 LAND ECONOMISTS

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 Land Economist
• 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 Land Economists use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR LAND ECONOMISTS – 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 Land Economists 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 (LAND ECONOMIST)

A positive skills assessment and an approved visa get an applicant through the migration process, but as the ANZSCO definition notes, some roles in this field may carry additional registration or licensing requirements. Where duties extend into formal property valuation, real estate agency practice, or other regulated property activities, state and territory based licensing bodies may require separate registration, and requirements differ across jurisdictions.

Many land economists working in broader advisory, feasibility and portfolio management roles are not required to hold a separate licence, though membership of bodies such as the Australian Property Institute is common and can support professional credibility. It is worth confirming the specific licensing position for the state or territory and the exact duties involved before starting work, since this sits outside the migration process itself.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Land Economists tends to track the scale and complexity of the property portfolios or developments involved. Roles with major property developers, real estate investment trusts and government land agencies in Sydney and Melbourne generally sit toward the higher end of the range, particularly for professionals with a strong track record in feasibility analysis and portfolio strategy.

WHY LAND ECONOMISTS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Sustained population growth and housing pressure across Australia's major cities have increased the volume of feasibility and land use advisory work required
• Property developers, real estate investment trusts and government land agencies all compete for a comparatively small pool of experienced land economists
• Growing complexity in zoning, planning policy and land use regulation has increased demand for advisers who can navigate these frameworks effectively
• Institutional investment in commercial and residential property continues to grow, requiring specialists who can analyse and manage large scale land and property portfolios
• The inclusion of Land Economist on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing need for qualified property professionals at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR LAND ECONOMISTS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian property developers, real estate investment trusts, government land agencies and property consultancies can sponsor overseas Land Economists 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 property professionals, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these organisations to recruit experienced overseas land economists 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 Land Economist for a property development firm, a government land agency, or a real estate investment trust, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled land economists 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 Land Economists 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 land economists

If your business is looking to sponsor a Land Economist in Australia or recruit a skilled overseas property 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 Land Economist means navigating a VETASSESS skills assessment, confirming the correct occupation code against Valuer, 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 224511 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 Land Economists