SHIP'S ENGINEER | ANZSCO 231212

WHAT DOES A SHIP'S ENGINEER DO?

A Ship's Engineer under ANZSCO 231212 controls and manages the operation and maintenance of a ship's plant and equipment. The occupation carries an ANZSCO Skill Level 2 rating in Australia, and registration or licensing is required. This means the usual entry point is an Australian Qualifications Framework Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma, or at least three years of relevant experience, combined with the internationally recognised maritime certification described further below.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Planning, controlling and coordinating the operational and maintenance requirements of a ship's propulsion and domestic plant and equipment
• Operating plant and equipment and performing routine maintenance on the ship's mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and steam generating systems
• Maintaining fire prevention and control systems, sewerage systems, and domestic water generating equipment on board
• Monitoring engine room systems and responding to technical faults or emergencies while underway
• Supervising and directing junior engineering crew in day to day maintenance and watchkeeping duties
• Ensuring compliance with safety at sea and marine environment protection regulations relevant to engineering operations
• Keeping accurate engineering logs and maintenance records in line with flag state and class society requirements

SUBCLASS 482 FOR SHIP'S ENGINEERS – 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.

Ship's Engineer sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 231212, alongside closely related maritime occupations such as Ship's Master, Ship's Officer and Marine Surveyor. 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 SHIP'S ENGINEERS

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 231212.

If the role on paper is genuinely focused on ship command and navigation rather than engineering and machinery, the nomination may need to be assessed against the related but different occupation of Ship's Master or Ship's Officer instead, both of which are also assessed by AMSA under a similar STCW certificate based process. Getting the occupation description right at this stage matters, since AMSA looks closely at the specific certificate of competency held.

ANZSCO requirement for Ship's Engineers includes an Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma, or at least three years of relevant experience, together with registration or licensing through an internationally recognised marine engineering certificate of competency (ANZSCO Skill Level 2).

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR SHIP'S ENGINEERS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as a Ship's Engineer, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A genuine, approved sponsor. Your employer, typically a shipping company, offshore support operator or marine services business, must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 231212, with a salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
• A positive AMSA skills assessment, confirming an eligible overseas marine engineering certificate of competency
• English requirements as outlined further below, unless an exemption applies
• A clear health examination through an approved panel physician, in addition to any separate maritime medical fitness certification required
• 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 AMSA skills assessment application fee.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR SHIP'S ENGINEER – SUBCLASS 482 SKILLS IN DEMAND (SID) VISA

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, known as AMSA, is the relevant skills assessing authority for Ship's Engineer (ANZSCO 231212), not VETASSESS. AMSA took over this occupation, along with Ship's Master, Ship's Officer and Marine Surveyor, from VETASSESS in early 2020.

To pass the AMSA skills assessment, applicants generally need to hold a valid, eligible certificate of competency issued under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, known as the STCW Convention, by a maritime administration that has a formal agreement with Australia recognising its certificates. AMSA will not accept an application from a certificate issued by a country without such an agreement in place.

Applicants also need to demonstrate the required sea service or shore based practical workshop training relevant to their certificate level, and AMSA independently verifies certificates and sea service directly with the issuing authorities and employers before making a decision.

Where an application meets the requirements, AMSA issues a provisional assessment letter, which is valid for three years from the date of issue.

The AMSA skills assessment generally requires:

• A valid, eligible overseas certificate of competency under the STCW Convention, issued by a country with a recognition agreement in place with Australia
• Evidence of sea service relevant to the certificate level held, with the required amount and timing depending on the specific certificate
• Evidence of shore based practical workshop skills training, where relevant to the certificate level under the STCW Code
• Successful verification of certificates and sea service directly with the issuing authority and previous employers

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• A valid passport
• Certified copies of the relevant STCW certificate of competency and any supporting training records
• Sea service letters from previous employers confirming vessel type, role, and time served
• Any additional supporting documents specified in AMSA's current application instructions

Because AMSA independently verifies documents with issuing authorities and past employers, incomplete or unverifiable documentation is a common reason for delays, so accuracy and completeness matter a great deal here.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR SHIP'S ENGINEERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Ship's Engineers 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 SHIP'S ENGINEERS

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 Ship's Engineer
• A salary that meets or exceeds the relevant income threshold and the market rate for the role
• A positive AMSA skills assessment confirming an eligible marine engineering certificate of competency
• At least three years of relevant sea service or 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 Ship's Engineers use the 482 as a stepping stone before applying for the 186.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR SHIP'S ENGINEERS – SC 186 VISA

A positive AMSA skills assessment is mandatory for Direct Entry 186 applicants in this occupation, and it needs to be current at the time the visa application is lodged. Given that AMSA provisional assessment letters are valid for three years, it is worth timing the assessment application with the intended visa application timeline.

The same STCW certificate based assessment process described above apply here. Because the Direct Entry stream also requires three years of relevant experience, it helps to start gathering sea service letters, certificate documentation and employer references well before applying, since AMSA's verification process with overseas issuing authorities and employers can 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 Ship's Engineers, this sits alongside any English standard already built into your STCW certification and sea service training.

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.

LICENSING IN AUSTRALIA (SHIP'S ENGINEER)

Licensing and certification sit at the centre of this pathway. AMSA does not convert an overseas STCW certificate into an Australian issued certificate as part of the migration skills assessment. Instead, it issues a certificate of recognition confirming the overseas certificate is eligible to be exercised in Australian waters, based on the country of issue holding a recognition agreement with Australia. If you want an Australian issued certificate of competency at the same or a higher level, that requires a separate application and additional training completed in Australia, on top of the migration skills assessment.

Certificates must be revalidated periodically, generally every five years, through a combination of sea service, approved revalidation courses or an oral examination, and engineers must also hold a current medical fitness certificate consistent with their certificate level. These ongoing requirements sit with AMSA and apply regardless of visa status, once working in Australian registered vessels.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Ship's Engineers in Australia often includes rotational roster arrangements, such as weeks on and weeks off, rather than a standard five day working week, and total compensation is generally structured around this roster pattern. Offshore support, defence maritime and specialist vessel work tend to pay more than coastal shipping or ferry operations, and chief engineers with higher class certificates of competency command the strongest packages.

WHY SHIP'S ENGINEERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Australia's coastal shipping, offshore support and resource export sectors all depend on qualified marine engineers to keep vessels operating safely
• An ageing marine engineering workforce, combined with a smaller domestic training pipeline, has created a well documented, ongoing shortage reported across almost every Australian state and territory
• Growth in offshore wind, marine construction and specialist support vessel activity has added to demand for experienced engineering officers
• Government marine agencies, including coastal patrol and search and rescue services, also compete for the same limited pool of qualified marine engineers
• The inclusion of Ship's Engineer on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing shortage of qualified marine engineering professionals at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR SHIP'S ENGINEERS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian shipping companies, offshore support operators, marine services businesses and government marine agencies can sponsor overseas Ship's Engineers 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 a well documented shortage of qualified marine engineers, employer sponsorship has become an important way for these organisations to recruit experienced overseas engineers and maintain vessel operations.

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, and can work alongside your AMSA skills assessment process where needed.

Whether you need to sponsor a Ship's Engineer for a coastal shipping company, an offshore support operator, or a marine services business, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with maritime businesses of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled marine engineers 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 Ship's Engineers 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 marine engineers

If your business is looking to sponsor a Ship's Engineer in Australia or recruit a skilled overseas marine engineer, Migration Republic can provide expert advice and manage the visa side of the process from start to finish, working alongside your AMSA skills assessment pathway.

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HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as a Ship's Engineer means navigating an AMSA skills assessment tied directly to your STCW certificate of competency, 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 231212 genuinely matches your qualifications and day to day duties
• Understanding how your existing certificate and sea service map onto the AMSA skills assessment criteria
• Structuring your sea service letters and employer references so they meet AMSA 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 Ship's Engineers