Last Updated on February 21, 2026 by Ozlinks Education

About Occupation Shortage List Released 2025

The Occupation Shortage List (OSL) was officially renamed the Skills Priority List (SPL) in October 2024. This change offers a more precise and direct assessment of labour market shortages, and it aims to improve employee development and immigration policies.

The Occupation Shortage List (OSL), developed by Jobs and Skills Australia, is a report based on data that identifies occupations where the demand from employers exceeds the availability of qualified workers.

The list identifies shortages across national, state, and regional levels of Australia, offering vital information for decisions regarding migration, training, and policy development. Key areas frequently highlighted include health, education, engineering, and construction trades.

Occupation Shortage List Released 2025

The table below presents the most recent version of the Occupation Shortage List (OSL) for 2025.

Occupation Rating

  • Shortages (S): Shortages exist when employers are unable to fill job vacancies
  • No Shortage (NS): not identified any significant difficult-to-fill job vacancies
  • Regional Shortage (R): shortage in demand and are restricted to regional areas.
  • Metropolitan Shortage (M): shortage in demand and are restricted to metropolitan areas
Skills Assessment Support

ANZSCO Skill Level Definitions

ANZSCO Skill Level Definition:

The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) defines ANZSCO Skilled Levels based on educational degrees, formal training, and relevant work experience. The following definitions set the boundaries between ANZSCO skill levels.

Level 1: Bachelor/Master/PhD
Level 2: Diploma/Advance Diploma/Associate Degree
Level 3: Certificate III/IV
Level 4: Certificate II/III
Level 5: Certificate I
 

Skill Assessment Support Services

Most of the evidence documentation required for your skills assessment is also required for your visa application. Ozlinks Education is an agency that can assist you in understanding and meeting the skill assessment criteria, giving you the best chance of a positive result. Click here to learn more about how our agency service can assist you.

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Disclaimer: 

Information under ANZSCO Occupations (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) section is published in accordance with a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence guideline. ANZSCO Version 1.3 updated on 25 March 2021 and original source can be accessed on Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

This section does not intend to provide immigration assistance pursuant to section 276 of Migration Act (Cth) 1994 as described in the Migration laws. It is based on public guidelines available at Department of Home Affairs’ Website. It is your responsibility to verify accuracy and status of provided information with your Registered Migration Agent (RMA) who is bound by the MARA code of conduct before submitting any visa applications.