Australia wants software engineers. Indeed, the pathway is open and well travelled.
However, a software engineer skilled visa turns on one thing most applicants discover far too late.
In practice, the Australian Computer Society will not count all your experience.
It sets a date before which none of it counts.
That single date shapes almost every software engineer skilled visa decision that follows it.
For some applicants that erases two years. By contrast, for others it is eight. The difference is worth 15 points.
This guide covers the code, the ACS deduction, the visa routes, state nomination and salary.
Key takeaways
- A software engineer skilled visa runs on ANZSCO 261313, assessed by the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
- 261313 sits on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, so subclass 189, 190 and 491 are all open.
- ACS sets a Skill Level Requirement Met Date. Only experience after it counts for points.
- The deduction is commonly 2 years with a closely related ICT major, 4 years if less related, 5 to 6 with an ICT minor, and 6 to 8 with no ICT degree.
- Jobs and Skills Australia removed software engineering from its shortage list in 2025, the first time since 2021.
- ICT is one of the most competitive fields in the program. The 65-point floor is nowhere near an invitation.
- ACS assessments are valid for two years, and your points are locked at the date of invitation.
- Most states had not published their 2026-27 nomination settings when this was written. See the warning below.
Software engineer skilled visa at a glance
ANZSCO 261313 · Assessing authority: ACS · Figures correct as at 5 August 2026
Visa pathways
| Subclass | Status | Sponsor needed | Extra points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | Permanent | No | — |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | Permanent | State nomination | +5 |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional | Provisional, 5 yrs | Regional or family | +15 |
| 482 Skills in Demand | Temporary | Employer | n/a |
| 186 Employer Nomination | Permanent | Employer | n/a |
Application charges are not listed here. Instead, confirm the current charge with the Department of Home Affairs.
ACS assessment fees
| Pathway | Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Qualification Only | $625 |
| Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) | $625 |
| Post Australian Study | $1,136 |
| General Skills | $1,498 |
| Level 1 appeal / Level 2 appeal | $516 / $620 |
Salary and the sponsorship floor
| Level | Indicative range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Graduate / entry | $70,000 – $95,000 |
| Mid-level (3–5 yrs) | $110,000 – $145,000 |
| Senior | $130,000 – $190,000 |
| SEEK national average | $105,000 – $125,000 |
| Core Skills Income Threshold sponsorship floor, from 1 July 2026 | $79,423 |
A sponsored role must clear both the Core Skills Income Threshold and the annual market salary rate for that position, whichever is higher. Salary and fee figures correct as at 5 August 2026; ACS sets its own fees and changes them without notice.
Want to know what your ACS deduction will be before you pay for the assessment? That is exactly the question our free assessment is built to answer.
Take the Free Visa Assessment →What’s in this guide
- Is 261313 actually your code?
- Software engineer skilled visa list status
- The shortage list change that shapes a software engineer skilled visa
- The ACS assessment and the deduction
- Software engineer skilled visa pathways
- State nomination for a software engineer skilled visa
- What software engineers earn
- Software engineer skilled visa points test relevance
- Software engineer skilled visa pitfalls
- Frequently asked questions
Is 261313 actually your code?
Software Engineer is ANZSCO 261313. Notably, it sits in a cluster of similar ICT codes.
Importantly, ACS decides which one fits your duties. It can assess you under a different code than you nominated.
| Code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 261313 | Software Engineer — design and architecture across the full lifecycle |
| 261312 | Developer Programmer — builds to a specification |
| 261311 | Analyst Programmer — analysis plus development |
| 261314 | Software Tester |
| 261111 / 261112 | ICT Business Analyst / Systems Analyst |
| 263111 | Computer Network and Systems Engineer |
Still, your job title is close to irrelevant here. Your documented duties decide the outcome.
Getting the code wrong does not end a software engineer skilled visa, but it can reshape it entirely.
For example, a “Software Engineer” who only implements tickets to spec may be assessed as a Developer Programmer.
So write reference letters that describe design and architecture work, if that is genuinely what you do.
Software engineer skilled visa list status
First, 261313 appears on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. That opens subclass 189, 190 and 491.
It also appears on the Core Skills Occupation List, which covers subclass 482 and the 186 Direct Entry stream.
However, one classification point matters more than it should, and almost nobody states it.
Specifically, the points-tested lists run on an older ANZSCO release. The Core Skills list runs on ANZSCO 2022.
Separately, the Australian Bureau of Statistics replaced ANZSCO with OSCA in December 2024.
That change is for statistical purposes only. Migration still runs on ANZSCO as at August 2026.
Several competitor sites state otherwise. So if you meet an OSCA code, it is not the one your application needs.
The shortage list change that shapes a software engineer skilled visa
However, here is something most software engineer skilled visa guides leave out.
Each year, Jobs and Skills Australia publishes an Occupation Shortage List. It measures how hard roles are to fill.
In the 2025 list, software engineers were no longer in shortage in any state or territory.
Notably, that is the first time since the study began in 2021. Developer programmers also came off the list.
Moreover, the finding was reported by the Australian Computer Society itself.
Nationally, 293 of 1,022 occupations were in shortage, down from 33% in 2024 and 36% in 2023.
What this does and does not mean
Being off the shortage list does not remove 261313 from the migration program.
In fact, it remains on the MLTSSL and the Core Skills list. Every pathway in this guide is still open.
However, it does explain why invitation scores in ICT sit higher than they did in 2022 or 2023.
Meanwhile, more Australian graduates are entering the market. AI tooling has also softened entry-level demand.
Consequently, plan on the assumption that a bare 65 points will not produce an invitation.
The ACS assessment and the deduction
Which pathway applies to you
Every software engineer skilled visa starts with a positive ACS assessment first. There is no way around it.
Typically, ACS runs several assessment pathways. The right one depends on your qualification, not your experience.
Qualification Only assesses your degree alone, without an employment claim.
Post Australian Study is for graduates of an Australian ICT course.
General Skills is for holders of an ICT qualification from anywhere, plus relevant work.
Recognition of Prior Learning is for applicants with no formal ICT qualification at all.
In total, fees run from AUD $625 to AUD $1,498 depending on pathway. Appeals are charged separately.
ACS sets its own fees and changes them without much notice. So confirm the current figure before you pay.
How ACS classifies your degree
Two judgements decide your deduction. Crucially, both happen before anyone looks at your employment.
First, is your qualification an ICT major, an ICT minor, or non-ICT?
For a standard three-year bachelor, roughly a third of the course must be ICT to count as a major.
An ICT minor sits at about two-thirds of that threshold. Below a minor, it is treated as non-ICT.
Second, is it closely related to 261313? ACS looks for at least 65% alignment of the ICT content.
For example, a computer science degree usually clears both. A generalist engineering degree often clears neither.
The Skill Level Requirement Met Date
Consequently, this is the most misunderstood mechanism in the whole application.
Applicants call it “the deduction”. ACS treats it as the date you became skilled.
The reasoning is that the years before that date were a learning period, not skilled employment.
Therefore only employment after that date earns points. Everything before it is invisible to the points test.
| Your qualification | Experience required first |
|---|---|
| Bachelor+, ICT major, closely related to 261313 | 2 years in the last 10, or 4 anytime |
| Bachelor+, ICT major, not closely related | 4 years anytime |
| Bachelor+, ICT minor, closely related | 5 years in the last 10, or 6 anytime |
| Bachelor+, ICT minor, not closely related | 6 years anytime |
| Diploma or Advanced Diploma, ICT major | 5–6 years |
| No ICT qualification — RPL pathway | 6–8 years |
Note the two-limb test on several rows. ACS applies whichever gives the earlier skilled date.
Still, these are the published criteria rather than guaranteed outcomes. ACS assesses each qualification individually.
What the deduction actually costs
For example, consider an engineer with eleven years and a mechanical engineering degree.
ACS may treat the degree as an ICT minor not closely related, and require six years first.
As a result, five countable years remain. That is 10 points for overseas experience, not the 15 they expected.
In ICT, where cut-offs sit high, five points decides whether an invitation ever arrives.
In addition, two further constraints apply. Experience must fall within the last ten years at the date of invitation.
And an ACS assessment is valid for two years, so timing the expression of interest matters.
Software engineer skilled visa pathways
In practice, five routes are open. Which one suits you depends on your points, your age and your employer situation.
A software engineer skilled visa is not one visa. Treating it as five competing options is the useful frame.
Subclass 189, Skilled Independent visa. Permanent, no sponsor, live anywhere in Australia.
It is the cleanest outcome and the hardest to reach. After all, ICT is among the most crowded fields.
The 2026-27 program lifted Skilled Independent places from 16,900 to 21,090, which helps a little.
Subclass 190, Skilled Nominated visa. Permanent, with state nomination and 5 extra points.
Here you commit to living in the nominating state. For most ICT applicants this is the realistic permanent route.
Subclass 491, Skilled Work Regional visa. Provisional for five years, with 15 extra points.
Then it converts to permanent residence through subclass 191, after three years of regional living and income.
However, 2026-27 cut regional places from 33,000 to 14,110, so nomination is markedly tighter.
Subclass 482, Skills in Demand visa. Temporary, employer sponsored, and often the fastest way in.
Subclass 186, Employer Nomination Scheme. Permanent, employer sponsored, frequently reached via a 482.
Notably, employer sponsorship is where the 2026-27 program put its money, rising to 58,040 places.
For engineers over 40, or with a heavy ACS deduction, sponsorship is often the only viable permanent route.
Unsure how ACS will treat your degree?
Send us your qualification and work history and we’ll model it.
State nomination for a software engineer skilled visa
⚠️ Read this before using any state numbers you find online
The 2026-27 program year began on 1 July 2026. As at 5 August 2026, most states and territories had not yet published their new occupation lists or allocations.
Queensland and South Australia usually open earliest. NSW, Victoria and Western Australia typically follow later. The table below therefore describes how each state selects, not how many places it has. Check the official site before you act.
State-by-state comparison
Each state name below links to that government’s own migration site.
| State | How it selects | What strengthens an ICT application |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Selects from the SkillSelect pool against its own occupation lists; pathways can close mid-year on allocation | Current NSW employment in the nominated occupation; high points; Sydney-based ICT roles |
| Victoria | Registration of Interest, then invitation to apply; rolling assessment outside fixed rounds | Working in Victoria in a target sector; digital and technology is a standing priority area |
| Queensland | Registration of Interest against published pathways; usually one of the first to open | Queensland employment, or a Queensland graduate pathway; regional Queensland for 491 |
| South Australia | Registration of Interest with defined pathways for graduates, workers and offshore applicants | SA study or employment; offshore pathways exist but are more competitive |
| Western Australia | Graduate and general streams assessed against the WA skilled migration occupation list | WA employment contract; WA graduate status |
| Tasmania | Registration through its application gateway; unsuccessful registrations can carry into the next year | Established Tasmanian employment or study; genuine commitment to remaining |
| ACT | Canberra Matrix — a separate points system ranking candidates independently of the visa points test | Canberra residence and employment; matrix points for length of stay and partner factors |
| Northern Territory | Direct application with onshore and offshore streams; broad occupation coverage | Demonstrated commitment to the NT; the whole territory counts as regional |
Selection patterns reflect recent program years and are indicative only. Each state republishes its list and criteria annually, and several amend them mid-year.
How to read this table
- Apply early in the program year. Allocations are consumed as the year runs, and pathways close without warning once a state hits its cap.
- Register with more than one state where you genuinely meet the criteria. Registering is not a commitment to apply.
- Presence usually beats points. Most states prioritise applicants already living and working in the state over a higher-scoring candidate offshore.
- Structural criteria are stable; numbers are not. How a state selects rarely changes. How many places it has changes every year.
What software engineers earn
Sources disagree here. After all, “software engineer” spans graduates and principal engineers alike.
Salary matters to a software engineer skilled visa mainly where sponsorship is involved.
SEEK put the national average between AUD $105,000 and AUD $125,000 as at August 2026.
Meanwhile, graduates typically start between AUD $70,000 and AUD $95,000.
Mid-level engineers with three to five years commonly sit between AUD $110,000 and AUD $145,000.
Senior engineers range from about AUD $130,000 to AUD $190,000, with leads and principals above that.
Overall, Sydney pays the most and Melbourne follows. Regional employers generally start lower.
For sponsorship, the number that matters is not the average. It is your specific role’s salary.
It must clear the Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD $79,423 and the market rate for the position.
Fortunately, most genuine software engineering roles clear that comfortably.
Software engineer skilled visa points test relevance
A software engineer skilled visa faces harder points arithmetic than most occupations, for two reasons.
The ACS deduction removes experience points. Meanwhile ICT competition pushes effective cut-offs high.
Consequently, the levers you control matter more here than in almost any other field.
English is the biggest one. Superior English is worth 20 points against 10 for Proficient.
That ten-point swing is usually achievable in months. By contrast, waiting for experience is not.
A Professional Year in ICT adds 5 points and is available to Australian graduates.
Partner points are worth 5 or 10 depending on your partner’s skills assessment and English.
A NAATI community language credential adds 5, and is frequently overlooked by ICT applicants.
Finally, Australian study and regional study points apply if you studied here.
Software engineer skilled visa pitfalls
Claiming experience before the skilled date. This is the error that produces most ICT refusals and re-lodgements.
Reference letters that describe the wrong duties. Typically, vague letters get assessed into a lower-fit code.
A generic or AI-written RPL report. ACS rejects these, and a failed RPL costs both the fee and months.
Assuming a job title equals a code. Again, ACS reads the duties, not the letterhead.
Letting the assessment lapse. Indeed, two years passes quickly while you wait for an invitation.
Reading last year’s state criteria. Particularly dangerous between July and October, as explained above.
Each of these is recoverable if caught early. Equally, each is expensive if caught after lodgement.
Getting your software engineer skilled visa reviewed
In practice, Millennium Migration works on software engineer skilled visa files across all five pathways.
We run ICT matters from offices in Melbourne and Adelaide, for applicants onshore and overseas.
Sam Lotfollahi, Registered Migration Agent MARN 0901704, has seventeen years of casework behind him.
On a software engineering file the first job is modelling the ACS outcome before any money is spent.
Then the second is deciding honestly whether points-tested or employer-sponsored is realistic.
No registered agent can guarantee an invitation or a grant. Be wary of anyone who suggests otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
Codes and assessment
What is the ANZSCO code for a software engineer?
Software Engineer is ANZSCO 261313, assessed by the Australian Computer Society. Related codes include 261312 Developer Programmer and 261311 Analyst Programmer. ACS decides which code fits your documented duties, which may differ from your job title.
What is the ACS deduction and why does it matter?
ACS sets a Skill Level Requirement Met Date, and only employment after that date counts for points. A closely related ICT major generally requires two years first, an unrelated ICT major four years, an ICT minor five to six, and the RPL pathway six to eight. It can remove 5 to 15 points from your score.
What counts as an ICT major?
For a standard three-year bachelor degree, roughly a third of the course content must be ICT. An ICT minor sits at about two-thirds of that threshold, and anything below a minor is treated as a non-ICT qualification. ACS separately assesses whether at least 65% of the ICT content is closely related to your nominated occupation.
How long is an ACS skills assessment valid?
Two years from the issue date for most visa applications. There is no renewal process, so an expired assessment means a fresh application and a fresh fee. Because points are assessed at the date of invitation, timing your expression of interest around that window matters.
Software engineer skilled visa options and points
Which visas can a software engineer apply for?
ANZSCO 261313 is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, so subclass 189, 190 and 491 are available. It is also on the Core Skills Occupation List, which covers the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and the subclass 186 Direct Entry stream.
Are software engineers still in demand in Australia?
The Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List 2025 found software engineers were no longer in shortage in any state or territory, the first time since the study began in 2021. The occupation remains on the migration lists and every visa pathway stays open, but invitation scores are higher than in earlier years.
Is 65 points enough for a software engineer?
No. Sixty-five points makes an expression of interest valid but not competitive. ICT occupations sit among the most contested in the program, and recent invitation rounds have required substantially higher scores for professional ICT categories than for trades.
What is the fastest way to add points?
Improving English from Proficient to Superior is worth ten points and is usually achievable in months. After that, a partner skills assessment, a Professional Year in ICT, or a NAATI community language credential each add value faster than waiting for more experience.
State nomination and pay
Which state is easiest for a software engineer?
There is no honest single answer, because criteria change annually and most states had not published their 2026-27 settings when this was written. In practice the state where you already live and work is usually the strongest option, since most states prioritise existing residents over higher-scoring offshore candidates.
How much do software engineers earn in Australia?
SEEK reported a national average of AUD $105,000 to $125,000 as at August 2026. Graduates typically start between AUD $70,000 and $95,000, mid-level engineers earn AUD $110,000 to $145,000, and senior engineers range from about AUD $130,000 to $190,000.
What salary does a sponsored software engineer need?
A sponsored role must pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is AUD $79,423 from 1 July 2026, and also at least the annual market salary rate for that position. Whichever is higher applies. Most genuine software engineering roles clear both comfortably.
Model your ACS outcome before you pay for it
Knowing your deduction changes which visa is worth pursuing. It is the first thing to find out, not the last.
Related reading
- Skilled visa points test 2026: how to calculate your score
- Registered nurse skilled visa: ANZSCO codes and ANMAC assessment
- The 2026-27 Migration Program explained
- All Australian visa pathways we handle
Sam Lotfollahi
Registered Migration Agent · Principal, Millennium Migration · MARN 0901704
Sam has seventeen years of casework experience across skilled, employer-sponsored, family, student and humanitarian visas, and leads Millennium Migration from offices in Melbourne and Adelaide. He works directly on client files rather than passing them down a chain.
Sources
All codes, fees, thresholds and salary figures are correct as at 5 August 2026. Occupation lists, assessing authority fees, state criteria and income thresholds change — always confirm current requirements before you act.
- Australian Computer Society — skills assessment pathways, suitability criteria and fees. Verified 5 August 2026.
- Jobs and Skills Australia — Occupation Shortage List 2025. Verified 5 August 2026.
- Information Age (Australian Computer Society) — reporting on the 2025 shortage list.
- Department of Home Affairs — skilled occupation lists and the Core Skills Occupation List. Verified 5 August 2026.
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 6D points test; Core Skills Income Threshold from 1 July 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs — State and territory nomination allocations.
- SEEK Career Advice — Software Engineer salary, Australia, August 2026.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — ANZSCO and OSCA classification status.
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority — Register of Migration Agents.
This article is general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. It is not legal or migration advice. Occupation lists, assessing authority fees, state nomination criteria, salaries and income thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs, ACS and the relevant state authority before you act. Accurate as at August 2026. For advice about your own situation, start with our free visa assessment or speak with Sam Lotfollahi, Registered Migration Agent MARN 0901704.