Visa Grant Trends by Occupation 2024-25
Carpenter gained the most ground in 2024-25 and Registered Nurses (nec) lost the most. Carpenter grants rose from 454 to 1,176; Registered Nurses (nec) fell from 4,566 to 1,605.
Official Home Affairs data (BP0068), released December 2025. Main applicants in skilled visas, July 2015 to June 2025. Next release expected late 2026.
Key facts
- 57,761 main applicants with a recorded occupation were granted skilled visas in 2024-25, across 581 occupations.
- Chef was the most granted occupation in 2024-25, with 3,439 main applicants.
- 133 occupations had 20 or more grants every year from 2015-16 to 2024-25; Accountant (General) had the most over the period (33,085).
Main applicants granted per year
All skilled visas, program years 2015-16 to 2024-25.
Show the numbers for every year
| Year | Main applicants | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 58,587 | 604 |
| 2016-17 | 54,147 | 607 |
| 2017-18 | 45,681 | 578 |
| 2018-19 | 45,638 | 558 |
| 2019-20 | 39,112 | 556 |
| 2020-21 | 27,873 | 511 |
| 2021-22 | 32,246 | 480 |
| 2022-23 | 59,329 | 535 |
| 2023-24 | 62,325 | 560 |
| 2024-25 | 57,761 | 581 |
Rising & falling occupations
Ranked by change in each occupation's share of skilled grants, so a smaller or larger program doesn't make every occupation look like it moved. Only occupations with 50 or more grants in either year.
Rising
Biggest gain in share, percentage points.
- 1Carpenter454 → 1,176+1.3 pts
- 2Civil Engineering Draftsperson299 → 727+0.8 pts
- 3Architect358 → 743+0.7 pts
- 4Painting Trades Worker382 → 764+0.7 pts
- 5Construction Project Manager376 → 712+0.6 pts
Falling
Biggest loss in share, percentage points.
- 1Registered Nurses (nec)4,566 → 1,605−4.5 pts
- 2Accountant (General)4,178 → 2,730−2.0 pts
- 3Enrolled Nurse1,002 → 317−1.1 pts
- 4Registered Nurse (Aged Care)1,092 → 528−0.8 pts
- 5Registered Nurse (Medical)1,282 → 845−0.6 pts
Most granted occupations
All skilled visas, main applicants in 2024-25. Chef was granted the most (3,439).
| Occupation | 2024-25 | Share change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chef | 351311 | 3,957 | 3,439 | −0.4 |
| Accountant (General) | 221111 | 4,178 | 2,730 | −2.0 |
| Software Engineer | 261313 | 2,290 | 2,398 | +0.5 |
| Civil Engineer | 233211 | 1,911 | 1,785 | 0.0 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 233512 | 2,073 | 1,695 | −0.4 |
| ICT Business Analyst | 261111 | 1,622 | 1,685 | +0.3 |
| Registered Nurses (nec) | 254499 | 4,566 | 1,605 | −4.5 |
| Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher | 241111 | 1,429 | 1,507 | +0.3 |
| Carpenter | 331212 | 454 | 1,176 | +1.3 |
| Developer Programmer | 261312 | 1,446 | 1,102 | −0.4 |
| Motor Mechanic (General) | 321211 | 1,094 | 1,087 | +0.1 |
| Electrical Engineer | 233311 | 1,020 | 1,042 | +0.2 |
| Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) | 254415 | 1,245 | 919 | −0.4 |
| Engineering Technologist | 233914 | 1,060 | 861 | −0.2 |
| Registered Nurse (Medical) | 254418 | 1,282 | 845 | −0.6 |
| Painting Trades Worker | 332211 | 382 | 764 | +0.7 |
| External Auditor | 221213 | 679 | 759 | +0.2 |
| Computer Network and Systems Engineer | 263111 | 1,008 | 752 | −0.3 |
| Architect | 232111 | 358 | 743 | +0.7 |
| General Practitioner | 253111 | 603 | 739 | +0.3 |
Top 20 by 2024-25 grants; search finds any occupation granted in either year. Main applicants with an occupation recorded; 189 also has a New Zealand stream that records none.
Granted every year since 2015-16
133 occupations in all skilled visas had 20 or more grants every year. Showing the largest by 10-year total.
RisingFallingSteady(last 3 years' average vs the first 3 (within 10% is steady))
- 1Accountant (General)33,085
- 2Software Engineer24,886
- 3Registered Nurses (nec)21,520
- 4Chef17,293
- 5Cook13,379
Grants trail invitations
Invitations in one year are often granted the next. See which occupations are being invited now.
How to read these trends
Each occupation's share is its main-applicant grants divided by all main-applicant grants with a recorded occupation for the selected visa in that year.
Closed visas are counted with the visas that replaced them: 489, 487, 496 and 475 with 491; 886 and 176 with 190; 885 and 175 with 189; 856 and 121 with 186; 187 with 494, and 857 and 119 with 494 through 187. Other visas that record an occupation, such as 858 and 124, count in All skilled only. Occupations are ANZSCO 2013 codes, recorded only for main applicants in the Skill stream.
For states, countries and ages, see each visa's own page, such as subclass 190. All visa grants covers every permanent visa, including family visas. Temporary visas such as 482 and 485 aren't in this data.
Questions about grant trends
- Which occupations gained the most share of skilled visas in 2024-25?
- Carpenter (454 → 1,176), Civil Engineering Draftsperson (299 → 727), Architect (358 → 743) and Painting Trades Worker (382 → 764) gained the most share of skilled visas granted to main applicants in 2024-25, compared with the year before, according to Department of Home Affairs grant data.
- Which occupations lost the most skilled visa share in 2024-25?
- Registered Nurses (nec) (4,566 → 1,605), Accountant (General) (4,178 → 2,730), Enrolled Nurse (1,002 → 317) and Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (1,092 → 528) lost the most share of skilled visas granted to main applicants in 2024-25, compared with the year before, according to Department of Home Affairs grant data.
- Which occupation was granted the most skilled visas in 2024-25?
- Chef was granted the most skilled visas in 2024-25, with 3,439 main applicants, followed by Accountant (General) (2,730) and Software Engineer (2,398).
- Which occupations received the most 189 visas in 2024-25?
- Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher received the most 189 (Skilled Independent) visas in 2024-25, with 951 main applicants, followed by Registered Nurses (nec) (797) and Carpenter (648).
- Which occupations received the most 190 visas in 2024-25?
- Accountant (General) received the most 190 (Skilled Nominated) visas in 2024-25, with 1,071 main applicants, followed by Civil Engineer (912) and Software Engineer (877).
- Which occupations received the most 491 visas in 2024-25?
- Accountant (General) received the most 491 (Skilled Work Regional) visas in 2024-25, with 900 main applicants, followed by Chef (502) and Mechanical Engineer (498).
- How many occupations were granted skilled visas every year since 2015-16?
- 133 occupations had 20 or more main-applicant skilled visa grants in every year from 2015-16 to 2024-25. Accountant (General) had the most: 33,085 in total.
- Why don't visa grant numbers match invitation numbers?
- An invitation only lets someone apply; the visa is usually granted months later, often in the next program year. These occupation counts are also main applicants only, while a grant can include family members, so grants never line up round by round with SkillSelect invitations.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0068 (CC BY 4.0). The views expressed are those of ImmiTrend and not necessarily those of the Department.
General information only — not migration advice.
Compiled by ImmiTrend from Department of Home Affairs visa grant data (BP0068).