This is a 2026 step-by-step pathway guide for a Network Administrator migrating to Australia under ANZSCO 263112. 263112 is on MLTSSL and CSOL — the full skilled visa stack: Subclass 189 Independent, Subclass 190 State-Nominated, Subclass 491 Regional Provisional → 191 PR, Subclass 186 Direct Entry, Subclass 494 Regional Employer → 191, and Subclass 482 Core Skills → 186 TRT.
For the cost / timeline view see the 263112 cost & timeline case study. For ACS document details see the skills assessment guide.
Step 1 — Confirm 263112 is the right code
ANZSCO 263112 covers day-to-day network operations — configuring routers and switches, firewall rule changes, VPN provisioning, monitoring (SolarWinds, PRTG, LibreNMS, Zabbix), incident response, change management via ITIL ticketing (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), and maintaining configuration baselines. Use ANZSCO search to verify against 263111 Computer Network and Systems Engineer (design-led), 263113 Network Analyst (capacity / performance), and 262113 Systems Administrator (server / AD / M365).
If you spend most of your time designing networks rather than operating them, 263111 fits. If you focus on performance / capacity / packet analysis, 263113. If your work is more server admin, 262113.
Step 2 — ACS skills assessment
ACS (acs.org.au) assesses ICT qualifications. Pathways:
- Skills Assessment — Major in ICT — ICT-aligned bachelor + ANZSCO match: 2 years deducted.
- Skills Assessment — Minor in ICT — partial ICT subjects: 4-5 years.
- RPL — non-ICT-aligned candidates with 6+ years experience.
- RPL — Vendor Cert — no degree but CCNA / CCNP + 8+ years experience.
The vendor-cert RPL pathway is common for network admins who entered through Cisco Networking Academy or via apprenticeship.
Step 3 — English
EOI lodgement requires Competent English. For points-tested visas, target Proficient (10 pts) or Superior (20 pts).
Step 4 — Choose a visa pathway
Subclass 189 / 190 / 491
189 Independent for high-points network admins. 190 +5 points (NSW, VIC, ACT, SA all nominate); 491 +15 points regional. Note: 263112 invitation rounds tend to be slower than 263111 — high-points strategy matters.
Subclass 186 / 494 / 482
Banks (CBA, Westpac, ANZ, NAB), large enterprises (Coles, Woolworths, Wesfarmers), telcos (Telstra, Optus, NBN Co), MSPs (Brennan, Macquarie Telecom, Data#3), and government agencies sponsor experienced network admins. The MSP and managed service market is particularly active for 482 sponsorships.
Step 5 — Score / Step 6 — Submit
Use points calculator. Lodge via SkillSelect.
Tools
- Visa fee calculator
- Document checklist
- Eligibility wizard
- Invitation rounds tracker
- State nomination tracker
Authoritative sources
Next step
Want to map your network admin profile against 189 vs 190 vs 491 vs 186 vs 494 vs 482? Book a 30-minute free strategy call.