This is a 2026 step-by-step pathway guide for a Primary Products Quality Assurance Officer migrating to Australia under ANZSCO 311314. 311314 is on CSOL with state nomination availability — full skilled visa stack: Subclass 189 Independent (where listed), 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 311314 cost & timeline case study. For VETASSESS document details see the skills assessment guide.
Step 1 — Confirm 311314 is the right code
ANZSCO 311314 covers QA / quality-systems work in primary product processing — grain receival and grading (protein, moisture, screenings, falling number, hectolitre weight), fruit and vegetable QA (size, colour, sugars, firmness, defect grading), dairy QA (incoming raw milk testing — fat, protein, lactose, bacterial / somatic cell counts), seafood QA (organoleptic, chemical, microbiological), wine grape and wine QA, sugar / cotton / wool grading, HACCP / SQF / BRC / FSSC 22000 audit support, supplier qualification, customer complaint investigation, recall management, and trim management / re-grading decisions.
If your role is overwhelmingly meat-specific (abattoir / boning), 311312 Meat Inspector is the right code.
If you have a Bachelor / Master degree and run interpretive scientific work, 234212 Food Technologist may fit better.
Step 2 — VETASSESS skills assessment
VETASSESS (vetassess.com.au) handles 311314. Standard requirements:
- Qualification — at least AQF Diploma in Food Technology / Quality Assurance, or Bachelor in Agricultural Science / Food Science / Microbiology.
- Skilled employment — at least 1 year highly relevant in the 5 years before applying (post-qualification).
- Reference letters must show majority time on primary product QA — sectors (grain, dairy, fruit, vegetable, seafood, sugar, cotton), audit standards, sampling responsibilities.
Standard turnaround 12-16 weeks.
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 if 311314 is on MLTSSL — confirm at EOI. 190 / 491 are strongly realistic — Australia's primary products processing is overwhelmingly regional.
Subclass 186 / 494 / 482
The biggest 311314 employers:
- Grain handlers — GrainCorp (eastern Australia), CBH Group (WA), Viterra (SA), Aurora Mining / Bunge.
- Dairy processors — Saputo Dairy Australia, Bega Cheese, Fonterra Australia, Norco, Bulla Dairy, Lactalis Australia.
- Fruit and vegetable — Costa Group (Australia's largest horticulture company), Perfection Fresh, Mitolo Group, Driscoll's Australia, OneHarvest.
- Sugar — Wilmar Sugar (north QLD), Mackay Sugar, Bundaberg Sugar.
- Cotton — Cotton Australia members (Auscott, Namoi Cotton, Queensland Cotton).
- Wool — Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), AWEX, large wool brokers (Elders, Landmark / Nutrien Ag Solutions, Australian Wool Network).
- Wine — Treasury Wine Estates (Penfolds, Wolf Blass), Accolade Wines (Hardys, Banrock Station), Pernod Ricard Winemakers (Jacob's Creek), Casella Family Brands (Yellow Tail), De Bortoli, McWilliams, Brown Brothers.
- Seafood — Tassal, Huon Aquaculture, Petuna, Austral Fisheries, Sanford Australia.
- Poultry — Inghams, Baiada, ProTen.
482 / 186 sponsorships flow primarily from the large processors. Regional sponsorship is common.
Step 5 — Score / Step 6 — Submit
Use points calculator. Lodge via SkillSelect.
Tools
Authoritative sources
- Home Affairs
- VETASSESS
- DAFF
- GRDC — Grains Research and Development Corporation
- Dairy Australia
- Office of MARA
Next step
Want to map your primary products QA profile against 189 vs 190 vs 491 vs 186 vs 494 vs 482? Book a 30-minute free strategy call.