Motor Mechanic Migration to Australia: CSOL, TRA, Visas 482, 190, 491 and the PR Pathway
Can this occupation migrate to Australia?
Motor Mechanic — General (ANZSCO 321211) is an occupation with steady demand in Australia, covering the repair of passenger and commercial road vehicles. It appears on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and the MLTSSL, making it eligible for the subclass 482 visa (employer-sponsored), the subclass 186 visa (employer-sponsored permanent residence), the subclass 189 visa (points-based independent) and the subclass 190/491 visas (state-nominated). To migrate in this occupation, a mandatory step is completing a skills assessment through the Job Ready Program (JRP) run by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).
ANZSCO and CSOL: position on the occupation list
Motor mechanic is classified under ANZSCO code 321211 (Motor Mechanic — General), within Skill Level 3. This code covers people who diagnose, repair, adjust and maintain cars, light trucks and similar motor vehicles. The word “General” in the ANZSCO title distinguishes it from more specialised codes such as diesel mechanic or motorcycle mechanic — applicants should confirm that their actual work matches the 321211 description before applying.
Occupation 321211 appears on both the CSOL and the MLTSSL, meaning applicants are eligible to lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect for the subclass 189 visa (independent) and the subclass 190 and 491 visas (state-nominated).
Skills assessing authority: TRA via the Job Ready Program
The skills assessing authority for motor mechanics is Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). For applicants trained overseas, TRA requires completion of the full Job Ready Program (JRP), made up of four stages: Job Ready Registration (JRR), Job Ready Interim Assessment (JRIA), Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA) and the issuing of the skills assessment outcome.
Applicants must accumulate at least 1,725 hours of supervised paid work in the motor mechanic occupation in Australia under a TRA-registered employer. The full JRP usually takes 12 to 24 months. Applicants may need to complete gap training if their skills do not yet meet Australian standards — particularly for modern vehicle electronics and diagnostic systems. Check the current JRP fees on the TRA website.
Suitable visas: an overview
Motor mechanics have three main visa groups: the subclass 482 visa (employer-sponsored, temporary), the subclass 186 visa (employer-sponsored, permanent) and the subclass 190/491 visas (state-nominated). A common path is the 482 first, then a transition to the 186 TRT stream after two years of continuous work with the same sponsoring employer.
Subclass 482 — employer-sponsored
The subclass 482 visa (Temporary Skill Shortage), Core Skills Stream, allows an employer approved as a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) to sponsor an applicant. The maximum visa term is four years. Applicants need a valid JRP assessment outcome, must meet the English requirement, and the nominated salary must reach the TSMIT. The employer must carry out Labour Market Testing before sponsoring.
One point to watch: the actual pay offered by small garages can fall below the TSMIT — applicants should discuss salary clearly from the outset to avoid a refused application.
Subclass 186 — employer-sponsored permanent residence
The subclass 186 visa (Employer Nomination Scheme) under the TRT pathway requires two years of full-time work for the same sponsoring employer within the most recent three years, competent English (IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent) and the employer’s continued nomination. The motor mechanic occupation (321211) is eligible for the subclass 186 visa under both the TRT pathway and the Direct Entry (DE) pathway.
Subclasses 190 and 491 — state nomination
Some states, such as South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS) and the Northern Territory (NT), regularly include motor mechanics on their nomination lists, depending on local labour demand. The subclass 190 visa is a permanent residence visa (plus 5 state points); the subclass 491 visa is a five-year temporary regional visa (plus 15 points) leading to permanent residence through the subclass 191 visa after three years. Check each state’s official website before every nomination round, as occupation lists change frequently.
English requirement
Both the subclass 482 and the 186 TRT require competent English — a minimum of IELTS 6.0 in each skill (or PTE Academic 50 in each component, or the TOEFL iBT equivalent). The subclass 190 and 491 visas also require an appropriate level of English when lodging the EOI and the visa.
In day-to-day work, a motor mechanic in Australia needs English to read technical instructions, write repair reports and communicate with customers — especially important for roles at car dealerships.
Salary for reference
The figures below are reference points, not guaranteed pay. Actual pay depends on the city or region, level and experience, type of employer, full-time/part-time/casual status, award classification, penalty rates, compulsory superannuation (super) and the visa/sponsorship context.
Labour-market benchmark (official): According to the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile (data from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours), the median weekly earnings for the Motor Mechanics occupation group (ANZSCO 3212) are 1,622 AUD/week — equivalent to roughly 7,030 AUD/month or 84,300 AUD/year on a simple conversion of 52 weeks per year (a pre-tax figure, for reference only, not guaranteed pay). This is the median for full-time, non-managerial, adult-rate, pre-tax workers — neither the minimum nor the maximum, and a figure for the whole occupation group rather than a single role.
Salary range from job ads (market): Sites such as SEEK Salary Insights publish salary ranges based on job advertisements. At the time of this update, AustraliaHub has not been able to verify the SEEK range; you should look it up directly and compare it against the median benchmark above.
Legal minimum floor (legal floor): Motor mechanics fall under the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award (MA000089). This is a statutory minimum floor, different from market pay; the specific rate depends on classification level, type of work, allowances and overtime. Look it up with the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool (https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/).
Official sources (checked 12/06/2026):
- Jobs and Skills Australia — Motor Mechanics occupation profile (ANZSCO 3212): https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/3212-motor-mechanics
- Fair Work Ombudsman: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/
Pathway to permanent residence: summary
A common path: complete the JRP in Australia → receive a positive assessment outcome from TRA → be sponsored by an employer for the subclass 482 visa → work two years for the same employer → the employer lodges a subclass 186 TRT application → become a permanent resident. The full pathway usually takes four to six years from the start of the JRP. Lodge an EOI in parallel on SkillSelect to track state-nomination opportunities through the 190/491.
Common mistakes
- Wrong ANZSCO code: Diesel mechanic (321212) and motorcycle mechanic (321213) have their own codes. Confirm that your actual work matches the 321211 description before applying.
- Salary below TSMIT at small garages: Plenty of applicants find an employer willing to sponsor but cannot meet the TSMIT threshold — discuss salary clearly before proceeding.
- Changing employers too early on the 186 TRT path: Moving to a different employer before two continuous years is complete restarts the TRT time count.
- Not keeping up with state lists: Occupation 321211 is not always open in every state — check each state’s nomination page regularly before lodging an EOI.