Skills assessment · ANZSCO
Pharmacist Skills Assessment
How Pharmacist (ANZSCO) is assessed for skilled migration
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - ANZSCO code
- Confirm current code
- Skill level
- Skill Level 1
- Assessing authority
- Australian Pharmacy Council (APC)
- RPL relevant
- Limited
MARN 1576536 · Verifiable at mara.gov.au
- Note: Pharmacy is a registered profession — to practise you must be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia via AHPRA, separate from the migration skills assessment.
- RPL relevant: Limited — see below (Pharmacists are assessed on their pharmacy qualification (and often examinations) by the Australian Pharmacy Council — not through VET Recognition of Prior Learning.)
Pharmacist is a Skill Level 1 health profession covering the preparation and dispensing of medicines and advice on their use. ANZSCO separates it into Hospital Pharmacist (251511), Retail Pharmacist (251513) and Industrial Pharmacist (251512), and you nominate the one matching your role. For skilled migration the assessing authority is the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC), with registration through AHPRA. Widen Migration (MARN 1576536) helps pharmacists coordinate both.
The skills assessment & RPL pathway for Pharmacist
For a Pharmacist, the Australian Pharmacy Council conducts the migration skills assessment, evaluating your pharmacy qualification against Australian standards; depending on your qualification this can involve examinations.
Separately, to practise you must be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia through AHPRA, which has its own requirements and can involve supervised practice. Nominate the correct ANZSCO field — Hospital Pharmacist (251511), Retail Pharmacist (251513) or Industrial Pharmacist (251512) — to match your experience. Neither the skills assessment nor registration is a VET Recognition of Prior Learning pathway.
Evidence typically required
- Pharmacy qualification with academic transcripts and course details
- Evidence of registration/eligibility in your home country
- English language test results meeting the required standard
- Curriculum details as requested by the Council
- Passport and identity documents
Is RPL part of your Pharmacist pathway?
Book a consultation to confirm the right assessing authority and whether RPL fits your visa goal for this occupation.
Looking at the whole journey rather than just the assessment? See the full pathway guide: Migrate to Australia as a Pharmacist →
Which skilled visa uses this occupation?
Once Pharmacist is positively assessed, the assessment supports a points-tested or employer-sponsored skilled visa. The right one depends on your points, age, state nomination and whether an employer will sponsor you.
- Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent (points-tested, no sponsor)
- Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated (state nomination)
- Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (regional nomination)
- Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand (employer sponsorship)
- 482 → 186 permanent residency pathway
- Check your points for 189/190/491
Speak with WIDEN
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General information only, not migration advice. ANZSCO codes and assessing-authority arrangements change (ANZSCO is transitioning to OSCA) and skilled occupation lists are updated periodically — confirm the current code, authority and requirements for your situation. Skills assessments are conducted by the relevant assessing authority and RPL qualifications are issued by Registered Training Organisations, not by WIDEN. No qualification or assessment guarantees a visa. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) only after a paid consultation under a written service agreement.
Questions we get asked first
Which ANZSCO code should a pharmacist nominate?
ANZSCO separates Hospital Pharmacist (251511), Retail Pharmacist (251513) and Industrial Pharmacist (251512). Nominate the field that matches your actual experience — your employment evidence should support it. The Australian Pharmacy Council assesses across these pharmacist occupations.
Do I need to sit exams?
Depending on your qualification and pathway, the Australian Pharmacy Council process and AHPRA registration can involve examinations and supervised practice. Requirements vary by applicant, so confirm the current pathway for your qualification with the Council and the Pharmacy Board.
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