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Careers Counsellor

Careers Counsellor
ANZSCO Code: 272111 / Group A

Careers Counsellors provide individuals and groups with information about career choices and assist individuals with self-development.

Occupation description

Careers Counsellors provide individuals and groups with information about career choices and assist individuals with self-development.

Alternative Titles:

  • Careers Adviser

Occupations not considered under this ANZSCO code:

Other occupations included in the ANZSCO Unit Group 2721 Counsellors:

  • Drug and Alcohol Counsellor
  • Family and Marriage Counsellor
  • Rehabilitation Counsellor
  • Student Counsellor
  • Counsellors nec

Psychologists are advised to contact the Australian Psychological Society for assessment as a Psychologist for migration purposes.

Careers Counsellor is a VETASSESS Group A occupation

This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation

Group A - October 2025

Description of Pathways 

The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group A. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a positive assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.

Pathway 1 

This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:

  • at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
  • working 20 hours or more per week, and
  • highly relevant to the nominated occupation.

Pathway 2 

This pathway requires a qualification that has been assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor Degree or higher, in a field not highly relevant but related to the nominated occupation, as listed below, and an additional qualification in the field of Counselling or Psychotherapy at a minimum of AQF Graduate Diploma level. Related fields for a Bachelor qualification include:

  • Psychology / Psychological Science
  • Psychiatry
  • Social Work
  • Mental Health / Mental Health Nursing
  • Special Education
  • Behavioural Science
  • Criminology

Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:

  • at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
  • working 20 hours or more per week, and
  • highly relevant to the nominated occupation.

Please note - to be eligible, the one year of employment must have been undertaken after the completion of a qualification comparable to an AQF Bachelor Degree or higher. 

Qualification and Employment Criteria

AQF Bachelor degree or higher*

The following fields of study that can be considered on a case-by-case basis if preceding highly relevant employment: 

  • Clinical Psychology 
  • Counselling Psychology 
  • Social Work in Clinical / Counselling stream 

Highly relevant major fields of study include:

  • Counselling
  • Psychotherapy

Careers Counsellors provide individuals and groups with information about career choices and assist individuals with self-development.

Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:

  • working with clients on career, study and employment options by obtaining and examining information relevant to their abilities and needs.
  • providing information and resources to assist clients with job-seeking skills.

Additional tasks may include:

  • maintaining accurate and confidential client records.
  • referring clients to other practitioners and service providers where appropriate.

In Australia, there are currently no legal requirements for licensing or registration for the occupation of Careers Counsellor. Membership of a professional body such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia may be required by employers.

Get Support

Help with a Skills Assessment

Skills Assessment Support (SAS) services are for migration agents, legal practitioners and prospective applicants who are yet to submit their Skills Assessment application to VETASSESS.

Help with an urgent application

For general and professional occupations, priority processing can be used to fast-track urgent applications

How to apply

If you're a professional choosing to migrate to Australia, chances are you're likely to be assessed by us. We assess 361 different professional occupations, assessing your skills, experience and qualifications.

1

Find

Find the VETASSESS occupation that most closely fits your skills and experience. 

2

Match

Match your skills and experience to your chosen occupation.

3

Prepare

Get ready to apply by preparing all the information and documents you need. 

4

Apply

Apply online when you’re ready. If you’re still unsure, skills assessment support is available when you need it.

Start your online application