The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is a classification system that provides for the standardised collection, analysis, and dissemination of occupation data.
The ANZSCO definitions of occupations are the Holy Grail for Skilled Migration and Temporary Business Entry visa programs where assessment of a visa applicant's skills to undertake a specific occupation in Australia is the main processing requirement.
For most visa applicants it is like a dictionary they can consult to know exactly what their occupational duties should cover. ANZSCO sets out what qualifications and experience you need to perform specific jobs and what your tasks would be in that occupation.
The ANZSCO definitions are used as the standard by which a visa applicant's skills and work experience to undertake a specific occupation in Australia are assessed by the various skills assessing bodies as well as the Department of Immigration.
There are five skill levels in ANZSCO and they are defined in terms of formal education, previous experience and on-the-job training. The code itself contains six digits and includes built in groupings, which make it easy to find and research.
The Department of Immigration uses ANZSCO for assessing whether an application meets the criteria for nomination of an occupation. They will want to ensure that the person being nominated has qualification relevant to the occupation and/ or evidence of experience, for example, work references and pay advices.
Referring to the code is especially helpful when one is working in an occupation in a similar discipline to another occupation. For example: Bookkeeper 551211 and Accountant (General) 221111.
Bookkeeper is a skills level 4 occupation where as Accountant is a skill level 1 occupation and even though to a lay person it is just numbers and spread sheets, the ANZSCO descriptions are very clear in differentiating between the two and the required skills level.
You can read below the ANZSCO description and list of tasks which make it clear that these are two completely different occupations with separate skill sets and qualifications. A bookkeeper is a financial records keeper of sorts and an accountant does much more than that.
Bookkeeper ANZSCO description; maintain and evaluate records of financial transactions in account books and computerised accounting systems.
Tasks
- keeping financial records, and maintaining and balancing accounts using manual and computerised systems
- monitoring cash flow and lines of credit
- preparing and producing financial statements, budget and expenditure reports and analyses using account books, ledgers and accounting software packages
- preparing invoices, purchase orders and bank deposits
- reconciling accounts against monthly bank statements
- verifying recorded transactions and reporting irregularities to management
may be required to prepare forms reporting business tax entitlements and obligations such as the amount of goods and services tax paid and collected
Accountant ANZSCO description; provide services relating to financial reporting, taxation, auditing, insolvency, accounting information systems, budgeting, cost management, planning and decision-making by organisations and individuals; and provide advice on associated compliance and performance requirements to ensure statutory and strategic governance.
Tasks
- assisting in formulating budgetary and accounting policies
- preparing financial statements for presentation to boards of directors, management, shareholders, and governing and statutory bodies
- conducting financial investigations, preparing reports, undertaking audits and advising on matters such as the purchase and sale of businesses, mergers, capital financing, suspected fraud, insolvency and taxation
- examining operating costs and organisations' income and expenditure
- providing assurance about the accuracy of information contained in financial reports and their compliance with statutory requirements
- providing financial and taxation advice on business structures, plans and operations
- preparing taxation returns for individuals and organisations
- liaising with financial institutions and brokers to establish funds management arrangements
- introducing and maintaining accounting systems, and advising on the selection and application of computer-based accounting systems
- maintaining internal control systems
As you can see the ANZSCO is quite exhaustive in describing every details of duties to be conducted under a specific occupation. It is therefore widely consulted by everyone from visa applicants, to migration agents, skills assessing bodies, employers as well as the Department of Immigration.