ANZSCO 639211 · CSOL · STSOL
Retail Buyer: ANZSCO 639211
Official Home Affairs skilled occupation list · checked 21 October 2026
Retail Buyer (ANZSCO 639211) is on the CSOL (Core Skills Occupation List) and STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List). It can be used for the 190, 491, 494, 482, 186 and 407 visas, and the skills assessment is done by VETASSESS. Checked against the Home Affairs list on 21 October 2026.
Occupation lists
CSOL, STSOL
Core Skills Occupation List; Short-term Skilled Occupation List
Permanent visa options
190, 186
Visas that give permanent residence
Assessing authority
VETASSESS
Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services
Skill level
Level 3
Certificate IV, or Certificate III with at least 2 years of on-the-job training, or 3 years of relevant experience
The job
What a retail buyer does
Selects and buys goods for resale in a retail establishment.
Specialisations
- Merchandise Planner
Unit group 6392
Tasks of Retail and Wool Buyers
- Monitoring sales data and stock levels, and studying trade, manufacturers' and market information to keep informed of changing market conditions
- Negotiating purchase, promotion and supply arrangements with suppliers
- Designing and implementing pricing, marketing, promotional and display strategies
- Liaising with management on long-term planning and sales promotions
- Establishing working plans according to seasonal and budgetary requirements
- Anticipating consumer trends and determining quantity, style and quality of goods to be purchased
- Inspecting, comparing, selecting and valuing wool by determining colour, yield, micron and length
- Inspecting and buying wool at auction, in wool brokers' stores and in farm sheds
- Receiving samples from scoured wool exchanges
- May visit freezing works to buy slipe wool
Qualifications and experience
Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with the qualifications and experience outlined below.
At least three years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification.
- AQF Certificate III including at least two years of on-the-job training, or AQF Certificate IV (ANZSCO Skill Level 3)
Assessing authorities check your duties against these tasks, so your experience must match them, not only the job title.
Visa options
Which visas ANZSCO 639211 can be used for
From the Department of Home Affairs combined list of eligible skilled occupations. Every visa also has its own points, age, English, experience and skills assessment rules.
| Visa | Eligible | ANZSCO version | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | No | — | |
| 190 Skilled Nominated (state) | Yes | ANZSCO 2013 | Needs a state or territory nomination |
| 407 Training visa | Yes | ANZSCO 2013 | |
| 485 Temporary Graduate | No | — | |
| 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional | Yes | ANZSCO 2013 | |
| 491 State Skilled Work Regional, state nominated | Yes | ANZSCO 2013 | Needs a state or territory nomination |
| 491 Family Skilled Work Regional, family sponsored | No | — | |
| 482 Skills in Demand, Core Skills stream | Yes | ANZSCO 2022 | Caveats apply |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, Direct Entry | Yes | ANZSCO 2022 | Caveats apply |
Caveats
Caveats that limit employer sponsorship
A caveat rules out certain positions even though the occupation is on the list. Your employer's nomination is refused if the position falls within one.
Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Core Skills stream
- Low skilled tasks: Excludes any position that: is based in a front‑line retail setting or; predominantly involves direct client transactional interaction on a regular basis or; predominantly involves selling educational courses to individual students or; is based in a call centre and does not require a significant technical knowledge of products.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Direct Entry
- Low skilled tasks: Excludes any position that: is based in a front‑line retail setting or; predominantly involves direct client transactional interaction on a regular basis or; predominantly involves selling educational courses to individual students or; is based in a call centre and does not require a significant technical knowledge of products.
Skills assessment
Skills assessment for ANZSCO 639211
Most skilled visas need a positive skills assessment from the authority below before you can lodge. It must be for the same occupation you nominate.
Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services (VETASSESS)
We prepare your VETASSESS assessment with you and check that your duties match ANZSCO 639211 before you apply.
States and territories
State and territory nomination
Retail Buyer is on a list that allows state nomination for the 190 (permanent) and for the 491 (regional, provisional). Each state then decides which occupations it will nominate, and on what conditions.
State lists, points cut-offs and residence or job offer rules change during the program year, and some states close streams once their places are used. Ask us which states are nominating retail buyer now.
Similar occupations
Other occupations in Retail and Wool Buyers
If your duties fit one of these better, that is the code to nominate.
Questions
ANZSCO 639211: common questions
What is the ANZSCO code for retail buyer?
What does a retail buyer do?
Which skilled occupation list is Retail Buyer on?
Can I get a 189 visa as a retail buyer?
Is Retail Buyer eligible for state nomination (190 or 491)?
Can an employer sponsor a retail buyer?
Who assesses retail buyer skills for Australian migration?
Talk to us
Is ANZSCO 639211 your occupation? Ask us about your options.
Tell us your duties, qualifications, experience and English scores. We will confirm the right occupation and the visas that fit.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, checked 21 October 2026. Descriptions: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022 (CC BY 4.0). General information only, not immigration advice.
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