A Child Care Centre Manager (ANZSCO 134111) skills assessment is issued by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) — not the Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA). The current application fee is $1,100 (incl. GST), and ACECQA aims to deliver an outcome within 80 days of a complete application. The occupation sits on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), which supports the points-tested Subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas — but as of September 2026 it does not appear on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), the list that governs access to the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa and the Direct Entry stream of the Subclass 186 and Subclass 494 visas. Anyone planning a Child Care Centre Manager migration pathway through Kingsbridge Australia should treat the points-tested route, not employer sponsorship, as the primary option under current settings.
What Is the ANZSCO Code for a Child Care Centre Manager?
The ANZSCO code for Child Care Centre Manager is 134111, classified under Unit Group 1341 (Child Care Coordinators and Managers) within Major Group 1 (Managers). It sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, the same skill level as other Group 1 management occupations Kingsbridge Australia assists with. The occupation covers managers who plan, organise, direct and coordinate the operations of a child care centre, including a Child Care Centre Director and Child Care Coordinator as specialisations — but it is a distinct occupation from a Child Care Worker or Room Leader (ANZSCO 421111), and experience in those junior roles does not count toward a 134111 skills assessment. Kingsbridge Australia’s own Child Care Centre Manager service page sets out the qualification pathways and typical course costs for candidates still working toward the diploma-level qualification this occupation requires.
Which Authority Assesses a Child Care Centre Manager Skills Assessment?
ACECQA is the sole assessing authority for the Child Care Centre Manager occupation, confirmed directly on ACECQA’s own migration skills assessment page. This is a correction worth flagging clearly: some Kingsbridge Australia materials have referenced ACWA in connection with this occupation, but ACWA’s remit covers Community Worker and Welfare Worker (ANZSCO 411711), a different occupation entirely. ACECQA also assesses four related occupations — Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher (241111), Child Care Worker – group leaders (421111), Child Care Worker (421111) and Out of School Hours Care Worker (421114) — but each has its own assessment standard, and a 134111 applicant is assessed only against the Child Care Centre Manager standard.
What Are the ACECQA Skills Assessment Requirements for a Child Care Centre Manager?
ACECQA’s published assessment standard for this occupation requires two things at once: a qualification and a defined period of relevant work experience earned after that qualification. The qualification requirement is an ACECQA nationally approved diploma-level (or higher) education and care qualification — a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is the most common pathway Kingsbridge Australia sees, though a relevant bachelor’s degree also satisfies it. The experience requirement is three years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) employment specifically as a Child Care Centre Manager in a regulated early childhood education and care service, completed after the qualification was obtained. On top of the headline three years, ACECQA also applies a currency test: applicants must show at least six months of that experience within the past three years, so a candidate who managed a centre a decade ago but has since moved into an unrelated field would not meet the standard without recent, relevant management experience.
How Much Does the Child Care Centre Manager Skills Assessment Cost?
The ACECQA migration skills assessment application fee is $1,100, inclusive of GST, payable at the time the application is submitted, per ACECQA’s current indexed fee schedule. This is a single, occupation-agnostic fee across all five occupations ACECQA assesses for migration purposes — there is no separate loading for Child Care Centre Manager specifically. ACECQA’s own guidance sets an assessment turnaround target of 80 days from a complete application, materially longer than some other assessing authorities’ priority-processing options, since ACECQA does not currently offer an equivalent fast-track service for this occupation. Applicants should budget for legal certification of supporting documents as a separate, additional cost.
Can a Child Care Centre Manager Get a Skilled Independent or State-Nominated Visa?
Yes — Child Care Centre Manager’s place on the MLTSSL means it remains eligible for the three main points-tested pathways: the Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) and Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional, provisional) visas, including both the state/territory-nominated and family-sponsored streams of the 491. Because Western Australia’s own state nomination program remains open for the 2025–26 program year (while several eastern states have already exhausted their allocations), a Child Care Centre Manager considering a WA-based 190 or 491 nomination is applying into one of the few state programs still actively inviting. As with any points-tested pathway, an applicant still needs a positive ACECQA skills assessment, a qualifying English test result, and enough points under the current points test — a personalised assessment from Kingsbridge Australia is the reliable way to confirm an individual’s actual points total rather than assuming eligibility from the occupation list alone. Kingsbridge Australia’s guide to the Subclass 191 visa covers how the 491 and Subclass 494 regional streams convert into permanent residence in more detail.
Can a Child Care Centre Manager Get an Employer-Sponsored Visa (482, 186 or 494)?
Not under current settings, at least not through the standard Core Skills Occupation List route. Kingsbridge Australia checked the Department of Home Affairs’ Core Skills Occupation List directly, and ANZSCO 134111 Child Care Centre Manager does not appear on it — meaning the occupation currently sits outside the standard CSOL pathway used for the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa and the Direct Entry streams of the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) and Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) visas. This is a meaningful distinction from the points-tested pathways above: being on the MLTSSL does not automatically mean an occupation is also on the CSOL, and the two lists are reviewed and updated separately. Because occupation lists are amended periodically and some employers may still explore a Labour Agreement or other exemption stream, anyone with a specific job offer from a child care provider should still get that offer checked against the current list before assuming it can, or cannot, support a sponsorship application. Kingsbridge Australia’s broader employer-sponsored visa guide and its 482/494 sponsorship overview explain how the CSOL governs eligibility for these employer-sponsored streams across occupations generally.
How Does the 491-to-191 Permanent Residence Pathway Work for This Occupation?
For a Child Care Centre Manager who takes the Subclass 491 regional route, updated Home Affairs processing guidance issued in September 2026 clarifies several points that matter for planning the move to permanent residence via the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence – Skilled Regional) visa. The guidance confirms there is no minimum residency period required on the preceding 491 visa before a 191 application can be considered, and that the income requirement for 191 eligibility remains at zero. It also clarifies that visa condition 8579 — the regional-location restriction attached to 491 and 494 visas — does not restrict personal interests or incidental activities outside the designated regional area, and does not apply at all while the visa holder is outside Australia. For a Child Care Centre Manager balancing a demanding centre-management role with family or study commitments elsewhere in Australia, this is a practical reassurance rather than a policy tightening.
How Do You Apply for the Child Care Centre Manager Skills Assessment?
ACECQA’s application process runs in a fixed sequence. First, confirm the occupation and its current list status, since eligibility rules are reviewed periodically. Second, review ACECQA’s published assessment standard for Child Care Centre Manager in full, rather than relying on a generic summary. Third, gather supporting evidence — the qualification testamur and transcript, and documented evidence of the three years’ relevant management experience (employment references describing actual centre-management duties, not just a job title). Fourth, have overseas documents certified where required. Fifth, submit the application and pay the $1,100 fee online. ACECQA then assesses the application and aims to issue an outcome within 80 days. A skills assessment obtained this way is for migration purposes only, and applicants should confirm with the Department of Home Affairs that their intended visa pathway actually requires one before applying.
Key Takeaways
- Child Care Centre Manager (ANZSCO 134111) is assessed by ACECQA, not ACWA or VETASSESS.
- The current ACECQA application fee is $1,100 (incl. GST), with an 80-day target turnaround.
- Requirements: an ACECQA-approved diploma (or higher) plus three years’ full-time-equivalent centre-management experience, with at least six months of that in the past three years.
- The occupation is on the MLTSSL (Subclass 189, 190, 491 eligible) but, as checked directly against the Core Skills Occupation List in September 2026, is not currently on the CSOL — so standard 482, 186 Direct Entry and 494 sponsorship is not available under present settings.
- Updated September 2026 Home Affairs guidance confirms there’s no minimum residency requirement on a 491 before applying for 191 permanent residence, and that the regional-location condition (8579) doesn’t restrict personal activity outside the area or apply while offshore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ACWA the assessing authority for Child Care Centre Manager?
No. ACECQA (the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority) is the assessing authority for Child Care Centre Manager (ANZSCO 134111). ACWA assesses Community Worker and Welfare Worker (ANZSCO 411711), a separate occupation.
Does a Child Care Worker’s experience count toward the Child Care Centre Manager skills assessment?
No. ACECQA’s assessment standard requires experience specifically in a Child Care Centre Manager role in a regulated service. Time spent as a Child Care Worker or Room Leader does not satisfy the management-experience requirement, even if it was full time and long-standing.
Can a Child Care Centre Manager apply for a Subclass 482 visa?
Not through the standard Core Skills Occupation List pathway, since ANZSCO 134111 does not currently appear on the CSOL. A specific employer sponsorship arrangement, such as a Labour Agreement, would need to be checked separately and is not guaranteed.
How long does the ACECQA skills assessment take?
ACECQA’s published target is 80 days from a complete application, which is longer than the priority-processing options some other assessing authorities offer, since ACECQA does not currently provide an equivalent fast-track service for this occupation.
Do I need a minimum period on a 491 visa before applying for the 191 visa?
No. Updated Home Affairs processing guidance from September 2026 confirms there is no minimum residency period required on the preceding 491 visa before a Subclass 191 application can be considered, and the income requirement for 191 eligibility remains at zero.
Ready to find out if you qualify?
Kingsbridge Australia offers a free 15-minute pre-assessment with Dexter Lee, our Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2518927), to see if you qualify for this pathway. Book a time below.
