Funeral Workers (nec) - ANZSCO 451399
Skilled occupation profile
Funeral Workers
ANZSCO 451399This occupation group covers Funeral Workers not elsewhere classified. Occupations in this group include: Chapel or Memorial Attendant, Embalmer, Funeral Director's Assistant.
Occupation guide
Occupation details and migration pathways
This guide brings together the key occupation tasks, possible visa pathways and skills assessment information for Funeral Workers ANZSCO 451399.
Typical tasks and duties
Funeral Workers may perform the following tasks:
- interviewing families and associates of the deceased to assist with funeral arrangements such as the selection of coffin, type of service and publication of death notices
- advising on funeral costs and welfare provisions
- collecting bodies from mortuaries
- ensuring death certificates have been issued, burial and cremation certificates processed and that other legal requirements are met
- preparing bodies for viewing and burial by washing, draining body fluids, applying padding and cosmetics, dressing bodies and placing them in coffins
- liaising with clergy and cemetery and crematorium staff
- coordinating the movement of coffins and funeral cars, arranging floral displays and collecting attendance and tribute cards
- arranging the placement of coffins at funeral sites, and placing and adjusting floral displays and lighting
- keeping records and accounts of transactions and services performed
- may arrange the construction of memorials and the disposal of ashes
Possible visa pathways
This occupation appears on ROL and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Occupations. The right visa pathway depends on factors such as your age, English level, qualifications, work experience, skills assessment, points score, nomination options and employer sponsorship.
Skills assessment
For skilled migration purposes, Funeral Workers usually requires a suitable skills assessment. Relevant assessing authorities may include:
Additional occupation-specific assessment information
Funeral Workers is classified as Group D occupations by Vetassess. The criteria for skills assessment of Group D occupations are the following:
- Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Certificate IV with a highly relevant field of study and at least one year of post-qualification highly relevant employment completed in the last five years;Or
- Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Certificate IV without a highly relevant field of study and at least two years of post-qualification highly relevant employment completed in the last five years;Or
- Qualification(s) assessed at AQF Certificate III with a highly relevant field of study and at least three years of post-qualification highly relevant employment completed in the last five years;
According to Vetassess, if you have pre-qualification employment and if all of your employment is before your qualifications assessed at the AQF Certificate III or Certificate IV level), three years of highly relevant employment in addition to at least one year of highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level completed in the last five years.
Legacy subclass 187 pathway
Do you currently hold, or have you previously held, a subclass 457 or 482 visa?
If you have worked for a sponsoring employer in regional Australia, please note that Funeral Workers (nec) — ANZSCO 451399 was included in the legacy Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) occupation list. The subclass 187 Direct Entry stream is closed to new applications, but the Temporary Residence Transition stream may remain available to certain transitional subclass 457 and subclass 482 workers. Eligibility is limited and depends on your visa history, relevant dates, sponsored regional employment, employer nomination, age, English and other requirements. Being included on this occupation list does not establish eligibility.
If this may describe your circumstances, we can assess whether the subclass 187 transitional arrangements may still apply to you.
Check your options
Check your skilled migration options
If Funeral Workers is your nominated occupation, complete our skilled visa assessment form so we can review your possible migration pathways.
Reviewed by Principal Migration Consultant
Reviewed by Mohammad Reza Azimi
This occupation page has been reviewed for migration context by Shada Migration Services. Mohammad has assisted clients with Australian migration matters since 2009 and holds a Graduate Certificate in Migration Law from the Australian National University.
Last reviewed: July 2026
