An ICT Business Analyst identifies what a business actually needs from its technology, then turns those needs into clear requirements that developers and systems teams can act on. The role sits between business and technology. The analyst talks to the people who have the problem and turns that into something a technical team can build. It is a Skill Level 1 occupation, meaning a bachelor degree or higher qualification is the standard entry point, though five or more years of relevant experience or a recognised vendor certification can sometimes stand in place of a formal degree.

ANZSCO unit group 2611 covers ICT Business and Systems Analysts. The defining purpose of this group is working with users to formulate system requirements, develop system plans and documentation, review and evaluate existing systems, and design or modify systems to meet the business needs of users. It is important to understand that non-ICT Business Analysts, for example Management Consultants, are not included here. Those roles fall under unit group 2247 Management and Organisation Analysts instead. The ICT context is what separates a 261111 analyst from a general business analyst.

• Communicating with users to identify, document and agree on system and software requirements
• Producing a requirements specification that development teams can work from
• Reviewing and evaluating existing systems to understand how they currently function
• Developing system plans and documentation that support design and implementation
• Analysing business processes and workflows to identify gaps, inefficiencies and improvement opportunities
• Designing or recommending modifications to systems so they better meet business needs
• Creating user and training documentation, and running formal training sessions for new or updated systems
• Developing functional specifications for use by system developers
• Using data and process modelling techniques to create clear system specifications
• Acting as a central reference during system project decisions and providing guidance to stakeholders
• Consulting with users and programmers to design improvements to websites, applications and systems

This occupation appears on the following skill list:

Because 261111 ICT Business Analyst is on the MLTSSL, it is eligible for General Skilled Migration visas. That includes the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190, which requires nomination from a state or territory), and the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491). If you have an employer willing to sponsor you, options include the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494).

The Department of Home Affairs updated its approved English tests and score thresholds on 7 August 2025. The ACS does not require an English test for the skills assessment itself, but you still need to meet one of these levels for your visa application.

• Australian graduates may be eligible for exceptions depending on their state or territory
• Priority Skilled Lists in some states and territories may set their own specific requirements
• Citizens of the UK, Canada, New Zealand, the US and Ireland are generally exempt from providing test scores for Competent English

These two occupations are part of the same ANZSCO unit group and are often confused, but the ACS treats them as separate roles with different focal points. Understanding the distinction matters because ACS will assess your experience against whichever occupation code you nominate. Choosing the wrong one can lead to a negative outcome even if your experience is strong.

In day-to-day work, an ICT Business Analyst spends most of their time talking to people: project managers, end users, department heads, and developers. The job is to make sure everyone is working toward the same outcome, and that the technical solution being built actually solves the business problem that was described at the start. That means running workshops, drawing up process maps, writing user stories, reviewing prototypes, and going back to stakeholders when requirements are unclear or conflicting.

Where this role differs from a Systems Analyst is in where the work is centred. A Systems Analyst focuses on what is happening inside the existing system and what technically needs to change. An ICT Business Analyst focuses on what the business wants to achieve and builds the documentation that makes that achievable. Both roles produce specifications, but the ICT Business Analyst's output is what a Systems Analyst or developer works from next. It sits earlier in the project lifecycle.