Australian Skills Assessment
What is Skills Assessment?
A skills assessment determines if you have the qualifications, skills and experience necessary to work in Australia at the required level for your occupation. Obtaining a suitable skills assessment is mandatory for some visa subclasses (and streams) and may be requested for others. Applicants for the points tested on GSM visas must have a suitable skills assessment for their nominated occupation. Some employer-sponsored visas also require a positive skills assessment.
The Department of Home Affairs only accepts a skills assessment issued by the relevant assessing authority, such as Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Institution of Engineers Australia (EA), Australian Computer Society (ACS), Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) etc.
How many Skills Assessments authorities are in Australia?
There are more than 30 different skills assessing authorities in Australia. Each one of these skills assessing authorities has different requirements and assessing guidelines. Some skills assessing authorities even have English language requirements of their own. They also have different skills assessment services depending on the visa for which the applicant would like to apply, the occupation and the country of origin.
Can I apply for a skills assessment without relevant work experience?
Most skills assessment authorities require applicants to have work experience related to the nominated occupation. If you hold Australian recognised qualifications, you may be eligible to apply for a skills assessment without work experience.
Do I need to provide an English test result for a skills assessment?
It depends on your nominated occupation and assessment authorities. If you are applying for Engineer relevant occupations from the Institution of Engineers Australia (EA), you will be required to provide an English test report when submitting an application, and the English level must be equivalent to at least IELTS band 6 for each component. Some authorities require applicants to have an English level equivalent to an IELTS band 7.
Do I have to have a bachelor’s degree to apply for a skills assessment?
Bachelor’ Degree is required for most professional occupations. However, some skills assessment authorities also accept trade qualifications, such as Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).
What is the cost of a skills assessment application?
The cost of a skills assessment can be varied. Different skills assessment authorities will charge different fees. The price range is usually from $300 to $2,500.
How long does it take to apply for a skills assessment?
Usually, the processing time will be around 1-3 months. Some skills assessment authorities can be requested priority processing, but the additional fees will be applied.
