A skills assessment is conducted by an approved assessing authority — an independent body recognised by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to evaluate whether a person's qualifications and work experience are comparable to an Australian standard for a nominated occupation. A negative skills assessment (or an unsatisfactory or partial outcome) means the assessing authority has determined that the applicant's skills, qualifications, or experience do not meet the required standard for the nominated occupation.

DHA does not conduct the skills assessment itself and does not have the power to override an assessing authority's decision. The review options available after a negative outcome are those offered by the assessing authority, not DHA or the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).

• Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994 — skilled visa criteria require a positive skills assessment from a specified assessing authority for the nominated occupation
• DHA: Assessing Authorities page — lists the approved assessing authorities for each occupation; available at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
• Each assessing authority operates under its own legislation, constitution, or terms of reference — reviews are governed by the assessing authority's processes, not migration law

The assessing authority makes the decision — not DHA

Skills assessments are made by recognised assessing authorities such as Engineers Australia, Vetassess, TRA (Trades Recognition Australia), AIQS, ACWA, AIMS, CPA Australia, and many others. The authority assesses whether the person's qualifications and experience are comparable to the relevant Australian standard for the nominated occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, Short-term Skilled Occupation List, or other relevant lists.

DHA relies on the assessing authority's outcome when processing a visa application. If the assessing authority provides a negative assessment, DHA will generally not grant a visa that requires a positive assessment for the nominated occupation.

Review options — applying to the assessing authority

Each assessing authority has its own process for reviewing or reconsidering a negative assessment. Common options include:

• Request for review or reconsideration — most authorities allow the applicant to request a review of the assessment, typically by a different assessor. Additional evidence may be submitted at this stage, such as additional employment references, qualifications evidence, or statutory declarations
• Reapplication with additional evidence — if a review is not available or is unsuccessful, many authorities allow a new application with supplementary documentation addressing the reasons for the negative outcome
• Lodging a complaint — some authorities have a formal complaints process that may lead to reconsideration if there is evidence of procedural error in the original assessment

Each authority's review process, fees, and timeframes are different. Applicants should refer directly to the assessing authority's website or contact the authority for the applicable process at the time of their assessment.

ART review is not available

The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which reviews migration decisions made by DHA, does not have jurisdiction to review skills assessment decisions. The assessing authority is not a migration decision-maker — it is a specialist body. DHA's decision to rely on the negative assessment when refusing a visa application may in some circumstances be reviewable by the ART (if the refusal is on a reviewable ground), but the underlying skills assessment itself is not reviewable by the ART.

Alternative occupation or pathway

Where a review is unsuccessful or unavailable, options may include:

• Different occupation — if the person has qualifications or experience in more than one occupation, an assessment for a different nominated occupation (assessed by a different authority) may be considered. The occupation must appear on the relevant skills list and a separate application to the new assessing authority is required
• Different visa subclass — some visa subclasses do not require a skills assessment (for example, the Temporary Skills Shortage visa subclass 482 relies on employer sponsorship rather than a formal skills assessment); these may be alternatives depending on the person's situation
• Further qualifications or experience — completing further Australian qualifications, gaining additional work experience, or having qualifications formally recognised may address the deficiencies identified in the negative assessment

The reasons for a negative skills assessment vary significantly. Common reasons include: qualifications not recognised as equivalent to the relevant Australian qualification; insufficient duration of relevant work experience; work experience not in the nominated occupation; qualifications or experience in a different but related field; or inadequate documentation. The assessment outcome letter should specify the reasons, which is the starting point for any review or reconsideration.

DHA maintains a list of all assessing authorities and the occupations they assess at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Applicants and practitioners should confirm which authority is relevant for the nominated occupation and visa subclass before lodging any review or new application.