Skills assessment — how it works
Overview
A skills assessment is a formal evaluation by an approved assessing authority that determines whether a migrant's qualifications and work experience are suitable for performing a particular occupation in Australia. Skills assessments are required for most Subclass 189, 190, 491 (points-tested), and some employer-sponsored visa applications. The nominated occupation must be assessed against the relevant Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) unit group.
Different occupations are assessed by different assessing authorities. There is no single body that assesses all occupations — the appropriate authority is determined by the occupation code. Skills assessments are conducted independently of the visa application and must usually be completed before submitting an Expression of Interest.
Legal basis
The skills assessment requirement is prescribed in the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) as a criterion for the relevant visa subclasses. The regulations specify that the applicant must hold a "suitable" skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation. There is no single statute governing the assessment process — each assessing authority operates under its own framework and standards.
How it works
Step 1 — Identify the nominated occupation and ANZSCO code
The applicant identifies the occupation they wish to nominate from the relevant occupation list (for example, the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List or the relevant state/territory list). Each occupation corresponds to an ANZSCO unit group with a specific code.
Step 2 — Identify the assessing authority
The assessing authority for each occupation is specified on the Department of Home Affairs website. Examples include:
- Engineers Australia (EA) — engineering occupations
- Australian Computer Society (ACS) — ICT occupations
- Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) — trade occupations
- Australian Institute of Radiography (AIR) — radiography
- Accountants and Finance sector — CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), Institute of Public Accountants (IPA)
- VETASSESS — a wide range of professional and management occupations
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) — nursing and midwifery
Step 3 — Prepare and lodge the skills assessment application
The applicant lodges an application directly with the assessing authority, providing evidence of their qualifications and work experience. Each authority has its own document requirements, assessment criteria, and fees. Typical requirements include:
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Employment references from supervisors or HR departments
- Payslips and contracts as supporting evidence
- English translations of documents where necessary
Step 4 — Assessment decision
The assessing authority issues a formal assessment outcome letter stating whether the applicant's qualifications and experience are suitable or not suitable for the nominated occupation. Some authorities issue a "closely related" outcome where the assessment is positive for a different ANZSCO code than applied for. The assessment is valid for a specified period (commonly 3 years).
Use of the assessment in the visa process
For the Subclass 189/190/491 visas, the skills assessment outcome is declared in the Expression of Interest and must be substantiated with evidence in the subsequent visa application. For employer-sponsored visas, a skills assessment may be required by the Department as part of the nomination assessment.
Review of negative assessments
Most assessing authorities have an internal review or reassessment process. After the assessing authority process is exhausted, there may be limited review rights through the ART for certain visa-pathway decisions, but the skills assessment itself is conducted by an independent non-government body and is not directly reviewable by the ART.