Skills Assessment Australia: Qualifications, Employment and Skilled Dates

Skills Assessment Australia: Executive Summary

A skills assessment is usually an independent assessment conducted by the authority responsible for the nominated occupation.

The authority may consider one or more of the following:

• qualification level and course content;
• professional registration or licensing;
• employment duties and occupational level;
• employment duration and hours;
• remuneration;
• competency reports or project evidence;
• practical assessment;
• supervised professional practice;
• English requirements;
• supporting documentary evidence.

Different authorities use different criteria. A process that works for an engineer may be entirely different from the process applying to an ICT professional, teacher, accountant, nurse, trade worker or general professional occupation.

The assessment should therefore be approached as an occupation-specific process rather than a generic document application.

What is an Australian skills assessment?

A skills assessment is a formal opinion issued by an authorised assessing authority about whether an applicant satisfies the authority’s standards for a nominated occupation.

The precise question being assessed depends on:

• the occupation;
• the assessing authority;
• the assessment program;
• the intended visa;
• the applicant’s qualifications and employment history.

The assessing authority is separate from the Department

The assessing authority conducts the occupational assessment under its own published procedures and professional standards.

The Department of Home Affairs later determines whether the applicant satisfies the visa requirements.

These are related but separate decisions.

The correct assessment type matters

An assessing authority may issue different assessment products for different purposes.

These may include:

• permanent migration assessments;
• temporary graduate or provisional assessments;
• employment assessments;
• qualification-only assessments;
• professional recognition assessments;
• licensing or registration assessments;
• employer-sponsored visa assessments.

An assessment issued for one purpose should not automatically be assumed suitable for another visa.

When is a skills assessment required?

A suitable skills assessment is generally required for the primary applicant in the points-tested General Skilled Migration pathways:

• Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa;
• Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa;
• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa.

Skills assessments can also be required in other visa contexts, including some:

• employer-sponsored visa streams;
• regional employer-sponsored pathways;
• temporary graduate pathways;
• labour-agreement arrangements;
• partner-skills points claims.

A skills assessment is required before an EOI is submitted

For points-tested skilled migration, the EOI records details of the assessment, including:

• the nominated occupation;
• the assessing authority;
• the assessment date;
• the assessment reference details.

The assessment and its claims should be reviewed before the EOI is submitted.

An EOI should not be based on an assessment assumption

An applicant should not assume that:

• a qualification will be accepted;
• the intended occupation will receive a positive outcome;
• all employment will be recognised;
• a provisional assessment will satisfy permanent migration requirements.

Which skills assessing authority applies?

The responsible assessing authority is normally identified against the occupation in the Home Affairs skilled occupation search and relevant legislative framework.

Examples of assessing authorities include:

• Engineers Australia for many engineering occupations;
• Australian Computer Society for many ICT occupations;
• VETASSESS for many professional, managerial and general occupations;
• Trades Recognition Australia for many trade occupations;
• AITSL for school-teaching occupations;
• ANMAC for nursing and midwifery occupations;
• CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and IPA for relevant accounting occupations;
• occupation-specific health, registration and professional bodies.

The occupation determines the authority

Two applicants with similar employment may be assessed by different authorities because they nominate different occupations.

Changing the occupation can change:

• the authority;
• the qualification requirements;
• the evidence required;
• the assessment fee;
• the processing procedure;
• the likely skilled-employment date;
• the visa options created by the result.

Do not choose an occupation because the assessment looks easier

An assessment route may appear simpler but still be unsuitable if:

• the occupation does not reflect the applicant’s work;
• the qualification does not support it;
• the evidence contradicts the occupation;
• the result would recognise less employment;
• the occupation has no credible migration pathway.

Read more about Skilled Occupation Strategy Australia.

What do skills assessing authorities examine?

Assessing authorities do not all perform the same assessment.

The authority applies its own standards

Applicants should not assume that:

• the employer’s opinion determines the occupation;
• Australian Immigration will accept any positive-looking letter;
• another applicant’s assessment predicts their result;
• an assessment from one authority can be transferred to another occupation;
• years worked automatically satisfy the required occupational level.

Qualification relevance and skills assessment

Qualification analysis can determine whether the applicant receives a suitable result and how much employment may later be recognised.

Closely related qualifications

A qualification may be closely related where its level, major and course content directly support the nominated occupation.

The authority may examine:

• the formal title of the award;
• the subjects completed;
• the major or specialisation;
• the proportion of relevant study;
• practical or supervised components;
• the awarding institution;
• professional accreditation.

Partially related qualifications

A broadly related qualification may not be treated in the same way as a qualification directly aligned with the occupation.

Possible consequences include:

• additional employment being required;
• a later date being treated as the skilled date;
• part of the employment history being used to compensate for qualification differences;
• the applicant being assessed under a different pathway.

Unrelated qualifications

Some authorities allow relevant employment to compensate for an unrelated qualification.

Others require a particular qualification, registration or accredited course and do not permit work experience to replace it.

Qualification level

A qualification in the correct field may still be insufficient if it is below the level required for the occupation.

Conversely, a higher qualification does not automatically resolve a content or relevance problem.

Pre-qualification employment

Employment completed before the relevant qualification may be:

• excluded;
• used to satisfy a qualifying period;
• recognised only after a later threshold is reached;
• treated differently by the authority and the Department;
• relevant to one occupation but not another.

Employment evidence for a skills assessment

Employment evidence must usually establish more than the fact that the applicant worked for an organisation.

It should help prove:

• who employed the applicant;
• the employment dates;
• the position or positions held;
• hours worked;
• whether the employment was paid;
• remuneration;
• the duties performed;
• the level of responsibility;
• the occupational context.

Employment references

A detailed employer reference may need to include:

• official letterhead;
• the applicant’s full name;
• commencement and end dates;
• job title;
• full-time or part-time status;
• hours per week;
• salary or remuneration;
• specific duties;
• the referee’s name, position and contact details.

Independent supporting records

Depending on the assessing authority and case, supporting evidence may include:

• employment contracts;
• payslips;
• bank statements showing salary payments;
• income-tax records;
• social-insurance or provident-fund records;
• promotion letters;
• performance reviews;
• organisational charts;
• project records;
• timesheets;
• professional registration;
• business records for self-employment.

References should describe the genuine work

A reference should not merely reproduce generic occupational wording.

It should explain:

• what the applicant actually did;
• the systems, clients, products or projects involved;
• the decisions the applicant made;
• the level at which the work was performed;
• how the role fitted within the organisation.

Affidavits and statutory declarations

Alternative declarations may be considered where a proper employer reference cannot reasonably be obtained.

They should explain:

• why primary evidence is unavailable;
• how the declarant knows the applicant’s work;
• the employment dates and hours;
• the duties performed;
• the declarant’s own position and authority.

A declaration is stronger when supported by independent employment records.

It should not be used to erase contradictions appearing in primary evidence.

Skilled dates and employment deductions

One of the most consequential parts of a skills assessment can be the date from which the applicant is considered to have reached the required skilled level.

Total employment is not necessarily recognised skilled employment

An applicant may have ten years of professional employment but receive an outcome under which fewer years are considered relevant or skilled.

Possible reasons include:

• the qualification is not closely related;
• a qualifying period is applied;
• employment occurred before qualification;
• earlier duties were below the required occupational level;
• some duties aligned with another occupation;
• part of the employment was insufficiently documented;
• employment periods overlapped;
• part-time hours require adjustment;
• the applicant changed occupation over time.

What is an employment deduction?

Some assessment frameworks use part of an applicant’s work experience to satisfy the authority’s requirements before the applicant is treated as skilled in the nominated occupation.

The deducted period may help produce the positive occupational outcome but may not then be available in the same way for migration-points purposes.

The skilled date can change the points calculation

A strategy based on eight years of overseas employment may weaken materially if the outcome supports only four or five years after the relevant date.

That can affect:

• the current points score;
• subclass 189 competitiveness;
• state nomination eligibility;
• state ranking;
• the preferred primary applicant;
• whether waiting for more employment is worthwhile.

Occupational suitability versus employment assessment

A skills assessment may address more than one issue, but applicants should identify exactly what the issued result says.

Occupational suitability

An occupational suitability result generally confirms whether the applicant satisfies the authority’s standards for the nominated occupation.

Employment assessment

An employment assessment may examine whether identified work periods are relevant to the nominated occupation and meet the authority’s requirements.

The result may not assess every job

A positive occupational outcome may not mean:

• every employment period was considered;
• every period was accepted;
• every period was at the required level;
• all employment is available for points;
• the Department is bound by the authority’s opinion.

A separate employment service may be required

Some authorities offer separate or additional employment-assessment services.

An applicant should determine whether:

• employment is included in the main assessment;
• a separate service must be requested;
• the result states a skilled date;
• the employment opinion is intended for migration-points purposes;
• additional fees and documents apply.

Possible skills assessment outcomes

The precise terminology differs between authorities, but outcomes may include:

Read the whole outcome

The word “positive” should not be read in isolation.

The result may contain important limitations concerning:

• the assessment purpose;
• the occupation;
• the skilled date;
• employment periods;
• validity;
• professional registration;
• conditions or exclusions.

What a positive skills assessment does and does not prove

The Department assesses the visa application

At the visa stage, the Department may examine:

• whether the assessment is the correct type;
• whether it is valid;
• whether it relates to the nominated occupation;
• whether the points claimed are legally available;
• whether the employment documents prove the claimed periods;
• whether all other visa criteria are satisfied.

How the skills assessment affects 189, 190 and 491 pathways

Subclass 189

A suitable assessment is required for the nominated occupation, but the applicant must still compete for a federal invitation.

The result may affect:

• occupation access;
• employment points;
• the total score;
• invitation competitiveness.

Subclass 190

A suitable assessment supports federal eligibility, but state nomination remains a separate process.

A state may apply criteria concerning:

• the occupation;
• employment;
• residence;
• English;
• points;
• sector or priority;
• assessment validity.

Subclass 491

The assessment may support either a state-nominated or eligible family-sponsored pathway, depending on occupation availability.

The additional 15 points do not overcome:

• an unsuitable assessment;
• an unavailable occupation;
• an invalid state pathway;
• an ineligible family sponsor;
• weak federal invitation prospects.

Employer-sponsored alternatives

Some employer-sponsored pathways require a skills assessment, while others may not require one in every case.

The requirements depend on:

• the visa subclass;
• the stream;
• the occupation;
• the applicant’s nationality or circumstances;
• any applicable exemption or labour agreement.

Read more about Employer-Sponsored Visas Australia.

Skills assessment validity

A skills assessment must be valid at the legally relevant time for the intended visa pathway.

The assessment may state its own validity period.

Where no period is stated, Home Affairs generally treats a suitable assessment as valid for three years from its date of issue for relevant skilled migration purposes.

Validity should be checked before invitation and lodgement

Applicants should monitor:

• the assessment issue date;
• any expiry date shown;
• the intended visa requirements;
• the timing of the EOI;
• state nomination requirements;
• anticipated invitation timing.

Do not obtain the assessment so early that it becomes unusable

An early assessment may be sensible where:

• the occupation pathway is viable;
• the EOI will be submitted soon;
• the result is needed for state registration;
• the applicant faces an age deadline.

It may be commercially weak where:

• English has not been tested;
• no nomination route exists;
• the occupation strategy remains uncertain;
• the applicant intends to wait several years;
• important employment evidence is not ready.

What happens after a negative skills assessment?

A negative outcome should be analysed before another application is lodged.

Identify the actual reason

The defect may concern:

• the wrong occupation;
• qualification level;
• qualification relevance;
• insufficient course content;
• insufficient relevant employment;
• employment below the required level;
• missing evidence;
• inconsistent evidence;
• registration or competency requirements;
• the wrong assessment type.

Evidence failure and substantive ineligibility are different

A result based on missing documents may potentially be addressed by obtaining proper evidence.

A result based on an unsuitable qualification or fundamentally different duties may require a different strategy.

Do not change occupations simply to escape the result

An alternative occupation should be considered only where it is genuinely supported by:

• the applicant’s actual duties;
• qualification;
• employment level;
• documentary evidence;
• the alternative authority’s criteria.

Reviews, reassessments and fresh applications

Assessing authorities may provide different mechanisms for challenging or revisiting a result.

Depending on the authority, these may include:

• internal review;
• appeal;
• reassessment;
• submission of additional employment evidence;
• a fresh assessment application;
• assessment under another occupation or pathway.

Check the deadline and permitted material

A review process may limit:

• the time available;
• whether new evidence can be provided;
• the issues that can be reconsidered;
• the review fee;
• further review rights.

A fresh application does not cure the same defect automatically

Reapplying with substantially the same material may produce the same outcome.

Before proceeding, identify:

• what has changed;
• what evidence has been added;
• how the authority’s concern has been answered;
• whether the occupation remains correct;
• whether the visa pathway still justifies the cost.

What to check before lodging a skills assessment

When an assessment may be premature

It may be sensible to delay where:

• the occupation has not been properly identified;
• essential employment evidence is missing;
• qualification relevance is unresolved;
• the applicant has not completed enough employment;
• English results may make the intended pathway commercially unviable;
• no realistic invitation or nomination route exists;
• the other partner may be a stronger primary applicant.

For the broader pathway analysis, see Skilled Migration Strategy Australia.

What I see in skills assessment matters

The documents applicants believe are strongest are not always the documents that resolve the assessment issue.

The reference proves employment but not the occupation

A letter may confirm:

• the job title;
• the employment dates;
• the salary;
• full-time status.

It may say almost nothing about:

• the actual duties;
• professional responsibility;
• technical complexity;
• decision-making authority;
• occupational level.

The applicant has proved that the job existed without proving that it was the nominated occupation.

The duties look written for the assessment

A reference may repeat occupational wording with unusual precision while:

• the contract uses different duties;
• the résumé describes another function;
• the employer’s business does not support the claimed work;
• the applicant cannot explain the projects behind the wording.

Real duties generally have workplace detail. Generic occupation wording often does not.

The title is senior but the surrounding evidence is junior

A reference may claim managerial or highly professional responsibilities while:

• the salary is low for the level;
• the applicant reports to several junior supervisors;
• there are no staff or budget responsibilities;
• the organisational chart contradicts the claimed authority;
• the promotion letter was issued much later.

The applicant counts all experience before seeing the skilled date

An applicant may calculate points from ten years of employment.

After qualification and deduction rules are applied, only a later period may be supportable.

The assessment remains positive, but the migration strategy changes.

The legal employer and actual workplace are different

Applicants working through:

• labour-hire companies;
• outsourcing providers;
• consultancies;
• professional employment organisations;
• client-site arrangements

may have one entity paying them and another supervising the daily work.

The evidence may need to connect:

• the employment contract;
• the payroll entity;
• the client assignment;
• the actual duties;
• the supervisor or referee.

Employment dates do not agree

Small date differences can become significant where:

• the claimed points depend on reaching a threshold;
• employment overlaps;
• the end date changes between documents;
• unpaid leave or part-time periods are omitted;
• tax records begin later than the reference.

An affidavit is treated as a replacement for every missing record

A declaration can explain genuine evidence limitations.

It is less persuasive where:

• primary records should still exist;
• the declarant lacks direct knowledge;
• the dates contradict payroll evidence;
• the duties appear copied;
• the employer could have issued a conventional reference.

The assessment is purchased before its visa value is tested

An applicant can obtain a perfectly valid positive result and still have:

• no realistic subclass 189 invitation prospect;
• no available state nomination pathway;
• insufficient points;
• no qualifying regional sponsor;
• no employer-sponsored opportunity.

Assessment success and migration viability are separate questions.

Fictional worked example: Which employment periods actually support the assessment?

Skills assessment pathways by profession

Each profession has its own assessment framework.

Engineering

Engineering assessment may involve:

• accredited qualification pathways;
• competency demonstration reports;
• professional engineering categories;
• career episodes or project evidence;
• relevant skilled-employment assessment.

Read more about Engineers Australia Skills Assessment.

ICT

ICT assessment may involve:

• qualification level;
• ICT content;
• closely related majors;
• employment deductions;
• different assessment pathways for qualifications and experience;
• detailed employment evidence.

Teaching

Teaching assessment may involve:

• initial teacher-education qualifications;
• supervised teaching practice;
• the age range taught;
• English requirements;
• course duration and content.

Read more about Australia Visa Requirements for Teachers.

Trades

Trade assessment may involve:

• formal qualifications or apprenticeship evidence;
• employment history;
• technical interviews;
• practical assessment;
• Australian licensing requirements.

Read more about Australia Visa Requirements for Tradespeople.

Accounting

Accounting assessment may involve:

• qualification comparability;
• mandatory accounting subjects;
• English requirements under the relevant process;
• the selected accounting occupation;
• professional-year or employment considerations.

General professional occupations

Assessments for business, management, marketing, human-resource and other general occupations may rely heavily on:

• qualification relevance;
• employment duration;
• occupational level;
• detailed duty evidence;
• remuneration and hours;
• the relationship between the qualification and employment.

Country-specific employment evidence issues

The assessing criteria do not change merely because of nationality, but qualification structures and employment records differ between countries.

Indian employment

Evidence may involve:

• provident-fund records;
• income-tax documents;
• salary bank records;
• employment through outsourcing entities;
• client-site assignments;
• internal grades that do not explain the occupation;
• difficulty obtaining detailed HR references.

Filipino employment

Evidence may involve:

• certificates of employment;
• professional licensing;
• overseas deployment or agency records;
• payroll records;
• qualification and registration documents;
• different titles used across local and overseas employment.

British, American and South African employment

English-language documents may still create occupational issues.

Titles such as engineer, consultant, executive, analyst and manager can describe work at different levels from the Australian occupation being claimed.

Country-specific evidence does not replace authority criteria

The documents available in a country must still be organised to address:

• the authority’s required format;
• the occupation;
• qualification relevance;
• employment dates and hours;
• the skilled-employment claim.

Common skills assessment mistakes

Choosing the occupation from the job title

The actual duties, occupational level, qualification and evidence must support the occupation.

Applying to the wrong assessing authority

The authority and assessment type must match the occupation and intended visa.

Using an assessment intended for another visa purpose

A provisional or temporary-graduate assessment should not automatically be treated as suitable for points-tested permanent migration.

Assuming the degree title proves relevance

The authority may examine course content, major subjects, institution and qualification level.

Counting every employment year

Qualification, deduction and skilled-date rules may exclude part of the work history.

Providing a generic reference

A letter that proves employment but not duties or occupational level may be insufficient.

Copying occupation wording

References should describe genuine work rather than reproduce generic occupational descriptions.

Ignoring contradictory dates

References, contracts, tax records, payroll evidence and online profiles should be reviewed together.

Using an affidavit without supporting evidence

Declarations should explain genuine gaps and be supported by independent records where possible.

Assuming a positive result proves points

The Department later assesses whether the legal points criteria and employment evidence are satisfied.

Applying before testing visa usefulness

An assessment may have limited commercial value where no credible invitation, nomination or sponsorship pathway exists.

Reapplying without correcting the defect

A new fee and fresh application do not solve the same qualification, occupation or evidence problem.

Ignoring the partner’s assessment pathway

The spouse or de facto partner may have a simpler assessment and stronger migration profile.

Skills Assessment Australia: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a skills assessment for Australian migration?

It is an assessment by the authorised assessing authority to determine whether your qualifications, skills and, where relevant, employment satisfy its standards for the nominated occupation.

Who conducts the skills assessment?

The authority depends on the nominated occupation. The Home Affairs skilled occupation search generally identifies the relevant assessing authority.

Do I need a skills assessment before submitting an EOI?

For points-tested subclass 189, 190 and 491 pathways, you generally need a suitable skills assessment for the nominated occupation and must enter its details in SkillSelect.

Does a positive skills assessment guarantee a visa?

No. It does not guarantee an invitation, state nomination, employer sponsorship or visa grant.

Does a positive assessment mean all my employment counts for points?

No. The result may recognise only part of the employment history, and the Department later determines whether the points criteria are satisfied.

What is a skilled-employment date?

It is the date from which employment is treated as meeting the relevant skilled standard under the assessment framework. Employment before that date may not be available in the same way for migration points.

Why does an assessing authority deduct employment?

A deduction may be applied where employment is used to compensate for qualification differences or to establish when the applicant reached the required occupational level.

Can employment before my qualification be recognised?

Possibly, depending on the occupation, assessing authority, qualification and applicable migration rules. It may be excluded, partly recognised or used as a qualifying period.

Does my job title need to match the nominated occupation?

No. Job titles vary. The authority generally examines the actual duties, occupational level, qualification and evidence.

What happens if my employer will not issue a reference?

Alternative evidence may be possible, including declarations supported by contracts, payslips, tax records, bank statements and other independent documents. The authority’s specific requirements must be checked.

Can I use an affidavit instead of an employer reference?

Potentially, where the authority permits it and primary evidence cannot reasonably be obtained. The declaration should be detailed, credible and supported by independent records.

Can I obtain more than one skills assessment?

Potentially. Each assessment should relate to a genuinely supported occupation and have a clear migration purpose. Multiple assessments can add cost without improving the pathway.

How long is a skills assessment valid?

The result may state its own validity period. Where no period is stated, Home Affairs generally treats it as valid for three years for relevant skilled migration purposes. The intended visa requirements must be checked.

Can I use a subclass 485 provisional assessment for subclass 189?

A provisional assessment issued for a temporary graduate pathway should not automatically be treated as suitable for points-tested permanent migration. The assessment type must meet the requirements of the intended visa.

What can I do after a negative assessment?

Review the reasons and the assessing authority’s available review, appeal, reassessment or fresh-application procedures. The next step depends on whether the problem is missing evidence, qualification relevance, occupation fit or substantive ineligibility.

Should I change my nominated occupation after a negative result?

Only where another occupation is genuinely supported by your duties, qualifications and evidence. Changing occupation merely because the first assessment failed may create a second unsupported application.

Should I apply for a skills assessment before taking an English test?

The sequence depends on the case. Occupation and assessment viability should be understood early, but English may also need to be tested before significant costs are incurred where the points strategy depends heavily on a high result.

Can my partner obtain a skills assessment for partner points?

Potentially, where the partner satisfies the applicable occupation, assessment, age and other points requirements. The assessment may also reveal that the partner is the stronger primary applicant.

Does a skills assessment give me professional registration in Australia?

Not necessarily. Migration skills assessment, professional registration and occupational licensing can be separate processes.

Should I lodge an EOI immediately after receiving the assessment?

Only after the result, skilled date, defensible points, occupation access and invitation or nomination pathway have been reviewed.

Official skills assessment resources

• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Skills assessments
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Assessing authorities
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Skilled occupation list and assessing authorities
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — SkillSelect
  
• 
  Department of Home Affairs — Expression of Interest
  

Assess your skills assessment pathway

A paid consultation can assess your nominated occupation, qualification relevance, employment evidence, likely assessing authority, skilled-employment period and the effect of the likely result on your migration points.

The consultation can also consider whether the proposed assessment supports a realistic subclass 189, state nomination, subclass 491 or employer-sponsored pathway before significant fees are incurred.

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