A skills assessment is a process for assessing and validating qualifications and work experience to determine eligibility for skilled migration to Australia. The assessment checks that skills meet the standards required to work in a relevant occupation. If you’re planning to apply for skilled and working visas in Australia, obtaining a suitable
skills assessment is mandatory for certain visa subclasses (and streams) and may be requested for others. It is important to thoroughly review all the information related to the visa you’re applying for to understand whether you need a skills assessment and when to obtain it.
How to Obtain a Skills Assessment for a Skilled Occupation in Australia
Each year, the Australian government publishes a list of in-demand occupations across three key categories:
Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)
Regional Occupation List (ROL)
Most occupations in each list have their own designated skills assessing authority that sets the criteria for qualification. Each authority has its own unique procedures, processing time frames, and fees. The Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) only accepts Skills Assessment reports from these authorized bodies. Therefore, if a skills assessment is required for your occupation, you must.
Australian Visa Subclasses Requiring a Skills Assessment
A valid skills assessment is mandatory for several visa subclasses. Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed below. Common visas and streams that might need skills assessment include:
General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visas
∙ Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points tested stream∙ Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
∙ Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) —Invited Pathway ∙ Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491)
Employer-Sponsored Visas
∙ Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
∙ Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 186) Temporary Graduate Visa
∙ Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)
Skills assessments are conducted by specific skills assessing authorities. These organizations evaluate whether your skills meet the required standards for working in a particular occupation.
Partnering with us as your service provider is an essential part of this process. We can assist in determining whether your qualifications and experience meet the necessary requirements for your nominated occupation before we lodge your skills assessment application. This ensures that you comply with Australian standards, which are critical for working in skilled occupations related to migration and employment.
Here is a list of the Skills Assessing Authorities approved by the Australian Government, each responsible for evaluating the qualifications and skills required for specific occupations:
Assessing Authorities
AACA Architects Accreditation Council of Australia http://www.aaca.org.au
AASW Australian Association of Social Workers Limited http://www.aasw.asn.au
ACECQA Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality https://www.acecqa.gov.au/
ACPSEMAustralasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine http://www.acpsem.org.au
ACS Australian Computer Society Incorporated http://www.acs.org.au
ACS (Data Scientist only) Australian Computer Society Incorporated. http://www.acs.org.au
ACWA Australian Community Workers Association Inc. http://www.acwa.org.au
ADC Australian Dental Council Limited http://www.adc.org.au
AIMS Australian Institute of Medical Scientists http://www.aims.org.au
AIQS The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors http://www.aiqs.com.au
AITSL Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited http://www.aitsl.edu.au
AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority http://www.amsa.gov.au
ANMAC Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council Limited http://www.anmac.org.au
ANZPACAustralian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council Limited https://iliadint.com/en/article/1205-Australian-and-New-Zealand-
Podiatry-Accreditation-Council-ANZPAC ANZSNM Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine http://www.anzsnm.org.au
AOAC Australasian Osteopathic Accreditation Council Limited http://www.osteopathiccoun
AOPA Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association Limited https://www.aopa.org.au
APC Australian Physiotherapy Council Limited http://www.physiocouncil.com.au
APharmC Australian Pharmacy Council Limited https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au
APS Australian Psychological Society Limited http://www.psychology.org.au
ASMIRT Australian Society of Medical Imagery and Radiation Therapy http://www.asmirt.org
AVBC Australasian Veterinary Boards Council Incorporated http://www.avbc.asn.au
CAANZ Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/
CASA Civil Aviation Safety Authority http://www.casa.gov.au
CCEA Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia Limited http://www.ccea.com.au
CMBA Chinese Medicine Board of Australia http://www.chinesemedicineboard.gov.au
CPAA CPA Australia Ltd http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au
DAA Dietitians Association of Australia http://daa.asn.au
Engineers Australia The Institution of Engineers Australia http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au
IML Institute of Managers and Leaders National https://managersandleaders.com.au/
IPA Institute of Public Accountants Ltd http://www.publicaccountants.org.au
Legal admissions authority of a Legal admissions authority of a state or territory state or territory
New South Wales
Email: ag_lpab@agd.nsw.gov.au
Queensland
Email: admissions@qls.com.au
South Australia
Email: email@lawsocietysa.asn.au
Tasmania
Email: info@lst.org.au
Victoria
Email: lawadmissions@justice.vic.gov.au
Western Australia
Email: general@lpbwa.com
Northern Territory
Email: dwnsupcrtreg.doj@nt.gov.au
MedBA Medical Board of Australia http://www.ahpra.gov.au
NAATI National Accreditation Authority for Translators and InterpretersLtd http://www.naati.com.au
OCANZ Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand Limited http://www.ocanz.org
OTC Occupational Therapy Council of Australia Limited http://www.otcouncil.com.au
PodBA Podiatry Board of Australia https://www.podiatryboard.gov.au/
SPA The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
SSSI Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Limited https://sssi.org.au
TRA Trades Recognition Australia http://tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au
TRA (trades) Trades Recognition Australia http://tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au
VETASSESS Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services https://www.vetassess.com.au
VETASSESS (non-trades) Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services https://www.vetassess.co m.au/