Job Ready Skills Assessment for Trade Occupations

If you have completed your trade qualification and want to have your skills assessed these are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Eligibility for a Provisional Skills Assessment

To be eligible for a PSA you must have:

• held an international student visa to study in Australia
• a qualification in an occupation assessed by TRA awarded under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as a result of study in Australia by a registered training organisation (RTO) who is registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to deliver the course
• evidence of a minimum of 360 hours of employment and/or vocational placement  completed in an Australian workplace, using industry-standard equipment and processes relevant to your qualification and nominated occupation, within the three years prior to applying online.

Step 2: Job Ready Employment

Applicants who intend to apply for permanent skilled migration may choose to complete Steps 2-4 of the Job Ready Program.

For Job Ready Employment, applicants must find employment in their nominated occupation, and submit that employment for Job Ready Employment through the online portal and provide the appropriate registration documents to TRA.

Employment completed prior to registration for Job Ready Employment, may be considered. Such employment will only be considered where suitable evidence is provided.  The decision to accept or reject any employment completed prior to registration is at the absolute discretion of TRA.

When registration for Job Ready Employment has been acknowledged by TRA, applicants can participate in a process to verify 12 months of employment.

Step 3: Job Ready Workplace Assessment

When a participant has completed and provided acceptable evidence of at least six months of full-time equivalent paid employment from their Job Ready Employment start date (including at least one month with their current registered employer), they may be eligible to participate in Step 3 – a Job Ready Workplace Assessment.

The Job Ready Workplace Assessment is conducted in the place of employment registered for Job Ready Employment. The purpose of the workplace assessment is to determine whether the participant is successfully operating at the required skill level for their nominated occupation in an Australian workplace.

Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment

A Job Ready Final Assessment is conducted when acceptable evidence of 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid employment, within three years of the Job Ready Employment start date, is verified and after the successful completion of a Job Ready Workplace Assessment.

The Job Ready Final Assessment will determine whether the participant has satisfied the skills assessment requirement of DHA for an independent skilled migration visa.

Job Ready Program fees

TRA manages the Job Ready Program on a cost-recovery basis in accordance with the Australian Government Cost Recovery Guidelines. The following fees are payable to TRA (all amounts in these guidelines are in Australian dollars). The fees paid to TRA do not attract Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Fee type	Fee (AUD, checked October 2026)
Provisional Skills Assessment	$130
Provisional Skills Assessment Review (if required)	Check the current fee with TRA
Job Ready Employment	$490
Job Ready Workplace Assessment	$2,845
Subsequent Job Ready Workplace Assessment (if required)	$2,845
Job Ready Final Assessment	$75

Participants must be in current employment when TRA receives the registration documents for employment to be considered for JRE.

Claiming Prior Employment

Participants may claim up to three consecutive months paid employment that was undertaken prior to applying online for JRE by completing a Statement of Prior Employment form and acceptable pay evidence.

Employment will only be considered where it was:

• undertaken with the first employer registered for JRE
• undertaken after completing an Australian qualification relevant to the nominated occupation
• undertaken in the three months preceding online application for JRE
• not already used to meet the work requirements for step 1 – Provisional Skills Assessment.

In exceptional circumstances further credit may be applied however this will be granted solely at the discretion of TRA.

Paid employment

Participants in Job Ready Employment must be in paid employment in an arrangement where an employer and employee relationship exists.

Indicators of an employer and employee relationship may include:

• work is assigned to the participant by their employer/supervisor and they complete the work under their direction
• the participant works a standard number of hours per day/shift as agreed by their employer
• the employer provides the participant with pay slips
• an employer paying award wages for their skill level for their nominated occupation
• an employer making superannuation contributions on behalf of the participant
• the participant accrues annual leave and/or other leave entitlements.

TRA may consider subcontractor work if the nominated occupation on the Employment Registration Form is in a building construction trade. Subcontractors whose employment is eligible for consideration must show that they can complete at least six months of full-time equivalent work with a single contractor, and that the contractor is willing to fulfil the requirements of an employer for the purpose of the Job Ready Program.

Minimum Employment Required

The participant must complete 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid employment from their Job Ready Employment start date. Full time means an average of 38 hours per week. The whole program must be completed within three years of the Job Ready Employment start date.

12 calendar months

The participant must remain in employment for a minimum of 12 calendar months. For example, if their JRE start date is 24 September 2011, they are required to stay in employment in their nominated occupation until at least 23 September 2012.

Periods of part-time employment or no employment may result in a longer timeframe for the employment to be equivalent to the 12 calendar months requirement.

Full-time equivalent hours

TRA works out the employment requirement on a full-time equivalent basis, with full time being an average of 38 hours per week. Extended leave (more than four weeks) is not counted as time worked.

It may take the participant longer than 12 calendar months to complete the minimum number of hours required if they are in part-time employment or have periods of unemployment or extended leave.

It may take the participant less than 12 calendar months to complete the minimum number of hours required if they work more than 38 hours per week. However, if they complete the minimum number of hours in a shorter period, they will still be required to complete the 12 calendar months Job Ready Employment requirement to be eligible for a successful Job Ready Final Assessment (Step 4).

Where overtime or penalty loadings are paid, only the actual hours worked will contribute to the employment requirement for Job Ready Employment.

Employment Evidence Requirements

A participant will be required to provide pay evidence for any employment approved by TRA by supplying copies of the following documents:

Employees

Subcontractors: construction trades only

Payslips showing a minimum of: ·        Name of applicant ·        Name of employer ·        Employer ABN ·        Hours worked and/or hourly rate ·        Gross pay ·        Dates worked OR Payroll printout from the employer showing a minimum of: ·        Name of applicant ·        Name of employer ·        Employer ABN ·        Dates worked ·        Hours worked ·        Gross payments   PLUS Copies of bank statements showing the deposits for the above payslips or payroll print out as requested

Invoices showing a minimum of: ·        Subcontractor’s ABN ·        Dates worked ·        Hours billed ·        Total ·        Name and ABN of employer   PLUS Copies of bank statements showing the deposits for the above invoices.  The participant must be able to demonstrate that the deposits are from the employer e.g. the name of the employer being clearly identifiable on the bank statement or via other means such as copies of deposit slips from the employer etc.

Verification of employment arrangements and site visit

After the Job Ready Employment Summary Page, Employment Registration Form and fee payment is received by TRA, the participant will be assigned a TRA Liaison Officer (TRA LO) who will assist them through the program and who will provide advice on what they need to do to successfully complete the program. The TRA LO will not provide migration advice.

The TRA LO will be in regular contact with the participant and will also need to talk directly with the employer about the Job Ready Program only. The employment arrangement is between the participant and their employer and the TRA LO will not get involved in any workplace disputes.

TRA will determine whether the employment arrangement is appropriate for the Job Ready Program through the following processes:

Verification of employment arrangements

A TRA LO will conduct online verification processes to confirm the validity of the business after receiving the signed Employment Registration Form.

Site visit

Following the verification of the participant’s employment arrangements, a TRA LO will contact them and their employer to arrange a site visit. The TRA LO must obtain employer approval to visit the work site.

The purpose of the site visit is for the TRA LO to:

• ensure that the employment arrangements provide sufficient opportunity for the participant to be involved in a range of tasks and duties so that they can demonstrate their skills using industry-accepted practices and tools/equipment relevant to their nominated occupation
• confirm that the employer is aware of the requirement for a TRA-appointed workplace assessor to visit the workplace and conduct a workplace assessment with the participant after they have completed at least six months of employment
• respond to questions the participant or their employer may have about the Job Ready Program.
• TRA will notify the participant in writing after the site visit to advise whether the registered employment arrangement meets the Job Ready Employment eligibility requirements
• Reasons for employment arrangements not meeting the Eligible Job Ready Employment requirements may include the following:
• the work that the participant is employed to do is not at an appropriate skill level relevant to their nominated occupation
• the participant is not being paid
• the employment arrangements are unlikely to provide the participant with access to an appropriate range of tasks and duties or industry-accepted tools and equipment relevant to their nominated occupation.

If the participant receives advice that the registered employment arrangement does not meet the Job Ready Employment requirements, the period of that employment cannot be counted for the Job Ready Program and they must find different employment that does meet the requirements to be able to complete the Job Ready Program.