The following list includes all current assessing authorities and their contact details. Applicants must contact these assessing authorities to obtain valid skills assessment.
What is the skills assessment requirement?
To apply for a Points Tested Skilled Migration visa, at time of invitation you must nominate an occupation that is on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations. You must provide evidence that your skills have been assessed as suitable for your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority.
You must provide from the relevant assessing authority a full (permanent) skills assessment which must be used for Points Tested Skilled Migration. The criterion by which an assessing authority undertakes different types of skills assessments is determined by the assessing authority in accordance with relevant professional standards. A skills assessment is only valid until the expiry date specified on the assessment, or when a period of three years from the date of issue has elapsed, whichever occurs first.
Some assessing authorities issue a provisional or subclass 485 skills assessment for recent graduates of Australian educational institutions applying for a subclass 485 visa. The primary difference is that a subclass 485 skills assessment does not require employment in the applicant’s occupation at the skilled level unlike a full or permanent skills assessment. A suitable provisional skills assessment issued for subclass 485 is not a suitable skills assessment for a Points Tested Skilled Migration visa.
For doctors, evidence of full registration is a suitable skills assessment for Points Tested Skilled Migration. We will accept one of the following certificates issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency as evidence of full registration:
- full/unconditional/general medical registration
- conditional specialist registration – this registration allows you to practise only in your particular speciality, with no further training or supervision requirements.
For solicitors, evidence of admission to practice as a lawyer in the relevant Sate/Territory is a suitable skills assessment.
Who can assess you skills?
Skills assessments are issued by relevant skills assessing authorities. A skills assessing authority is an organisation that checks that your skills meet the standards they set to work in a relevant occupation.
The combined list of eligible skilled occupations sets out all relevant occupations under 4 occupation lists. Most occupations in each list have their own skills assessing authority. We can only accept a skills assessment issued by the relevant assessing authority.
It is your responsibility to contact the relevant assessing authority for your occupation and obtain a skills assessment, if required. Each assessing authority has its own assessment procedures, timeframes and charges.
Obtaining a suitable skills assessment is mandatory for some visa subclasses (and streams) and may be requested for others. You should read all of the available information about the visa you are interested in applying for. This will allow you to determine if you need to submit a skills assessment and when you need to obtain it.
How to get your skills assessed
In almost all cases, assessing bodies will require that you have post-secondary, such as university or trade, qualifications in order to receive a positive assessment of your skills.
In a small number of occupations, substantial relevant work experience may be acceptable. Each assessing authority will be able to advise you what the qualification requirements are for the occupations they assess.
Assessing authorities role in finding you employment in Australia
Assessing authorities are responsible for undertaking skills assessments for migration purposes and are not employment agencies. The assessing authorities will not reply to requests for job placement. They cannot give advice on the likely success of your visa application.
Submitting more than one skills assessment
You can only have one nominated occupation when you lodge your Points Tested Skilled Migration application. Prior to submitting your Expression of Interest you may, however, apply to any number of skills assessing authorities until you obtain a suitable skills assessment. You are unable to change your nominated occupation once you are invited to apply for a Points Tested Skilled Migration visa in SkillSelect.
Set a time with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find more about your visa options.
Related:
- How to apply for a skills assessment with ACS?
- TSS 482 Visa Skills Assessment
- Do Engineers need skills assessment for a 457 visa?
- Engineers Australia Migration Skills Assessment
- Occupations requiring skills assessment for 187 visa
- VETASSESS Skills Assessment (Trade Occupations)
- VETASSESS Skills Assessment (Professional Occupations)
- Job Ready Skills Assessment for Trade Occupations
- Accountant Migration Skills Assessment
- Outcome Based Assessment (OBA) for Internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNM) and PR Pathway
- Changes to Skills Assessment for Nurses and Midwives
- Skills Assessment Services
- Skills assessment and assessing authorities
