Skill Assessment

You may need to have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority to be eligible to apply for one of the below visas:

189 Visa (Skilled Independent)
190 Visa (Skilled Nominated)
491 Visa (Skilled Regional – Provisional)
186 Visa (Employer Nomination Scheme)
187 Visa (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme)
482 Visa (Temporary Skill Shortage)
494 Visa (Employer Sponsored – Provisional)

Skill Assessments are valid:
3 years from their issue date
or
the expiry date on the assessment

Anyone who is looking to apply for General Skilled Migration Visas (Subclass 189 and Subclass 190) or Subclass 186 direct entry employer-sponsored visas, will be required to provide a positive skills assessment before they can apply for the visa.

Skills assessments are a process to test your qualifications and work experience. They provide evidence that you have the skills required to perform the tasks of the role you are applying for. An assessment is required to evidence to the Department of Home Affairs that you can actually perform the tasks you claim on your application.

If you are planning for your permanent residency or planning to apply for a temporary visa that requires a skills assessment, have you thought about doing this now? While the current situation with COVID-19 is disastrous, it could provide an opportunity for you to tackle this requirement, collate your documents and prepare your application now.

When you are ready to apply for your visa, having a positive skills assessment already completed will certainly shorten your timeframe before being ready to lodge your visa application and obtain that all-important bridging visa and Medicare card (available on lodgement of certain visas).

Who performs your skills assessment will depend on which occupation you are applying under. Onshore applicants could start with Trades Recognition Australia to determine who their registered assessor is.