Skills assessments are a requirement for skilled migration to Australia. It’s an important part of the occupation recognition process and determines if visa applicants have the skills and knowledge to work in their nominated occupation in Australia.
Skills assessments are issued by relevant skills assessment authorities. A skills assessment authority is an organisation that assesses skills ensuring visa applicants meet the standards required to work in a relevant occupation.
In Australia, the two main skills assessing authorities are VETASSESS and Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). In addition, there are a number of specialised assessing authorities that assess skills for specific occupations.
VETASSESS
VETASSESS partners with governments, educators and businesses to assess skills, test capabilities and create bespoke education and training solutions. Authorised by the Australian Government, VETASSESS is an independent assessment provider specialising in assessing the qualifications and work experience of prospective migrants. It is the largest provider of skills assessment services in Australia.
Skills Assessments for Professionals
VETASSESS assesses more than 360 occupations across various industries. Some of the professions they assess include:
- Management Consultant
- Photographer
- Financial Broker
- Cafe or Restaurant Manager
- Food Technologist
- Landscape Architect
Skills Assessments for Trades
VETASSESS can assess 27 trade occupations, including:
- Carpenter
- Automotive Electrician
- Cook and Chef
- Motor Mechanic
- Fitter-Welder
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)
Trades Recognition Australia is a skills assessment authority with the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. It is the primary assessing body for most trade occupations, offering assessment pathways for both onshore and offshore applicants.
A TRA skills assessment is for people with trade skills gained overseas or in Australia for migration purposes.
TRA assesses over 100 trade occupations, including:
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Chefs
- Welders
- Panel Beaters
Other Skills Assessing Authorities
The Australian Government also has a list of skills assessing authorities that assess skills for specialised occupations such as Architects, Dieticians, Health Practitioners, Speech Pathologists etc.
To view a full list of skills assessment authorities visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
How Are Skills Assessment Agencies Funded?
Like any business, skills assessment agencies require revenue to provide their services.
While VETASSESS is an Australian government authorised authority it is not a government agency and therefore does not get government funding. VETASSESS primarily generates revenue by charging skills assessment fees for individuals wishing to migrate to Australia. VETASSESS also offers other services such as education and training which also contributes to its income.
Trade Recognition Australia primarily generates revenue through the fees charged for skills assessments, however as a division within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, TRA’s income is supplemented by government funding.
Who Needs a Skills Assessment?
Skills assessments are a requirement for most people who are applying for a skilled visa, in particular the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Visa and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
In most cases, applicants who hold a professional occupation don’t require a skills assessment when applying for a Skills in Demand Visa. Trade occupations are required to have a skills assessment, however if the applicant has formally studied and completed their trade qualification in Australia then they may be exempt from the skills assessment requirement.
Passport Matters
Applicants of the subclass 482 and 186 visas may be exempt from requiring a skills assessment based on their country of origin. Generally, visa applicants from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand applying for a visa through the Labour Agreement Stream or Temporary Residence Transition Stream are exempt from requiring a skills assessment.
A list of occupations with the countries requiring a skills assessment can be found on the VETASSES and Trade Recognition Australia websites.
Issues With the Skills Assessment Process
Given only two main skills assessing authorities and a handful of specialised organisations are authorised by the Australian Government to conduct skills assessments for skilled visas, inevitably issues have arisen.
Questions have been raised as to whether there is enough competition to provide a reasonable service or is it a government monopoly? While these assessing authorities are not government agencies in the traditional sense, they are the providers authorised to conduct skills assessments for migration purposes.
This dependence on a limited number of skills assessing authorities leads to other issues especially for visa applicants. These providers often have long processing times due to high demand and limited capacity. When a limited number of organisations have exclusive control over the skills assessment process for certain occupations, there’s little incentive for those organisations to improve their service quality, timelines or transparency. Visa applicants’ hands are tied – unable to shop around for alternative providers that will offer better pricing, efficiency and transparency.
Allowing more accredited assessing bodies to provide skills assessments will help encourage competition and a higher level of service. This would change the landscape and efficiency of the skills assessing process.
To learn more about skills assessments or any other aspect of migration, contact the experienced team of registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia. Book a consultation.
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