Who assesses my qualifications?

It depends on your specific occupation's ANZSCO code, not your choice -- VETASSESS covers most professional/trade occupations, Engineers Australia handles engineering, ACS covers IT, AITSL covers teaching, and ANMAC covers nursing and midwifery, among others.

How long does it take and what does it cost?

Most assessments cost $500-$1,500 and take 6-12 weeks, though trade assessments under the TRA Job Ready Program cost around $3,640 and take 12+ months since they require logged Australian work hours. A positive assessment is typically valid for 3 years.

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Check whether your qualifications need a skills assessment

Most skilled visas require a formal skills assessment from a specific assessing authority -- this often needs to happen before you apply, not after you arrive.

Skills assessment — Department of Home Affairs

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Many Australian skilled visas require your qualifications and work experience to be formally assessed against the standard for your specific nominated occupation -- not by the Department of Home Affairs itself, but by whichever professional body is the designated "assessing authority" for that occupation (for example, engineers go through Engineers Australia, IT professionals through the ACS, trades through Trades Recognition Australia). This is a real, often lengthy step in its own right, not a formality -- it commonly needs to be completed before you can even apply for the visa, and processing can take weeks to several months depending on the authority and occupation.

What to do:

Confirm your nominated occupation is on the relevant skilled occupation list for the visa you're applying for, then identify the correct assessing authority for that specific occupation -- the right body depends entirely on the occupation, not the visa type.
Gather certified copies of qualifications, transcripts, and employment references early -- assessing authorities are generally strict about documentation format, and a request for more information can add months to the timeline.
Check whether your qualification itself needs separate recognition (a formal comparison of your overseas qualification to the Australian equivalent) in addition to the occupation-specific skills assessment -- these are sometimes two different steps.
Budget for the assessment fee, which varies by authority and is paid in addition to any visa application charge.
Start this well before you plan to lodge a visa application -- in many cases the assessment result is itself a required attachment to the application, not something you can complete afterwards.

Common mistakes: assuming one general "Australian skills assessment" exists (it doesn't -- it's occupation-specific), and leaving this until close to a visa application deadline when it genuinely needs months of lead time.

See the Department of Home Affairs: skills assessment for how the process works, and the full list of assessing authorities to find the right one for your occupation.

Frequently asked questions

Who assesses my qualifications?: It depends on your specific occupation's ANZSCO code, not your choice -- VETASSESS covers most professional/trade occupations, Engineers Australia handles engineering, ACS covers IT, AITSL covers teaching, and ANMAC covers nursing and midwifery, among others.
How long does it take and what does it cost?: Most assessments cost $500-$1,500 and take 6-12 weeks, though trade assessments under the TRA Job Ready Program cost around $3,640 and take 12+ months since they require logged Australian work hours. A positive assessment is typically valid for 3 years.