Keen to work in Australia? If so, you may need to complete a skills assessment. It’s an important part of the visa process as it proves you have the right skills and qualifications for the Aussie job you covet. 

Given this, it’s crucial to get it right – your skills assessment might be the difference between a work visa acceptance and a visa refusal. 

Understanding the process can be a little tricky. You might wonder, ‘Am I required to complete one?’, ‘What’s involved?’ or ‘What happens if my skills assessment is rejected?’ 

Here, we answer these questions and more to assist you. 

1. What is a Skills Assessment?

A skills assessment is an official evaluation of your skills, qualifications and professional experience by a dedicated Australian assessing authority. Basically, they’re checking you meet the Australian standards for your particular occupation. 

Apart from verifying your qualifications and experience, a skills assessment makes sure you get the correct recognition and/or points needed for visa eligibility. 

There are three key points you need to understand about a skills assessment:

1. Your occupation must appear on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) 

2. You need to find out the correct Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) code for your occupation. Note: Matching your skills and credentials to the correct ANZSCO occupation code is crucial because all assessment criteria and visa eligibility depend on it. 

3. You must choose the right assessing authority for your job and industry. 

2. Who Needs A Skills Assessment? 

General Skilled Migration and some Employer Sponsored visas require a skills assessment. This covers the following visas:

• Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) – only Direct Entry & some Temporary Residence Transition streams
• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) 
• Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489) 
• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – only for some occupations 
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) – only Direct Entry & some Temporary Residence Transition streams
• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)  
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494)

Other visas may require a skills assessment, such as the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. 

3. When Do I Need to Complete a Skills Assessment?

The stage you undertake your skills assessment varies by visa type. For example, general migration visas require you to do so before you submit your Expression of Interest via SkillSelect. Others, especially employer-sponsored visas, require it only after you’ve been invited to apply for a visa. 

This is why it’s imperative you carefully read all the available information about the visa you’re interested in. Alternatively, you can seek help from a specialist migration agent.

4. Are there Cases Where a Skills Assessment Isn’t Right for Me?

If you’re planning to study first, a skills assessment is usually not required. If you intend on staying in Australia after you finish your studies on a skilled migration visa, then you’ll likely need one. 

Another situation where you don’t need to complete a skills assessment is if you’re eligible for family or partner migration. 

5. What’s Involved in a Skills Assessment?

The simple answer is documentation, time and money, depending on your occupation. 

For most jobs, when applying to your industry-specific assessment authority, you’ll need to submit documents that:

1. Detail your qualification/s
2. Verify your ID
3. Prove your English language ability (only in some cases)

Trade occupations are a little different with the assessment divided into two or three parts:

1. Document assessment
2. A technical interview
3. A practical interview

6. What Happens if My Skills Assessment is Rejected?

This is a frustrating situation but essentially means the assessing authority feels your qualifications or work experience don’t meet the required Australian standards for your nominated occupation. You either can’t claim points for that occupation, or proceed with the skilled visa application. 

Common rejection reasons include:

• Insufficient or unverified documentation
• Incorrect occupation selection
• Your qualifications don’t align with Australian standards

In most cases, you can request a review or appeal the decision within specific timeframes set by the assessing authority. You can reapply with stronger documentation, or by choosing a more suitable occupation. 

It’s important to carefully review the rejection reasons and consider seeking professional migration advice to improve your chances of success. Without a positive skills assessment, your migration pathway may be significantly impacted, so addressing the issues promptly is crucial.

7. Tips for a Successful Skills Assessment

Like most immigration tasks, the road to a skills assessment can be paved with some obstacles. But with these tips, hopefully it can be a little less bumpy.

1. Ensure your ANZSCO code & assessing authority is right the first time

As previously mentioned, each occupation has its own assessing authority. To reduce the chances of delays (or in the worst case, visa refusal), be sure you select the correct ANZSCO code and assessing authority for your job.

2. Understand the process

Carefully read through what the assessing authority requires. You may need certified copies of your documents, detailed work experience references, a current CV, and evidence of English language ability. Gather all documents before submission to reduce processing delays.

3. Submit to your assessing authority

If you’re sure you have all the required documentation, submit and pay the application fee via your assessing authority’s online portal, and then wait for the outcome. 

4. Bonus tip: If you’re worried or stuck, seek expert help

Working through the skills assessment process can feel complicated because, unfortunately, it is! Leaning on a registered migration expert can be of real benefit here, ensuring you choose the right pathway and avoid costly delays or visa refusals. 

At Migration Ways, our experts can guide you through the detailed skills assessment document requirements, help organise certified copies, and review your work experience to make sure they meet the criteria set by assessing authorities. 

Please contact us to find out more about how we can help.