What is a Skills Assessment?

A Skills Assessment is a formal evaluation conducted by an authorised skills assessing authority – a body approved by the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) for  your nominated occupation. The authority assesses whether your qualifications, skills and work experience meet Australian standards for the specific occupation you are working in. Achieving a positive outcome on a Skills Assessment is an essential part of the visa and migration process for many pathways in skilled and employer sponsored visas. 

A positive Skills Assessment from the relevant authority is also required before lodging an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a skilled visa, meaning that without a positive Skills Assessment, you will not have any chance of being offered the necessary Invitation to Apply to progress to a skilled visa application. 

What occupation should I pick for my Skills Assessment?

To find the correct skills assessing authority, first identify your nominated occupation and its Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) code via the official Department of Home Affairs website. There may be many occupations which your qualifications and experience could align with, and even further complexities if you’re exploring employer sponsored pathways, especially where you may already work in a specific role with an Australian employer. 

Ensuring you have selected the most appropriate occupation for your skill set, that this occupation aligns with the relevant Skills Occupation List for your desired visa pathway, and that you’ll be able to achieve a positive outcome are all key considerations for the Skills Assessment process. 

Which visas require a Skills Assessment?

Skills Assessments are typically required for visas under Australia’s skilled migration program.

This includes skilled visas such as:

• Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)
• Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190)
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491)

It also includes employer sponsored visas such as:

• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
• Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)
• Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) 
• Sponsored Regional (Permanent) visa (subclass 191) 

While not all employer sponsored visas require Skills Assessments, depending on your occupation, your country of origin and other factors, this may be an additional step of the employer sponsorship migration route. 

Getting help with a Skills Assessment

True Blue Migration is an OMARA registered agency (Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority). Our Registered Migration Agents assist with the skills assessment process in both skilled and employer nominated visa pathways by:

• Helping identify the correct assessing authority for your nominated occupation
• Guiding you on eligibility criteria and required documentation (e.g. qualifications, employment references, English test results)
• Supporting you with the preparation and lodgment of your Skills Assessment application
• Coordinating related steps such as Expression of Interest (EOI) submission, state or territory nomination (if applicable), employer nomination and the visa application process. 

True Blue Migration offers a FREE initial visa assessment. 

Get in touch with one of our experienced Registered Migration Agents, who can review your work history, help you identify the most suitable ANZSCO code for your occupation, confirm the correct assessing authority, and ensure your chosen occupation aligns with current eligible skilled occupation lists, primarily Core Skills Occupation List  (CSOL) to strengthen your application.

Email info@trubluemigration.com.

Phone  03 9038 9070