Australia offers a number of permanent visas and visa pathways for prospective migrants with certain skillsets.

In order to apply for one of these visas (such as the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, the subclass 190 state and territory sponsored visa, and the subclass 491 regional skilled work visa), the applicant is required to obtain a positive “Skills Assessment” from the relevant professional authority.

It is normally the case that an applicant must obtain a positive skills assessment before they can be invited to apply for one of the abovementioned permanent visas.

A skills assessment analyses whether a prospective migrant’s qualifications from their home country are equivalent to the required professional standards in Australia. Comparing foreign qualifications with their Australian equivalent can be an involved process, and the task is entrusted to various professional and technical authorities in each industry.

Each assessing authority has its own set of requirements, and its own timelines for processing applications.

Most of the assessing authorities require you to supply at a minimum your passport or birth certificate, a passport-sized photo, any change of name documents, a quality resume, graduation certificates, employer references and pay slips among other documents.

Although the above is a general overview, each Skills Assessment authority sets their own requirements, some of which can be quite idiosyncratic, and some authorities impose much more onerous requirements than others. We encourage applicants to seek out the relevant authority to ascertain their requirements as a first step.

Tips to remember:

• You cannot apply for a skills assessment that requires a tertiary qualification until that qualification has been completed
• You can apply for a skills assessment while residing outside of Australia
• You will likely need an English Language Skills Assessment. The level required and exceptions permitted may differ between visa types, so it is important to research what is required for your specific visa.

Overall, the requirements for each Skills Assessment differ depending on the assessment authority and the visa subclass. What is clear is that these assessments take time to obtain, so it is important to apply for them in advance of any visa application in order to avoid delays.

How can we help?

Snedden Hall & Gallop has experience in applying for and managing skills applications, and we are happy to assist you with these matters. Contact our Migration Team on 02 6285 8000 or info@shglawyers.com.au to discuss your unique situation.