Many skilled professionals and tradespeople dream of migrating to Australia for a better quality of life and future opportunities. In that case, one of the most essential steps in this journey is undergoing a skill assessment with VETASSESS.
In this guide, we will explain VETASSESS & its processes, and give you the insights you need for a successful assessment.
📝 What is VETASSESS Skill Assessment?
VETASSESS (Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services) is Australia’s leading skills assessment authority for many professional and trade occupations. If you wish to apply for an Australian skilled migration visa. In that case, you may need a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS to demonstrate that your qualifications and work experience meet Australian standards.
📌 VETASSESS Assessment Categories: Professional vs. Trades
VETASSESS evaluates a wide range of job occupations, broadly categorised into:
- Professional Occupations: includes:
- 🧑💼 Roles in management
- 🗂️ Administration
- 🧪Science
- 🖥️ Technology
- 🎓 Education
- 🤝 Community Services
Assessment here focuses on your qualifications and work experience.
- Trade Occupations: which includes
- 👩🍳 Chefs
- 🛠️ Motor Mechanics
- 🔌 Electricians
- 🔧 Plumbers
Here, both practical skills and knowledge are assessed, which requires the verification of hands-on experience through technical interviews and practical demonstrations.
📜 The VETASSESS Skill Assessment: The Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria to apply for a VETASSESS Skill Assessment are highly specific and based on whether you are applying for a Professional/General Occupation or a Trades Occupation, as well as the particular ANZSCO code for your nominated occupation.
| Category | Requirement | Details You Should Know |
| 🔎 Nominated Occupation (ANZSCO Code) | Choose your occupation wisely | Must be assessed by VETASSESS.It must also match your qualifications and work experience. |
| 🎓 Relevant Qualifications | Must match Australian standards | Your qualification must be comparable to the AQF level for your occupation and in a highly relevant field of study. |
| 💼 Relevant Work Experience | Work must match your occupation | Employment should be highly relevant, paid, and typically 20+ hours/week.VETASSESS counts experience after you’re deemed skilled, not before. |
| ⏳ Recent Work | Keep it current! | You must show at least 12 months of highly relevant work in the last 5 years. Otherwise, you may fall short. |
| 📌 Post-Qualification Rule | Experience counts after you qualify | Only experience after completing your qualification is considered towards your points and skill assessment. |
| 🧠 Occupation Group (Professional/General) | Divided into Groups A–F | Each group has different education and experience criteria. More on this below ⬇️ |
💼 Eligibility by Occupation Group (Professional & General Occupations)
| Group | Qualification Requirement | Work Experience Requirement | Additional Notes |
| A & B (e.g., HR, Marketing Managers) | Bachelor’s degree or higher in a highly relevant field | Min. 1 year post-qualification, highly relevant experience in the last 5 years | If your degree isn’t a perfect match, you may need 2–3 extra years of experience. |
| C, D, E (e.g., Office Managers, Technicians) | AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, or Associate Degree in the relevant field | Varies by group; typically includes 1+ year post-qualification work | In some cases, pre-qualification experience may count as extra work years. |
| Group F | Case-by-case basis | May require longer work experience | Often considered for more niche occupations. |
🛠️ Eligibility for Trades Occupations
| Pathway | Who It’s For | Qualification/Training | Employment Requirement | Assessment Components |
| Pathway 1 | Those with no Australian qualification or license | If no training: 6 years of experience.If formal training: 4 years of experience | Must show 12 months of work in the last 3 years | Documentary assessment + Technical interview/practical test |
| Pathway 2 | You have an Australian qualification or license | Certificate III/IV or a valid occupational license | 3+ years paid work, incl. 12 months in the last 3 years (must be in Australia if licensed) | Documentary evidence + Technical interview |
🧠 How VETASSESS Calculates Your “Skilled” Experience (Points-Worthy Years)
| 🧾 Factor | 📘 What It Means | 🔍 What VETASSESS Does | 💡 Why It Matters |
| ANZSCO Skill Level | Each occupation has a skill level (1–5).Skill Level 1 = Bachelor’s+Skill Level 2 = Diploma+…and so on. | Determines the minimum qualification + experience required to be “skilled” in your occupation. | ✔️ Helps VETASSESS benchmark your background to Australian standards. 🚫 If you’re under-qualified, expect more deduction. |
| Minimum Entry Requirement | A mix of education + work experience that’s required to meet ANZSCO expectations. | VETASSESS deducts those years from your total work experience to find your “Date Deemed Skilled.” | 🗓️ Only the post-deduction years count for PR points under the skilled migration program. |
| Qualification Relevance | Whether your degree is in a highly relevant field to your occupation. | If not “highly relevant,” VETASSESS will require more years of work experience to compensate. | 🎓 A perfect match saves you years! 📉 An unrelated degree means fewer claimable points. |
| Nature of Work Duties | Not just the title but what you actually did in the job. | VETASSESS may exclude periods of work that don’t meet the required depth/scope/complexity. | 🧑💼 Even with the right job title, weak or unrelated duties = no points. |
🎯 Why VETASSESS Deducts Work Experience
| 🧠 Reason | 💡 What It Really Means (In Plain English) |
| 📊 Alignment with ANZSCO Skill Levels | VETASSESS deducts the training period needed to prove you’ve reached this skill level. |
| 🧰 Ensuring “Job Readiness” | The deduction period is treated as your “on-the-job training” time, that is, the time it takes to go from beginner to truly skilled. |
| 🛡️ Maintaining Migration Program Integrity | The system only works if it’s trusted. Deduction rules help ensure only genuinely skilled professionals enter through the skilled visa pathway. |
| ⚖️ Compensation for Qualification Gaps | Got a degree that’s not a perfect match or is below the ANZSCO standard?But you’ll need extra years of experience to make up for it. Those years are deducted because they’re seen as part of your “learning curve.” |
| 📏 Standardisation and Fairness | The deduction rule levels the playing field by setting uniform benchmarks for assessing everyone fairly. |
| 📅 Department of Home Affairs Requirement | VETASSESS doesn’t make the rules alone. The “Date Deemed Skilled” is essential for the Department to accurately calculate your migration points. |
➡️ The VETASSESS Skill Assessment Process: Step-by-Step
The pathway for your assessment will depend on whether your occupation is professional or trade, but generally, the process is as follows:
1️⃣ Check your Occupation on the list of VETASSESS-assessed careers at the VETASSESS website or the Australian Department of Home Affairs
2️⃣ Gather all the required documents
3️⃣ Apply online at the VETASSESS portal
4️⃣ Assessment of your submitted documents and evaluation of the qualifications and experience.
- For trade occupations, additional technical interviews and a practical assessment would happen.
5️⃣ Receive Your Outcome
VETASSESS Fees, Processing Times, and Validity Period
| 🧾 Category | 💡 What You Need to Know | 🔍 Quick Tips & Insights |
| 💰 Skill Assessment Fees | Varies based on your occupation type (General or Trades). ✔ General Occupations: From AUD 968 – $1,200+ (includes GST). ✔ Trade Occupations: Approx. AUD 2,500 – $3,000 including practical assessment. | 👉 Fees may increase with optional services (e.g. priority processing). 👉 Payment in AUD through credit card when applying. |
| ⏳ Processing Time | ⌛ Typically 12 to 20 weeks for general occupations. ⚒️ For trades with practical assessments, allow up to 4–5 months. | 📅 Be sure your documents are complete to avoid delays. |
| 📅 Validity of Assessment | Your VETASSESS outcome letter is valid for 3 years from the issue date. | ✔ Plan your visa application within this timeframe. 🚫 The Department of Home Affairs does not accept expired letters. |
| 📦 What’s in the Assessment | VETASSESS checks: 🔹 Your qualification level & relevance 🔹 Your employment experience 🔹 If your work is post-qualification 🔹 Your recent employment history | 📄 Be honest and accurate—VETASSESS verifies every detail. 📚 All documents must be certified and translated if not in English. |
| 🛤️ PR Pathway After VETASSESS | Once assessed positively:➡ Apply for skilled migration visas such as:✔ Subclass 189 (Independent)✔ Subclass 190 (State Nominated)✔ Subclass 491 (Regional Sponsored) | 🎯 Improve your points via age, English tests, and more work experience. 📍 Keep an eye on state nomination requirements if going for 190/491. |
Common Challenges and Tips for a Successful VETASSESS Assessment
🎯 Challenges:
- Poor or not accorded employment references
- Uncertified or incomplete qualification documents
- Inadequate proof of practical skills (for trades)
- Misunderstanding English language requirements
- Mismatch of occupation with the ANZSCO code and not reflecting the qualifications and work experience
💪 Tips:
- Double-check eligible occupations and ensure your qualifications are closely aligned.
- Provide detailed, certified employment references with duties matching your occupation.
- Organise and certify your academic and employment documents.
- Document your hands-on experience if applying for a trade occupation.
- Seek advice from migration agents or those who have completed the process.
After Your VETASSESS Assessment: What’s Next?
Once you receive your positive skills assessment from VETASSESS:
- Submit Your Visa Application: Attach your skills assessment report when you submit your visa application.
- Prepare Supporting Documents: Ensure all your documents are submitted by the specified date and are valid.
- Stay Updated: VETASSESS assessments are typically valid for 3 years. Ensure that you apply for your visa before your evaluation expires.
VETASSESS vs. Other Skill Assessing Authorities
It’s essential to recognise that VETASSESS isn’t the sole authority responsible for assessing skills for Australian migration. The correct authority depends entirely on your nominated occupation:
| 🏢 Assessing Body | 👨💼 Who They Assess | 🔍 Examples of Occupations | 📌 Important Notes |
| ✅ VETASSESS | General professional occupations and some trades not covered by others | Marketing Specialist, HR Advisor, Chef (some trades), Management Consultant | VETASSESS is your go-to for a broad range of non-technical and trade roles.Great for those outside STEM or medical fields. |
| 💻 Australian Computer Society (ACS) | ICT professionals | Software Engineer, IT Business Analyst, Network Administrator | Specialising in tech and digital roles.Requires detailed employment references and project descriptions. |
| ⚙️ Engineers Australia (EA) | All engineering occupations | Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer | Prepare a Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) unless you studied in a recognised country. |
| 🔧 Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) | Many hands-on trade occupations | Carpenter, Plumber, Electrician | TRA oversees broader trade pathways.If your trade requires practical testing, TRA is usually the correct body. |
| 🏥 Medical Boards/Councils | Health and medical professionals | Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists | Involves exams, registrations, and English proficiency. Regulated heavily by AHPRA and specific councils. |
| 📊 CPA Australia / CA ANZ / IPA | Accounting and finance professionals | Accountant (General), External Auditor, Tax Agent | All require recognition of qualification and work experience.Select the one that aligns with your career path. |
| 🔎 Many Others | Each has unique rules and processes | Teachers, Social Workers, Architects, Dentists | Always check the ANZSCO code on the Home Affairs website to confirm who assesses your role. |
🌐 Official Links and Resources for your VETASSESS Journey:
- Official VETASSESS Occupation List: Search by Occupation name or ANZSCO code
- Department of Home Affairs: for the latest update
- Australian Government skill shortage lists: The list
❓ Most Commonly Asked Questions About VETASSESS Skill Assessment
❓ Q1. Is the VETASSESS assessment mandatory for migration?
Yes, unless another authorised body assesses your occupation.
❓ Q2. How long is my outcome valid?
Usually, 3 years from the date of issue.
❓ Q3. What happens if my assessment is negative?
You can request a review, provide more documents, or consider further study/experience.
❓ Q4. Can I fast-track my VETASSESS application?
Fast-track options may be available for some professional occupations, usually after paying an additional fee.
❓ Q5. What if my employer has closed down or is unable to provide a reference?
VETASSESS may accept alternative support documents, such as statutory declarations, detailed tax records, or superannuation/pension statements. Still, you must clearly state why standard documentation is not available and provide as much supporting evidence as possible.
❓ Q6. Can I change my nominated occupation after submitting my application?
No, it is not possible to change the nominated occupation after it has been submitted. However, if your application is still pending, you can request a change without incurring additional fees.
Once your application is in progress, you won’t be able to change the occupation. If you received an adverse outcome due to a wrongly chosen occupation, then you can opt for “Reassessment with a change of Occupation” by paying an additional fee. Otherwise, you will need to pay the full fee for the new application.
Conclusion: Navigating Your VETASSESS Journey
If you’re a qualified professional or a skilled tradesperson, the VETASSESS assessment procedure is a crucial step towards achieving your dream of living permanently in Australia.
It is necessary to understand the assessment process, prepare comprehensive documentation, and avoid common challenges to set yourself on the right path. Stay updated with the latest news and consider professional advice to make your journey as smooth as possible.
Embark confidently towards your Australian future and start a new chapter with a successful VETASSESS skill assessment!