Skills Assessment for Australian Skilled Visas

A skills assessment is an independent evaluation of whether your training and employment history are equivalent to the Australian standard for your nominated occupation. The Department of Home Affairs will not grant a points-tested skilled visa (subclasses 189, 190 or 491) without a valid positive assessment from the designated authority for that occupation.

The assessment does two jobs. First, it confirms you genuinely work in the occupation you've nominated, judged against the official ANZSCO description rather than your job title. Second, it can convert your overseas employment into points — the authority specifies how many years of your experience are recognised as 'skilled', which directly affects your points score and your competitiveness for an invitation.

Because the assessment underpins everything else in a points-tested application, it is almost always the very first formal step migrants take, before sitting an English test or submitting an Expression of Interest.

The assessing authority depends entirely on your nominated occupation. Each occupation on the skilled occupation lists is mapped to a single designated authority, and you must apply to that authority — you cannot choose a different one because it is cheaper or faster.

Fees vary significantly by authority and the type of assessment required. As a guide for 2025–26, expect to pay roughly the following for a standard full assessment (review and appeal fees are charged separately):

Processing times depend on the authority and how complete your documentation is. ICT assessments through ACS are often finalised within a few weeks, while VETASSESS standard assessments commonly take 10–16 weeks. Engineers Australia typically falls in the 6–12 week range, and trade assessments that involve a practical component can take several months once interview scheduling is factored in.

Some authorities offer a priority or fast-track service for an additional fee that can reduce the wait to around 10 business days. Incomplete or poorly evidenced applications are the most common cause of delay, so it pays to prepare your documents carefully the first time.

While each authority has its own checklist, most assessments require a consistent core set of evidence. Gathering certified copies early — especially overseas references, which can be slow to obtain — is the single best way to avoid delays.

Skilled work experience is worth up to 15 points for overseas experience and up to 20 points for Australian experience, capped at 20 points combined. Crucially, only experience the assessing authority recognises as skilled counts — and many authorities deduct an initial period of your career (often two to four years) as the time taken to reach skilled level.

This is why two applicants with identical résumés can end up with different points totals: the assessing authority's view of when your 'skilled' experience began is what the Department uses. Understanding this before you lodge helps you set a realistic points expectation.