Skills assessment
Before Home Affairs looks at you, an assessing authority has to confirm you're the chef, nurse, engineer or accountant you say you are. Get the occupation and the evidence right, and everything after it gets easier.
- Category
- Skills
- What it is
- An independent check of your qualifications and work for one occupation
- Needed for
- 189, 190, 491, 494, 186 Direct Entry, 485 (vocational stream), some 482
- Authority fee
- About A$350–1,500 for most professions; more for some trade pathways
- Time
- About 10 business days to 4 months, by authority
- Our fee
- From A$1,650
Start here
Do this
- Match your real duties to the occupation before choosing it
- Get a reference letter for every role you'll claim
- Keep payslips, tax records and contracts for each job
- Check how many years the authority will actually count
Avoid this
- Choosing the occupation a friend used
- Sending generic duty statements copied from the occupation description
- Lodging with gaps between letters and payslips
- Waiting until your visa is about to expire
What a wrong turn can cost: A negative outcome usually means another fee and two to four more months — and on a 485, that's time you may not have.
Are you on the right track?
- Do you know which authority assesses your occupation?
- Do you have a reference letter for every job you'll claim?
- Do your payslips cover the same dates as your letters?
Unsure about any of these? Talk it through on a free call — you're not alone in this.
Is this you?
- You've finished your course and can no longer renew a student visa from inside Australia.
- You're on a 485 and need a pathway before it runs out.
- You've worked in your field for a few years and want to know if it counts.
What changed
2 Oct 2026 Most temporary visa holders, including 485 and 482 holders, can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia — a skills-based pathway matters more.
19 Sep 2026 Construction, healthcare, teaching and other priority sectors are processed first.
Announced The points test is being redesigned so housing trades earn the same points as a degree. No start date yet.
Who qualifies
- Your occupation decides the authority: trades usually TRA, ICT the ACS, engineers Engineers Australia, nurses ANMAC, teachers AITSL, accountants CPA, CA ANZ or IPA, and most other professions VETASSESS.
- A positive outcome is one requirement, not a visa. Age, English, points and occupation lists still apply.
- Outcomes usually stay valid for about three years.
Step by step
- ConsultationWe match your real duties to the right occupation and confirm the authority, cost and likely points.
- Evidence planA personal checklist, plus reference letter templates your employer only has to check and sign.
- Collect documentsYour case officer tracks what's in and what's missing.
- Quality checkA second person checks names, dates, duties and pay records.
- Lodge and respondWe lodge and answer any authority questions within 5 business days.
- OutcomeA positive result goes straight into your visa plan.
Document checklist
Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Common problems
Myths and facts
How we help you with Skills assessment
- 1UnderstandWe confirm the right occupation and authority in your consultation.
- 2PlanA written plan: authority, fee, timeline and the points it unlocks.
- 3PrepareTemplates, a personal checklist and weekly progress check-ins.
- 4LodgeQuality check, lodgement, and replies to the authority within 5 business days.
- 5DestinationYour outcome explained, then your visa plan.
What you'll receive
How we keep in touch: A weekly WhatsApp check-in while you gather documents, then updates whenever the authority contacts us.
Three ways to do it
An honest look at your options. Some people do this themselves, and that can work well.
| Topic | With Omar Nafiz | Doing it yourself | With another provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choosing the occupation | Matched to your real duties, the target visa list and state demand | Often picked from a friend or forum | Often picked to fit a usual template |
| Reference letters | Duty-mapped templates your employer checks and signs | Generic letters — a common cause of negative outcomes | Sometimes copied from the occupation description, which assessors notice |
| Quality check | A second person checks names, dates, pay and history | Nobody checks | Varies |
| Points impact | We estimate when your experience starts counting, before lodging | Discovered after the outcome | Rarely explained |
| Next step | Straight into a visa strategy session | Start again from scratch | Often a separate fee |
Free mini-course: Skills assessment, first time right
3 short lessons and quick checks. About 11 minutes.
Questions people ask
Which authority assesses me?
Your occupation decides. We confirm it in your consultation.
How long does it take?
From about 10 business days (CPA) to about 120 days (TRA's Migration Skills Assessment). Preparing a complete file usually takes 4–7 weeks before that.
Can I do it myself?
Yes. People come to us when they're unsure about the occupation, the letters or a deadline, because a negative outcome costs months and another fee.
My employer won't write a reference letter.
Most authorities accept a statutory declaration backed by payslips, tax and bank records.
I got a negative outcome. Is it over?
No. A review, appeal, reassessment or a different occupation may work. Review windows are short — TRA's is 28 days.
Pricing
Consultation
A full review of your situation and a written plan.
Skills Assessment Ready
Most professional files: checklist, letter templates, review, lodgement and follow-up.
Skills Assessment Plus
Engineers, ICT without an ICT degree, trade programs, or several employers. From price.
Skills to Visa
Assessment plus expression of interest, state applications and the 189, 190 or 491 visa.
Packages are paid in stages, only after you sign a written service agreement.
Book
Talk to us about Skills assessment
Start with a free 15-minute phone call. If you need full advice, book a A$110 consultation — it comes off your package.
Often considered alongside
Official sources
Figures checked 8 October 2026. Visa rules and charges change — we confirm everything for your situation before you pay for a package.