How does the VETASSESS Skills Assessment Support service work?

We provide separate consultation services for applicants and for registered migration agents and lawyers. The service for migration professionals recognises their expertise and that the Australian Government has authorised them to provide immigration assistance.

Here's how an applicant and their agent or practising legal professional might use the service.

Selecting an occupation for a skills assessment if you are an applicant

People who are planning to apply will typically use the service to discuss the occupation they intend to nominate.

It's important to get this right and researching your options early can save time, money and disappointment. Australian employers' expectations for an occupation may differ from the country where you gained your qualification and employment experience.

That means someone who has worked in an occupation in their home country might not receive a successful assessment because the Australian market has different educational and employment requirements for this role.

Point to note: If there is an occupation better suited to your qualifications and experience, we cannot give a positive assessment outcome for the occupation you have nominated. That's why it is important to make the most appropriate choice.

If you are using a registered migration agent or lawyer

We can have a more detailed conversation with a migration agent or lawyer due to these professionals being legally equipped and experienced to operate in the skilled migration space.

We will say if we believe an applicant will be unsuccessful in an occupation they would like to nominate and if we are speaking to a registered migration agent or legal professional, we may point them to another occupation that is more aligned to their client's skills.

The agent will know whether an alternative option will suit their client's migration plans.

Agents can upload their client's resume for us to consider the occupation it is most aligned to, considering the client's experience and qualifications.

Point to note: Although VETASSESS conducts skills assessments for the purposes of skilled migration, we do not give migration advice.

If you are an individual

You can use the consultation to ask us about:

• educational and skill level requirements
• whether your qualifications are likely to meet Group occupation requirements
• ANZSCO criteria and the occupational industry environment relevant to the occupation you are considering nominating.

This is helpful if you are concerned about whether your qualifications or your employment experience are likely to meet the requirements for an occupation. For many people this is about being more informed before they start their application journey.

The SAS consultation service can also provide additional information about how we apply criteria to the Date Deemed Skilled based on your qualifications and employment history. 

How does VETASSESS assess qualifications and work experience?

We assess employment against the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), which sets out the level of experience and tasks performed that are expected for job classifications.

Qualifications are assessed against a database of country education profiles (CEP) and international qualification assessment resources.

In some cases, international qualifications may be assessed below the level you achieved in your home country, and this can negatively impact your overall skills assessment outcome.

In order for us to understand how your qualification gained outside Australia compares with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), a number of factors are taken into account. The CEP considers the structure of a country's primary, secondary and post-secondary education system, entry requirements and the content and required duration of your qualification.

What can I do with my information after the consultation?

We provide a written summary after the consultation. You can use this as a visual checklist when gathering the required and preferred documents to submit with your application.

VETASSESS Document Checking Service

Our Document Checking Service provides guidance about meeting documentation requirements for a skills application.

Both individuals and migration agents/lawyers use this service.

Ensuring your documentation is in order when you first lodge a formal Skills Assessment means your application has a better chance of being assessed in a shorter timeframe.

We check whether you have provided a sufficient number and type of documentation in order for us to be able to effectively complete a formal skills assessment. We also provide a written summary report.

Point to note: Although we check you have provided the right type of document and enough documents to demonstrate your skills and qualifications, the service does not give advice regarding the content relevance of your documents, that is, whether the documents provide enough evidence of your skills in your occupation.

We hope this information has helped you understand how the Skills Assessment Service operates and how it can save time and ensure you are informed and prepared before you lodge an application.

You can read more about the service here.