If you want to find out how to pass a Trade Skills Assessment you came to the right place. To apply for any of the trade occupations in Australia, such as carpentry and joinery, bricklaying, metal fabrication, air conditioning refrigeration mechanic, painting & decorating, boat building, auto mechanic, welding, and auto electrical, you need to pass a skills assessment.
In this article, you’ll learn what skills assessment is and what you need to do to ace it and emigrate to Australia as a skilled migrant.
Key Questions Related to Trade Skills Test
- What is a skills assessment and why do I need it?
- Who carries out skills assessment?
- Is a practical test necessary?
- What documents are required for skills assessment?
- What if I don’t have an actual qualification, only work experience?
- Is it possible to get a work visa to Australia even if I cannot pass a skill assessment?
What is a skills assessment and why do I need it?
This is a paper-based assessment of your skills and work experience to determine if they meet the Australian standards set for your nominated occupation. All permanent general skilled migration visas, including Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) or State Nomination (Subclass 190), require a skills assessment.
Before you can submit an expression of interest and start processing your visa, you must first obtain a positive skills assessment.
Who carries out a trade skills assessment?
The most common Skills Assessor for most trades is the Trades Recognition Australia. Whether or not an applicant has the relevant work skills, TRA must assess them as specified by immigration.
For offshore skills assessment, VETASSES can help or the Down Under Centre.
Is a practical test necessary?
A practical test is not always necessary since a skills assessment focuses more on Education Requirement and Previous Work Experience Requirement. A practical and theoretical assessment, however, is required for most electrical trades.
Generally, to pass a skills assessment, you must meet the following:
- Equivalent Australian trade occupation. Example: Cert III in Carpentry in Australia is equivalent to the NVQ level 3 certificate in the UK.
- Post-qualification work experience of at least 3 years.
What documents are required for skills assessment?
To obtain a positive skills assessment, you may need to provide educational documentation that includes a full academic transcript, and work experience documentation that includes an employment contract, payslips, Letters of Reference from previous employers, and tax assessments.
What if I don’t have an actual qualification, only work experience?
With enough previous work experience—6 years or more, you may be eligible to pass a skills assessment test. But it is recommended that you enrol in recognised prior learning to obtain a relevant qualification.
Is it possible to get a work visa to Australia even if I cannot pass a skill assessment?
If you fail a skills assessment, you still have options to get an Australian work visa.
- Meet requirements for an employer sponsored visa.
Your eligibility will depend on your employer’s approval to sponsor, the location of your employer, the type and length of your work experience, post-secondary qualifications, the salary being offered to you, and your type of job under employer sponsorship.
- Learn to trade in Australia and later obtain a work visa.
It only takes up to 2 years for international students to become a fully qualified tradesman in Australia.
Immigration has also made it easier for foreign-trained tradespersons to pass a skills assessment as a way to encourage studying in Australia.Find out if you qualify for a Skilled Migrant Visa by taking our Free Australia visa assessment.
