Documents Required for Skills Assessment in Australia

Many individuals who are looking for work opportunities or education in Australia know that skills assessment is a very important step to completing immigration. 

Skills assessment is conducted by designated assessment authorities to verify whether the applicant's qualifications and work experience align with Australian standards. These qualifications and experience should also match the nominated occupation for each individual.

However, the process is not as simple as it sounds. It's not just about submitting the documents. It's about presenting the right documents in the right format. Incomplete, missing, or incorrectly prepared documents can lead to delays, rejection or even additional costs for the applicant.

What are the essential documents required for skill assessment in Australia? Keep reading till the end to find out!

What is Skills Assessment?

Source: ImmiDocs

Nobody other than the skill-assessing authorities can conduct a skill assessment in Australia. This authority is the organisation that checks if your skills meet the standards required to work in a relevant job position and occupation.

There are five occupational lists that outline the eligible skilled occupations for migration to Australia. Each occupation is further assessed by a designated skills-assessing authority, and only a skills assessment issued by the relevant authority is considered valid for migration purposes.

So, as a candidate, it's your responsibility to contact the relevant assessing authority as per the occupation and position you are applying for. They will issue you a skilled assessment based on their procedure, timelines, and cost.

For certain visa subclasses, it is mandatory to obtain a suitable skills assessment. Whereas in other categories, it may only be requested under specific circumstances. Since each visa category has different requirements, you need to read the fine print and all the details about the visa you are applying for in Australia to see if you even need a skills assessment and when you should get it.

For instance, if a software engineer is applying for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), they will fall under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. So, a positive skills assessment from the ACS (Australian Computer Society) is required in this case.

The documents needed from such individuals include:

• Proof of identity like a passport or birth certificate
• Educational qualifications like certifications, degrees, transcripts, etc.
• Proof of work experience via reference letters and payslips
• English proficiency documents like IELTS, PTE or TOEFL scores

Amongst other visa classes, different assessing authorities have their own documentation requirements. However, generally, the applicants have to provide proof of identity, evidence of work experience, educational qualifications, and proof of English proficiency as part of the skills assessment process.

Key Documents Required for Skills Assessment in Australia

Source: ACSRPLAustralia

‍The main documents required for skills assessment in Australia depend a lot on your qualifications and the specific visa subclass, but you are mostly required to provide the following: 

Personal Identification

Personal identification documents, including a passport with a photo page or National Identity Card and an official document in case of a name change.

English Language Proficiency

To check for English language skills, you are required to submit evidence. This evidence is usually the IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL results, which are the recognised English proficiency tests.

However, the Accounting Professional Year Program completion certificate or similar programs also work as specific pathways for accounting professionals.

Academic Qualifications

Official academic awards and degree certificates may be required as well. You have to submit the official academic transcript, as well as transcripts from previous studies. If you have received an exemption for your degree, that must also be submitted.

An official translator must translate those official academic awards or transcripts that are not in English, and both the original language documents and the translated documents must be submitted among the documents required for skills assessment in Australia.

Professional Body Qualifications (If Applicable)

You need to provide your official membership certificate, exam results, and transcripts from previous studies. If you were exempted from any exams, you also need to provide the results for those exams, as well as for all the academic levels you have completed or were exempt from.

Syllabus for Non-Accredited Qualifications (If Applicable)

The official syllabus for the qualifications not accredited by CPA Australia also needs to be provided for all business subjects, including finance and accounting. You have to provide the syllabus with the exact subject titles, course contents, and year of study. The syllabus must reflect the course content as per the transcript and include all topics covered.However, if you cannot find or access the official syllabus, you must provide a statutory declaration stating why it is unavailable and a detailed self-written summary of the subjects completed. This declaration must be witnessed by a justice of peace or a notary officer. For more guidance on the matter, read here: Documents required for the Australian skills assessment application.

Chinese Degree Verification (If Applicable)

If you have acquired any qualification from a Chinese Institute, you will need an official authorised Chinese qualification verification service to confirm the degree and transcript. You will also need to include an official English translation of the validation.Similarly, if you have a diploma qualification that leads to any contributions to your bachelor's degree, you must provide a verified and translated transcript for them as well. The verification body is required to send all the reports directly to migrationupload@cpaaustralia.com.au.

Work Experience

One of the most highly assessed parts of the skill assessment is work experience. The assessing bodies will check if you have relevant and verifiable work experience that matches your occupation’s ANZSCO code. You have to submit documents like the official employment reference letter, the payslip and tax documents, work contracts, appointment letters and the job description. They can also ask for references. Make sure these are written on complete letterheads with the contact details and signed by an authorised person like HR or your immediate supervisor. 

Third-Party Authorisation Form (If Applicable)

In case a third party is submitting your documents required for skills assessment in Australia, you will need a third-party authorisation form completed by the applicant. The authorised party will have to upload it as part of the online application along with the other documents.

How to Submit Documents Required for Skills Assessment in Australia

The documents are uploaded with the online application. Before you begin the application, you need to save the documents as separate files. The title of the documents should include your full name.It should be in this format: “Last Name, First Name – Passport.”Here’s a quick reminder of all the documents you’ll need to gather:

• Personal identification documents/Passport
• English language proficiency documents
• Academic qualifications + Professional qualifications
• Syllabus 
• Skilled employment
• Third-party authorisation form

How to Submit Additional Documents

Now, at any time during the visa process, you can be asked to submit additional documents for your assessment. Usually, the Australian government contacts the candidates by email.The process for submitting these documents is the same. Just log in to your account, and you will see the details of the request. Review the information, upload the required documents, and press the ‘Submit’ button.

Common Challenges in Skills Assessment

The skills assessment process is not as simple as it looks. Many challenges occur during assessment that can lead to unnecessary delays and problems for the applicant. Some of the most common challenges include:

• Incomplete documents, missing details, and incorrectly formatted documents are simple mistakes that can get your application rejected.
• The application may be cancelled if the reference letters don't match the ANZSCO requirements.
• The work experience must be detailed, which can become a problem for self-employed applicants who work without proper documentation as they have to provide proof of work. 
• Another challenge is that trade workers have to provide extra documentation like testimonials, videos, or practical tests to prove competency; otherwise, the application could be rejected.

Tips and Tricks for a Successful Skills Assessment

Are you still worried about your skills assessment in Australia? Here are some tips and tricks that can help make it easy peasy

• Always check the document requirements twice – for your occupation 
• Ensure the translation is certified if your documents are not in the English language 
• Always keep a backup of the documents and ensure they are all updated 
• Use an online platform to organise and prepare the documents for assessment as needed.

Conclusion

Skills assessment is a very important step for professionals, individuals, and people thinking of migrating to Australia. How can you make sure your application isn’t rejected? Make sure you have all the documents ready and in the proper format.