VETASSESS skills assessment: requirements and how to apply

Key facts

Assessment types: Full skills assessment for professional occupations; skills assessment for trade occupations; Points Test Advice (qualifications only); Post-Vocational Education Work visa (subclass 485) assessment; DAMA skills assessment; review, reassessment and renewal of an outcome
Qualification: Qualifications are compared with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The level and field needed depend on the occupation's group. Example: for Recruitment Consultant (Group B), an AQF Bachelor degree or higher in a field highly relevant to the occupation, with other pathways if the degree is not highly relevant.
Employment: Employment must be relevant and at the right skill level. Example: for Recruitment Consultant (Group B), the standard pathway is at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, in the last five years, at 20 hours or more per week, highly relevant to the occupation. Other pathways need 1 to 6 years. Both must be assessed positively.
English: VETASSESS does not state an English test requirement for its professional skills assessment. The English requirement for the visa itself is set by Home Affairs.
Main documents: Resume or CV; a passport-sized photo less than 6 months old; three identity documents (at least one primary); award certificate and academic transcripts; for each job, a Statement of Service on employer letterhead and payment evidence (payslips, tax records, bank statements or superannuation records). High-quality colour scans; certified translations for documents not in English.
Fee (full skills assessment, professional occupations): AUD 1,260.60 within Australia (GST incl.); AUD 1,146.00 outside Australia (GST excl.). Priority processing is an extra AUD 949.30 / AUD 863.00. As at 4 October 2026 (the page shows no effective date).
Processing time (professional occupations): Standard: 7 weeks, which may be longer depending on complexity and documents. Priority: 10 business days after the application is confirmed as eligible.
Validity: A suitable full skills assessment outcome is usually valid for three years from its issue date. It can be renewed before it expires; once expired, a new application is needed.
How to apply: Online through the VETASSESS portal: choose an occupation, read the criteria, create an account, submit the application with document scans, respond to any requests from the assessment officer, then download the outcome letter from the portal.

What VETASSESS assesses

VETASSESS is the assessing authority for 341 professional and other non-trade occupations, and some trade occupations. A skills assessment checks two things. Your qualifications are compared with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Your employment is checked to confirm it is relevant and at an appropriate skill level. A positive result for both is needed for a positive outcome (VETASSESS). The occupation list on this page shows the 338 occupations in Settledin's data that name VETASSESS as the assessing authority. VETASSESS's own site gives a count of 341.

Home Affairs lists which occupations and visas need a skills assessment. VETASSESS points applicants to Home Affairs to check this.

Requirements

Qualification: compared with the AQF. The level and field needed depend on the occupation's group. For example, Recruitment Consultant (Group B) needs an AQF Bachelor degree or higher in a highly relevant field, with other pathways if the field is not highly relevant (example occupation).
Employment: for Recruitment Consultant, the standard pathway is at least one year of post-qualification employment, in the last five years, at 20 hours or more per week, highly relevant to the occupation. Other pathways need between 1 and 6 years (example occupation).
Documents: CV, photo, three identity documents, qualification certificates and transcripts, and a Statement of Service plus payment evidence for each job. A statutory declaration cannot be the only evidence of employment (eligibility).
English: VETASSESS does not state an English test requirement for its professional skills assessment. The visa's English requirement is set by Home Affairs.

Each occupation has its own page on the VETASSESS site with its group and exact rules.

How to apply

VETASSESS describes six steps (application process):

Choose a professional occupation and visa purpose.
Read the skills assessment criteria for that occupation.
Create an account on the VETASSESS portal.
Submit the online application with high-quality colour scans of your documents.
An assessment officer reviews the case and may ask for more documents through the portal.
View and download the outcome letter from the portal.

Fees: see professional occupation fees. Processing times: see current processing times.

Common questions

What does VETASSESS assess?

VETASSESS says it assesses 341 professional and other non-trade occupations for skilled migration, plus some trade occupations. It compares your qualifications with the Australian Qualifications Framework and checks that your employment is relevant and at an appropriate skill level.

How long does a VETASSESS skills assessment take?

For professional occupations, VETASSESS lists 7 weeks for standard processing, and 10 business days for priority processing after the application is confirmed as eligible.

How much does a VETASSESS skills assessment cost?

A full skills assessment for a professional occupation is AUD 1,260.60 within Australia (GST incl.) or AUD 1,146.00 outside Australia, as at 4 October 2026. Priority processing costs extra.

How long is a VETASSESS skills assessment valid?

VETASSESS says a suitable full skills assessment outcome is usually valid for three years from its issue date. It can be renewed before it expires.

How many years of work experience does VETASSESS need?

It depends on the occupation's group and how relevant your qualification is. For Recruitment Consultant (Group B), the standard pathway is at least one year of highly relevant post-qualification employment in the last five years, at 20 hours or more per week.

What documents does VETASSESS ask for?

A CV, a recent photo, three identity documents, qualification certificates and transcripts, and for each job a Statement of Service plus payment evidence. All documents must be high-quality colour scans.

VETASSESS skills assessment