Skills assessments and Australian professional registration
Most skilled visa pathways and many professional registration paths require an Australian assessing authority to review your qualifications. Major authorities, the typical process, and what gets missed.
Published 17 May 2026 · Last reviewed 17 May 2026
Most skilled visa pathways and many professional registration paths require a skills assessment by an Australian assessing authority. It's separate from English testing — the authority looks at your qualifications and your work experience, and decides whether they meet Australian standards for your nominated occupation.
Major assessing authorities
- Engineers Australia (EA) — all engineering occupations. https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/
- Australian Computer Society (ACS) — IT, software, system admin, ICT business analyst. https://www.acs.org.au/
- VETASSESS — wide range of "general" professional occupations (chef, manager, marketing, social sciences, environmental scientist, etc) plus most trades. https://www.vetassess.com.au/
- AHPRA — registered nurses, midwives, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and most regulated health professions. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
- ANMAC — nursing and midwifery for migration skills assessment (sits alongside AHPRA). https://www.anmac.org.au/
- AITSL — teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/
- CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ, Institute of Public Accountants — accountants and finance professionals.
- Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) — most non-licensed trades.
- CASA — pilots.
- AMSA — maritime.
The full list of assessing authorities by occupation is at: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skills-assessment/assessing-authorities
Typical skills assessment process
- Identify your nominated occupation on the ANZSCO list and match it to the right assessing authority.
- Submit documents — qualifications (with translations if not in English), employment references (often on company letterhead), professional registrations.
- Pay the fee. Verify the current fee with the assessing authority directly.
- Wait — typically 8–16 weeks, faster for some authorities.
- Receive a positive or negative outcome. Negative outcomes can sometimes be reviewed.
Common gotchas
- Choosing the wrong occupation code. The ANZSCO code drives everything downstream — assessment authority, occupation list, points eligibility. Get this right.
- Employment references that don't tick the boxes the authority requires (specific dates, duties, hours per week, signed by a person with title and contact details).
- Assuming a foreign professional qualification means automatic Australian registration. Doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, electricians, plumbers all need separate Australian registration on top of any visa-related skills assessment.