Skills Assessment for Australian Skilled Visas: What to Check

A skills assessment is a formal confirmation that your qualifications and work experience meet the standard required for your nominated occupation in Australia. It is a mandatory step for most points-tested skilled visas, and the outcome directly affects whether you can lodge a valid application. The assessment must be issued by the relevant assessing authority for your occupation, and the criteria, fees, and processing times vary by authority and by occupation. You cannot rely on a single generic checklist; you must check the specific requirements for your occupation on the official assessing authority’s website before you apply. This page explains what the official guidance establishes about skills assessments and where you must verify the details that apply to you.

What a skills assessment is for

A skills assessment exists to verify that your skills and experience are comparable to the Australian standard for your nominated occupation. For points-tested visas such as the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), and Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visas, a positive skills assessment is a core eligibility requirement. The assessment is not the same as a visa application; it is a separate process completed before you lodge the visa. The assessing authority issues a written outcome, and you attach that outcome to your visa application as evidence.

The official guidance does not list every assessing authority or the fees they charge. It does confirm that the assessment must be relevant to your nominated occupation and that the outcome is a prerequisite for the skilled visa application. If your occupation is not on the relevant skilled occupation list, or if your assessment is for a different occupation, your visa application will not be valid. You must therefore confirm your occupation’s code and the correct assessing authority before you start.

Which visas require a skills assessment

The official guidance lists the visa subclasses covered by Ministerial Direction 119, which sets processing priorities for certain Skilled visas. These include:

Visa subclass	Title
186	Employer Nomination Scheme
187	Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
189	Skilled Independent
190	Skilled Nominated
191	Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)
482	Skills in Demand (SID)
482	Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)
489	Skilled Regional (Provisional)
491	Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
494	Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)
887	Skilled Regional
888	Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)

Not all of these visas require a skills assessment. For example, the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa is not a points-tested skilled visa, and the official guidance does not state that it requires a skills assessment. The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa and the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa may require a skills assessment depending on the occupation and the stream you apply under. The official guidance does not specify which occupations require an assessment for each visa. You must check the specific requirements for your visa subclass and occupation on the Department of Home Affairs website and on the assessing authority’s website.

How processing priorities affect your application

Ministerial Direction 119 came into effect on 25 July 2026 and replaced all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 105. It applies to all on hand applications, including for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program, which was not previously included under Ministerial Direction 105. Prioritisation is afforded according to both occupation and the location of applicants at the time of application.

The order of priority is as follows:

1. Highest priority: nominations and visa applications supporting Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests, where the applicant is in Australia at the time of application.
2. Second priority: law enforcement or defence interests, where the applicant is outside Australia.
3. Third priority: construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations, where the applicant is in Australia.
4. Fourth priority: all other applications where the applicant is in Australia.
5. Fifth and final priority: all other applications where the applicant is outside Australia.

This means that if you are applying for a skilled visa and your occupation is in construction, healthcare, or teaching, your application may be processed faster than an application in another occupation, provided you are in Australia at the time of application. If you are outside Australia, your application will be in a lower priority tier. The direction does not guarantee a specific processing time; it only sets the order in which applications are considered. You can check current processing times on the Department’s processing times guide.

The health requirement and skills assessment

The skills assessment is separate from the health requirement. Even if you receive a positive skills assessment, you must still meet the health requirement for your visa. The official guidance explains a specific situation: if your child was born in Australia and does not meet the health requirement for a temporary or permanent visa, you do not need to apply for special consideration. A visa processing officer will consider your child’s eligibility for the child born and ordinarily resident in Australia assessment.

For that assessment, the officer must be satisfied that your child is under 18 years old at the time of visa decision, born in Australia, and ordinarily resident in Australia. The officer will confirm the birth by sighting a full standard Australian Birth Certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages; extracts and ceremonial birth certificates are not accepted. If your child does not satisfy that assessment, the officer may consider them for a health waiver if one is available for the visa subclass they applied for. This is relevant to your overall application strategy, but it does not change the requirement for a skills assessment.

What the official guidance does not tell you

The official guidance does not provide a list of assessing authorities, their fees, their required documents, or their processing times. It does not state which specific occupations require a skills assessment for each visa subclass. It does not give the points value of a positive skills assessment, nor does it explain how to calculate your points score. It does not mention the Australian Computer Society (ACS), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, or any other assessing authority by name.

This means that if you are applying for a skills assessment in a specific occupation, you must verify the following on the official assessing authority’s website:

• The correct assessing authority for your nominated occupation.
• The required qualifications and work experience.
• The application fee.
• The processing time.
• The documents you must submit.

The Department of Home Affairs website also has a skilled occupation list and information about which visas require a skills assessment. You should check both the Department’s page for your visa subclass and the assessing authority’s page for your occupation. Do not rely on third-party summaries or forums, as requirements change and errors can lead to a refused application.

What to do next

Start by identifying your nominated occupation and its ANZSCO code. Then find the assessing authority for that occupation on the Department of Home Affairs website or the assessing authority’s own website. Read the authority’s requirements carefully, including the qualification and experience criteria, and gather your supporting documents before you apply. If you are unsure whether your occupation requires a skills assessment for your chosen visa, check the specific requirements for that visa subclass on the Department’s website.

Finally, verify the current processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119 if you are applying for a skilled visa, as they may affect how quickly your application is considered. The direction came into effect on 25 July 2026 and applies to applications on hand from that date. Check the Department’s processing times guide for current estimates, and check the official pages for any changes to fees, requirements, or assessing authorities before you lodge your application.