Answers by experts in professional occupations - August 2024

1. How long does it take to have a skills assessment completed for a general professional occupation? 

We are pleased to report that we have successfully reduced our average processing time down to between 10 and 15 weeks. This is a result of a major focus on reducing these times after we experienced a huge increase in demand in recent years. 

If you are in a hurry, we do provide a Priority Processing Service for applicants who provide us with evidence of an urgent need. This is optional and costs extra. Extra requirements apply because we guarantee to complete your skills assessment within 10 business days and we will only accept your application if we can meet that deadline. You can find out more here  

2. For a managerial occupation, how many months should the applicant work as a manager before submitting their application? 

This will depend on the occupation and qualification level, and the relevance of the qualification. If your qualification is assessable at the required level in relation to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and highly relevant, then we require at least one year within the last five years.  

If the qualification is not highly relevant, you may need additional employment experience to meet the minimum requirements and be deemed as skilled. It is best to check the qualification level and what is deemed a highly relevant field of study, which you can do by reading the information sheet for the occupation on our website. 

3. Will you consider work experience in lieu of a qualification? 

No, qualification levels must be met. However, these vary greatly, so you should check the information sheet to find the level required for your occupation. 

4. How can an applicant provide a minimum number of hours worked on their employment reference letter when they are employed on a casual basis with no minimum guaranteed weekly hours? 

Pay rates and evidence typically support minimum hours performed in employment. We need the employment to be performed for at least 20 hours per week to fulfil assessment requirements. 

5. Can someone who works through a labour hire company provide proof of payment records from that company and a statement of service from the end user? 

Yes they can. Typically the letter would mention the person is employed via the third party. 

6. Is unpaid leave counted as part of the required work experience? 

No, it is not counted for this. For VETASSESS to consider your work experience, it must be paid as per the terms and conditions of your employment. 

7. I work irregular hours per week – some weeks fewer than 20 hours and some weeks more. Will this be averaged out to meet the minimum of 20 hours per week for the required duration?  

No, it won't be averaged out. For skills assessment purposes, full-time work is paid employment performed for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Irregular periods that average out to 20 hours per week over a year will not be considered. For example, if you worked 12 hours per week over a three-month period and then worked 40 hours per week over seven months, only the seven-month period would be considered. 

8. Am I required to outline and submit all the qualifications that I have achieved – even those that may not be relevant to my selected occupation? 

It is important to list, at a minimum, your post-secondary qualifications that you believe are relevant to your occupation as this may have an impact on your assessment. You should submit documents for the qualifications you want us to assess. We also recommend listing any relevant short/non-academic/licensing/professional development courses, certificates and achievements in the personal details section of the online form as well as in your CV. Any qualifications that are not listed in the application form will not be considered for formal skills assessment. Please consider including the highest-level tertiary qualification attained, regardless of relevance, so that it may be considered for points test advice.